“Why Isn’t Our Brand Showing Up in AI Answers?” 12 Frequently Asked Questions by GEO Practitioners and Expert Answers

After Google introduced its AI Overview feature, search traffic to U.S. media websites dropped from 2.3 billion to less than 1.7 billion per month. Business Insider, one of the leading U.S. media companies, saw a 55% decrease in search traffic since 2022, while Forbes and HuffPost, which are familiar to us, also experienced a drop in traffic of approximately 50%.

This change is not just an issue for media companies. As customers check AI-organized answers first rather than clicking through search results one by one, it has become difficult to make it onto their choices based solely on top search rankings. Conversely, brands that have designed a well-designed GEO strategy can create opportunities for new discoveries within AI search, even if they lack scale or brand recognition.

However, if you are planning to start a GEO, you may feel lost on where to begin. This is because there are many points that are difficult for practitioners to judge, such as whether you need to revamp the website, whether writing only blog content is sufficient, and how important external mentions are.

This reality was fully reflected in the questions asked by marketers at the GEO Roadmap 2026 seminar on July 2nd . Therefore, in this article , we are revealing the answers provided by six experts to the 12 most frequently asked GEO-related questions from seminar attendees. Shall we take a look to see if any of the questions you are currently grappling with are included?

12 Frequently Asked Questions About GEO Directly Connected to Practice

Q1. How can I have PDFs, catalogs, and technical materials uploaded to my website cited in AI responses?

Simply uploading PDFs or catalogs to a website is not enough. For AI to cite the material in its responses, the data must first be on a public webpage accessible to search engines and AI crawlers, and the key information within it must be clearly organized in text.

In particular, it is important to present technical documentation or catalogs using information that AI can understand the context of, such as product names, functions, applicable industries, problems solved, use cases, and comparison criteria. Rather than simply attaching files, please summarize the key content in the body of the webpage and organize the heading structure, FAQs, terminology explanations, tables, sources, and author information together .

While PDFs can serve as good supporting documentation for demonstrating expertise, from an AI perspective, the structured text explaining the file is more important than the file itself. Therefore, it is advisable to provide PDFs as downloadable resources while creating separate summary pages or guide content based on their contents. Applying schema markup—such as FAQs, How-Tos, Products, or Articles—depending on the nature of the content also helps the AI ​​understand the meaning of the pages.

Ultimately, the key is not “uploading data,” but unraveling the context of the data and the value of the answers on the web in a form that AI can read and cite.

I utilized the answer from CEO Kim Ye-ji of Elifunt

Q2. What improvements should be made to ensure that the content accumulated on Naver Blog is cited in AI search as well?

There is no need to discard the content assets you have accumulated on Naver Blog. However, from a GEO perspective, you need to redefine your roles. While maintaining Naver Blog as a point of contact for Naver Search and domestic users, it is recommended to reorganize core content that you want to be cited in AI search onto your official website or resource hub.

The reason is simple. It is because global AIs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude find it difficult to reliably read and cite Naver Blog content. Therefore, existing blog FAQs, service definitions, comparison criteria, case studies, technical justifications, and author/company information must be restructured into web pages accessible to AI. At this stage, it is necessary to organize the content into a reliable structure so that it is clear “what question is answered.”.

In other words, for a successful GEO strategy, you must reorganize your existing content assets into official web assets that AI can read and cite.

I utilized the answer from CEO Kim Ye-ji of Elifunt

Q3. How should small brands target markets already dominated by major brands to be recommended first in AI responses?

AI recommends the brand most accurately connected to the context of the question, rather than the most famous brand.

It is difficult for small brands to win if they try to compete head-on with large brands. This is because large brands already lead in search volume, mentions, and awareness. Therefore, instead of targeting the entire market, small brands should identify specific situations and questions that large brands have not yet captured.

People's searches follow an entry point based on 'in what situation and for what reason they think of that category.' This is known as the Category Entry Point (CEP) . Opportunities for small brands arise here. Rather than targeting the entire category, they must clearly capture a specific consumer context and situation—that is, a single CEP—that large brands have failed to preempt.

The starting point of GEO is identifying the consumer's specific CEP. A CEP is a prompt that contains the consumer's context, and these prompts can be found in intent data.

I utilized the answer from Director Han Cho-rong of Ascent AI (Listening Mind)

Q4. Large corporations already have high search and mention volumes; what is the reason for them to make an additional investment in GEO?

