How to Optimise for AI Search
How should you optimise for AI? The answer depends on what exactly you are optimising for.
Is it:
- Showing up as the answer to “What is the best place to work as a software engineer in London?”
- Or shaping how your company is described when someone asks “Is Logo Ipsum a good place to work?”
If it’s the former, the focus is AEO - being the answer to specific queries. If it’s the latter, the focus is GEO - ensuring your firm is well-represented in AI-generated answers.
AI is used for research, not roles
The most common use of AI in job searches is researching companies before applying. 75% of candidates would use AI at some stage in their application journey. And almost half of that group mainly use AI to research firms. Candidates are asking AI questions like:
- What’s it actually like to work at Company?
- How good is progression at Company?
- What do employees think about the culture?
AI is becoming the first place people go to understand an employer. That changes something important. Your employer brand no longer just needs to show up in search engines. It needs to show up in AI answers.
Generative Engine Optimisation
This is where a new concept comes in: Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). Traditional SEO focuses on ranking in Google. GEO focuses on whether your company appears when someone asks an AI model about your organisation.
AI systems prioritise content that is clear, structured and cited across multiple sources. That means your careers site, your Glassdoor presence, and even discussions about your company on platforms like Reddit suddenly matter far more. Because this is where AI models learn.
What this means for employer brand leaders
AI is changing how candidates research firms - and channels employer brand leaders can control (career sites, LinkedIn content) are having less weight. This makes advocacy, and organic content ever more important.
Employer brand leaders have got to convince employees to post on your behalf - starting to shape employer brand via individuals influence. The sources AI models draw from aren't always under your control - but they’re shaping candidate perception before people find your careers page.
Make your brand talented.
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