SEO
Showing up in ChatGPT and Google's AI answers: GEO explained for Moroccan businesses
Google's AI answers and ChatGPT cite websites. What Google and OpenAI really ask for to be included, and what is myth.
Key takeaway
There is no separate technique for appearing in Google's AI answers: in 2026 Google writes that SEO best practices "continue to be relevant" and that no special file or markup is needed. For ChatGPT, your site must stay open to OpenAI's OAI-SearchBot crawler. Nobody can guarantee a citation: be wary of any "GEO" offer that promises one.
Your customers no longer only search Google: they also ask ChatGPT, or read the AI summary at the top of the results. According to a Visa study published in June 2026, 53% of Moroccan respondents say they usually discover new brands through AI tools "such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini" (Hespress). That has led to a new promise in agency offers: "GEO", for Generative Engine Optimization, which is supposed to get your business into ChatGPT and AI answers. So what does it actually cover?
What exactly is GEO?
GEO means the work of making a site visible in AI-generated answers: Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, search inside ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini. These tools read web pages, build an answer from them and often cite their sources with a link.
In Morocco, Google is still the starting point: it handled 95.38% of searches in September 2026 according to StatCounter. What happens in Google's AI answers therefore concerns almost all your customers.
What does Google say about optimising for AI?
In May 2026 Google published an official guide, updated in July, on optimising for its generative AI features (Google Search Central). Its answer to "does SEO still matter?" is plain: "The best practices for SEO continue to be relevant." Google's AI features rely on its usual ranking and quality systems.
The guide also lists what is not needed:
- No special file: no need for an "AI" file, dedicated markup or Markdown; Google Search ignores these files, llms.txt included.
- No artificial chunking: there is no need to cut your text into small pieces "for AI"; there is no ideal page length.
- No fake mentions: chasing inauthentic "mentions" across the web is one of the myths to ignore.
- No rewriting for robots: rewriting your pages only for AI is not recommended.
On the technical side, the page AI features and your website is just as clear: there are "no additional requirements" to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. A page simply has to be indexed and eligible to show in Google with a snippet.
How do you show up in ChatGPT?
Google's guide covers its own features (AI Overviews, AI Mode), not ChatGPT. At OpenAI, search inside ChatGPT relies on a crawler called OAI-SearchBot, used to surface websites in ChatGPT's search results (OpenAI). A site that blocks it in its robots.txt file is not shown in ChatGPT search answers, though it can still appear as a plain navigational link. OpenAI therefore recommends allowing it if you want to be visible.
Check this with your provider: some hosts or security settings block crawlers without the site owner knowing.
What should you actually do to be cited?
| Do this | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Let Google crawl the site (robots.txt, CDN, host) | A page that isn't crawled can't be cited | |
| Allow OAI-SearchBot | Otherwise your pages won't appear in ChatGPT search answers | OpenAI |
| Put important information in text | A price inside an image can't be read as text | |
| Write "non-commodity" content | Google asks for expertise or experience beyond what everyone already knows | |
| Keep your Google Business Profile up to date | Google names the Business Profile among what helps you appear in AI answers | |
| Keep structured data faithful to the visible text | The markup must match what the visitor reads |
The most useful point is "non-commodity" content. An AI answer cites pages that say something precise: your real prices, your timelines, the rules of your trade, the questions your customers actually ask. A generic "we are here for you" page has nothing to cite. A page that says "a visit costs X DH, the wait is two weeks, here is what to bring" answers a question.
For a local business, the Google Business Profile matters as much as the site. We explain it in Local SEO in Morocco: showing up on Google Maps in your city.
Which "GEO" promises should you avoid?
Nobody controls what an AI answers. Neither Google nor OpenAI sells a place in their answers, and the cited content changes with the question, the person and the moment. Moroccan agency guides already warned against promises of "first position on Google in a few days" (Tourak Digital); the 2026 version of that promise is "you will be cited by ChatGPT".
Warning sign
An offer that guarantees a citation by ChatGPT or Google, sells a miracle "AI file", or offers to buy mentions on other sites goes against what Google itself writes. Ask instead: which pages will you improve, with what information, and how will you measure the result?
How does BrightIntent handle GEO?
For us, GEO is part of SEO, not a separate product. An audit, a one-off from 3 000 DH excl. VAT (launch price until January 31, 2027), checks that Google and AI crawlers can read your site and finds the customer questions that have no clear answer. Monthly work (from 4 100 DH excl. VAT a month) improves those pages and your Google profile; articles can be added (1 200 to 2 000 DH excl. VAT per article).
We write the objectives down before we start and we don't promise any citation. For an estimate that fits your business, build your online quote.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an llms.txt file or special markup?
No. Google's guide, updated in July 2026, says no special file, markup or Markdown is needed for its AI features, and that Google Search ignores llms.txt files (Google). Other tools may read them, but they are not a lever for Google.
Does GEO replace SEO?
No. Google writes that SEO best practices remain relevant for its AI features, which rely on its usual ranking systems. GEO is the same foundation, with attention to precise answers and to AI tools' crawlers.
Can I pay to be cited by ChatGPT?
We know of no official way to pay for a citation in ChatGPT's or Google's answers. Be wary of any offer that promises one.
How do I know if my site blocks ChatGPT?
Look at your site's robots.txt file (yoursite.ma/robots.txt): if it disallows OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT won't show your pages in its search answers. Your host or CDN can also block crawlers; ask your provider to check.
How can I tell if ChatGPT mentions my business?
Ask it the questions your customers ask, for example "dentist in Tangier" or "website cost in Morocco", and note whether your business appears, and with which source. Answers change with the person and the moment: repeat the test every month rather than once.
Why does a competitor show up in ChatGPT and not me?
Often because their pages answer the question more precisely, or because they are cited elsewhere (directories, articles, reviews). First check that your robots.txt doesn't block OAI-SearchBot, then compare your pages with theirs on the same question.