High search and mention volumes are clearly assets. However, in AI search, that quantity does not directly translate into recommendations. AI examines not only how often a brand is mentioned but also the context in which that brand connects to a reliable answer.

For large corporations, GEO is not about creating awareness from scratch. It is closer to rearranging existing brand assets, content, press coverage, reviews, and customer case studies into a format that AI can understand and cite.

In AI search in particular, how accurately a brand connects to the consumer's specific query context—that is, the Customer Event Point (CEP). Given that large corporations already possess widespread recognition and vast content, they must organize key purchasing factors and grounds for trust for each CEP, and manage on-site content and external citation signals together.

Ultimately, for large corporations, GEO is not a one-off campaign for additional exposure, but a brand management system that reconfigures and operates existing brand assets to suit the era of AI search. The higher the search and mention volumes, the more critical it becomes to organize those assets so that they are properly read and invoked in AI responses.

I utilized the answer from Director Han Cho-rong of Ascent AI (Listening Mind)

Q5. To what extent do external mentions, such as product reviews, communities, PR, and YouTube, influence the AI's response?

External mentions have a significant impact on AI responses. AI does not construct answers based solely on a brand's official website. It determines “in what context this brand is trusted” by referencing information scattered across the web, such as product reviews, community posts, press articles, YouTube videos, and comparison content

In particular, the influence of external channels becomes greater as user questions require experience-based judgments, such as "recommendations" or "real-world use cases." For instance, in questions based on a choice, such as "reliable hospitals in Seoul," reviews and community mentions can serve as more important grounds for trust than official introductions.

However, what matters is not the quantity of mentions itself, but the context of the mentions and the credibility of the sources. Rather than simply having the brand name appear frequently, it must be clearly revealed what problem was solved, which customers used it, how it differs from competitors, and what evaluations it received from actual experiences. AI synthesizes this information to identify brands as answer candidates.

Therefore, from a GEO perspective, simply organizing on-site content is insufficient. You must also design external channels where the brand is mentioned, such as PR, customer testimonials, reviews, communities, YouTube, and partner content. Ultimately, to be selected by AI responses, a structure where consistent messaging and credible evidence are repeatedly accumulated both.

I utilized the answer from Ham Shout Global's Head of Department, Gong In-hee

Q6. Despite having brand awareness, my brand doesn't appear well in AI responses. What should I check first?

AI responses can yield results that differ from market share or consumer awareness. Hamshout Global’s AI Brand Visibility Report,we were able to confirm that questions that appear similar—such as “chicken brands recommended for World Cup cheering” and “chicken brands”—resulted in completely different answers and exposure rankings depending on the context.

Therefore, the first thing to check is “what question do customers start their search in our industry before they think of our brand?”Next, you need to examine both on-site content and external citation signals that can answer those questions.

According to an internal analysis by AI Matters (a platform operated by Hamshout Global), AI traffic increased to 7% of the total starting in April 2025 following the expansion of citation channels through major media outlets and communities. If you have brand recognition but do not appear frequently in AI responses, to start by reviewing the 'question context' and 'external citations' rather than the brand name.

I utilized the answer from Ham Shout Global's Head of Department, Gong In-hee

Q7. How should content marketing be approached from a GEO perspective in industries where regulation and trust are critical, such as finance and fintech?

For industries where regulation and trust are critical, GEO should be viewed not merely as an exposure strategy, but a content strategy for securely accumulating verifiable information. Since a single expression in these sectors can lead to review or compliance issues, it is advisable to focus on informative content rather than exaggerated promotional messages.

Additionally, for topics that are difficult to cover on official channels, it is advisable to utilize reliable external channels rather than attempting to publish directly. However, it is necessary to establish content guidelines that outline permissible expressions, expressions to avoid, and mandatory disclosure phrases in accordance with industry-specific review standards.

managing accurate information, clear sources, verified expressions, and external trust signals together, you can reduce regulatory risks while increasing your chances of being selected in AI search.

I utilized the answer from Team Leader Hong Chan-ki of Daehong Communications

Q8. GEO requires Marketing, Development, PR, and Branding to work together. In practice, which organization should take the lead, and how should roles be divided?

GEO is an area that is difficult to complete with a single department alone. This is because for AI to understand and cite a brand, the website structure, content messaging, external citation signals, and brand definition must all work together. In practice, the most realistic structure is one where the marketing team establishes the overall strategy and priorities based on customer inquiries and business goals, while the development, PR, and brand teams collaborate by taking on their respective roles.

