ChatGPT, Gemini and the New Rules of Digital Marketing SEO

SEO in the Age of Large Language Models

LLMs now sit between your audience and your website. ChatGPT’s new browsing experience and Google’s Gemini-powered summaries are changing how people search, compare, and click.

The evolution of SEO is now defined by two concepts: Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), focused on winning search snippets, and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), focused on being cited by platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini.

This guide explains what has changed, how to adapt your digital marketing SEO and content strategies, and how to add “Ask in ChatGPT/Gemini” buttons to your site. It includes practical steps for website optimisation consultants, content marketing teams, and paid media managers.

What has changed in search behaviour and SEO?

From blue links to answers. ChatGPT can browse and attribute sources. Google’s AI Overviews use Gemini to summarise and link out. Users see a concise answer first, then choose a source to verify or continue. That means your content must be easy to quote, structured clearly, and technically sound.

Two ecosystems to optimise SEO for:

• Bing & ChatGPT. When ChatGPT searches, it uses Bing’s index (and other sources). If Bing crawls and understands your content, you are more likely to be cited in assistant answers.
• Google & Gemini. Google’s AI Overviews assemble a response from pages with clear language, consistent entities, and demonstrable expertise. Strong information architecture and schema help.

The shift represents a fundamental challenge for traditional digital marketing SEO efforts.

Implication for digital marketing SEO: pages that open with a direct answer, use clean HTML headings, and include supporting facts are more likely to surface in both assistant layers and classic SERPs.

How ChatGPT Atlas and Gemini change website requirements

ChatGPT Atlas moves AI into the browsing flow. Pages that give a short, correct answer before the detail, use readable H1–H3 in HTML, include named anchors for common questions, and load quickly tend to be easier to quote. Gemini in Search amplifies the same signals. If your service pages are tidy, consistent, and well-referenced, they are easier to summarise accurately. This is where a disciplined content marketing strategy and strong on-page structure meet technical execution, defining the future of digital marketing SEO.

ChatGPT vs Gemini for SEO

Both reward clear, answer-first content, but they reach it in different ways. ChatGPT’s browsing draws on Bing’s index and, with Atlas, can sit alongside the page a person is viewing. This makes concise sections and stable anchors valuable because the assistant can cite or jump to them as the reader navigates. Gemini powers Google’s AI Overviews, composing a summary with links to sources above the traditional results. That tends to favour pages with strong E-E-A-T signals, consistent entities, and reliable formatting.

Operationally, teams often take two routes. For ChatGPT, a custom GPT provides a branded entry point that loads with your about/service context and suggested questions. For Gemini, the public app does not accept pre-filled prompts by URL; many sites pair a clean “Open Gemini” link with a copyable prompt or use an API endpoint that supplies URL context from key pages.

Measurement is similar across both: tag assistant actions, watch assisted enquiries and compare lead quality with standard landing-page flows, critical metrics for effective digital marketing SEO.

In practice, you do not need two content strategies. Keep one set of pages that answer directly, expose core copy in HTML, use anchors for pricing/process/proof, and maintain accurate schema. These traits make your content easier for both assistants to summarise and cite.

What makes a page easy for ChatGPT to read

• Write answer-first. Begin key sections with a brief takeaway that addresses the query directly, then expand with detail.
• Use clear headings and anchors that match what customers ask. Add named anchors for recurring topics such as pricing, process, case studies so assistants can deep-link.
• Replace generic claims with measurable statements and simple examples.
• Add relevant Schema markup such as Organisation, WebSite, WebPage, Service, FAQ, or Job Listings. This reinforces your authority for those pages.
• Keep service names and descriptions consistent across the site, your Google Business Profile, and social channels.
• Keep essential copy server-rendered with accessible markup so users and assistants can parse it.

Add “Ask in ChatGPT/Gemini” without breaking UX

A small, consistent pattern helps readers move from a service page into an assistant session without breaking their flow. Most sites use a primary Open in ChatGPT action and a secondary Open in Gemini action, with a short /assistant/ explainer page that sets expectations and offers a copyable prompt. A single-line privacy note beneath the controls links to provider settings and your own policy.

How it works on ChatGPT: A branded, custom GPT (for example, Ask About Iconic) carries your About and Services URLs as context and greets visitors with suggested questions. Use your GPT’s Share link as the target; Team/Enterprise can also share internally. Place it on high-intent pages such as SEO, Content, Social, PPC and Website Design. Clicks are tagged with GA4 events and UTM so you can see downstream influence.

How it works on Gemini: There is no documented URL parameter to pre-fill prompts in the public Gemini app. A simple approach opens Gemini in a new tab and places a Copy prompt control nearby. Teams that want a tighter hand-off add a lightweight /assistant/gemini endpoint that accepts a query, calls the Gemini API with About/Services URLs as URL Context, returns a short summary, and then offers a Continue in Gemini link.

Placement and UX

Place the controls on the Services overview and the key service pages. Keep behaviour lightweight (no modals), use accessible labels with visible focus states, open in a new tab to preserve reading, and keep the privacy line concise.

Measuring assistant influence

Most teams instrument assistant interactions as standard engagement signals. GA4 events capture clicks on ChatGPT/Gemini controls and interactions on the /assistant/ page; UTM on GPT links supports path analysis into downstream sessions. Dashboards often group these under an Organic/Direct Assist view and compare enquiry rates and lead quality with conventional landing pages. Paid campaigns can test traffic to assistant-ready pages and quantify lift in assisted conversions, a key performance indicator for digital marketing SEO.

What’s next for AI assistants and SEO

Assistant layers will continue to handle more multi-step queries. Clicks from AI Overviews and assistants may be fewer, but intent will be higher. Brands that benefit will answer clearly, load fast, and present consistent evidence that assistants can cite.

For marketing leaders, this is not a trend to watch but rather a set of steps you can implement now to future-proof your digital marketing SEO efforts.

Plan Your AI-Ready SEO Strategy

Assistant layers are changing how people discover, compare, and decide. If you want your brand to stay visible, prioritise answer-first structure, accessible HTML, consistent entities, and accurate schema so assistants can cite you with confidence.

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