The AI Search (GEO) Playbook
Be in the answer, not just on the page.
§01 - What's inside this playbook
The answer replaced the link. Google's AI Overviews trigger on roughly 48% of tracked queries, and visitors from ChatGPT convert around 15.9%. This 2026 Edition playbook is the discipline of Generative Engine Optimisation: which engines matter for your buyers, the technical foundation of crawler access and schema, content structured to be cited, the platform-specific moves for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews, the off-page mentions that carry outsized weight, and the measurement framework built for a world where clicks are no longer the point.
After reading, you will be able to
- ✓Decide which AI search engines matter for your audience
- ✓Fix access and schema so AI crawlers can read and cite your site
- ✓Write and format content that gets cited, and earn mentions off-site
- ✓Track your AI visibility beyond rankings and clicks
Look inside
§02 - Table of contents
- 01Pick Your Battleground: Which Engines Matter
- 02The Technical Foundation: Access and Schema
- 03Content That Gets Cited
- 04Winning Each Engine
- 05The Off-Page Game: Mentions and Communities
- 06Format for the Machines: Lists, FAQs, Comparisons
- 07Measuring AI Visibility: Beyond Rankings and Clicks
- 08The 90-Day Rollout Plan
- 09Common Mistakes & Quick Reference
§03 - Who this playbook is for
- ▲Startups chasing compounding organic and AI-answer visibility
- ▲Sole business owners doing SEO themselves
- ▲Marketers and content leads whose traffic is quietly shifting to AI
New to this? Start here
If you're just starting out and some of the terms are unfamiliar, begin with our free checklists. They explain each area step by step, so the playbook makes more sense when you read it.
§04 - Who wrote this guide
Hotseat is a strategy-led digital agency across Cape Town, London and Amsterdam. The team has run campaigns for Under Armour, ASICS, Knight Frank, Hey Dude and more - the guides package the systems they use every day.
§05 - Frequently asked questions
Who is The AI Search (GEO) Playbook for?
Startups chasing compounding organic and AI-answer visibility. Sole business owners doing SEO themselves. Marketers and content leads whose traffic is quietly shifting to AI.
What does the generative engine optimization playbook cover?
24 pages across 9 chapters: Pick Your Battleground: Which Engines Matter; The Technical Foundation: Access and Schema; Content That Gets Cited; Winning Each Engine; The Off-Page Game: Mentions and Communities; Format for the Machines: Lists, FAQs, Comparisons; Measuring AI Visibility: Beyond Rankings and Clicks; The 90-Day Rollout Plan; Common Mistakes & Quick Reference.
How do I receive the guide?
It's a PDF. A download link is emailed to you within about a minute of payment.
Can my team use it?
Yes. Every purchase includes a team licence for up to 10 people, plus lifetime access to updates.
What currency and tax will I pay?
Paddle, our Merchant of Record, shows the price in your local currency where available. In the UK and EU the price shown already includes VAT. Elsewhere, any sales tax that applies is shown next to the price and added at checkout.