The marketing team designs customer questions and content topics, while the development team refines the technical foundation, such as schema markup and crawling accessibility. The PR team creates citation channels that AI can reference, such as press articles, interviews, and external contributions, and the brand team must establish standards to ensure consistent messaging and positioning are maintained across various channels.

I utilized the answer from Team Leader Hong Chan-ki of Daehong Communications

Q9. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini provide different answers. How should I monitor and report?

ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini differ in the data, sources, and response methods they use, so they can show different results even for the same question. Therefore, rather than aiming to produce the same answer for all AI searches, it is important to first identify the AI ​​touchpoints and core questions that our customers will actually use most frequently.

If you have limited resources, recommend prioritizing the monitoring of the most important customer questions and one or two key AI channels. At this stage, clearly define the goals you aim to achieve through GEO, and consistently identify areas for improvement by monitoring key metrics linked to those goals using BlueDot Intelligenceor HaloX . Once performance is confirmed, you can then expand the scope to include weaker AI channels.

I utilized the answer from CEO Lee Seong-gyu of Blue Dot AI

Q10. Where should startups with low brand search volume start with GEO?

If you are a startup with low brand search volume, target the questions customers ask before they even learn about your brand. It is crucial to be discovered first through questions that include categories and specific problem situations. To achieve this, it is recommended to build a collection of content on your official website or blog that AI can easily utilize for answers, such as list-style content, comparison content, selection guides, and FAQs.

At the same time, you must also build external credibility signals. This is because brands with low awareness may lack sufficient grounds for AI to trust based solely on official website content. Through GEO monitoring, you should identify highly credible media outlets, communities, review channels, and partner media in your field, and increase external mentions through press releases, professional contributions, and customer case studies. In particular, news articles are frequently included as sources during the AI ​​query fan-out process, so they can help quickly compensate for low awareness. In short, a startup's GEO should begin by being discovered first through customer problem questions and supplementing that credibility with external sources.

I utilized the answer from CEO Lee Seong-gyu of Blue Dot AI

Q11. If content is mass-published using generative AI, will it be cited effectively in AI search, or what criteria must be met?

While a certain amount of content is necessary for GEO exposure, it must be backed by quality, just like SEO. Generative AI is useful for drafting and structuring, but the final content must be complemented by unique trust elements such as the brand's own data, customer cases, practical experience, and expert review.

With the recent rise in interest regarding the citation potential of earned media in GEO, an increasing number of media outlets are rewriting and publishing content tailored to the platform. Interestingly, instances where media outlets with lower tiers are cited similarly to, or even more frequently than, major media if their content structure and thematic relevance are excellent. Ultimately, in GEO, it is not just the size of the media outlet that matters, but also how reliably the AI ​​accepts that content as source material for answers.

I utilized the answer from HaloX CEO Lee Jae-cheol

Q12. How long does it take to see GEO results, and what is the minimum number of content assets required?

The better your SEO is, the higher the likelihood of success in GEO. Basically, it can take anywhere from 1 to 2 days at the earliest to 2 to 3 months for content to be created, indexed, and reflected in search results. On average, we expect about 1 to 2 months. However, since AI often consults news articles or content published in highly credible external media more quickly when searching for the latest information, there is a possibility that such content may be reflected in search results within a relatively shorter period than SEO.

Rather than creating a large quantity of content assets from the start, I recommend beginning with a minimum of two to three items sufficient to form a single topic cluster. The important thing is not the quantity of content itself, but making the topic and structure clear so that the AI ​​can interpret them as reliable material for specific questions.

I utilized the answer from HaloX CEO Lee Jae-cheol

Feeling lost when designing a GEO strategy? Consult with content marketing experts at Elifunt.

GEO is not a one-time campaign. It is closer to a process of continuously monitoring and improving how our brand is discovered in AI search environments, cited by specific sources, and recommended in specific contexts. What is needed now is not to blindly produce a large amount of content, but to properly answer customer questions and systematically build an asset of answers that AI can trust and cite.

If you are unsure which questions to look for to identify your company or which content assets to organize first, consult with Elifunt. Elifunt has developed content strategies to boost organic traffic and conversion performance using real-world examples.

We will jointly diagnose your current search, content, and brand exposure status, and work together to develop the actionable plans your brand needs, ranging from GEO strategies tailored to the AI ​​search era to content planning, production, and performance reporting.