The Tipping Point We’ve All Been Waiting For
Picture this: someone is researching legal services for a vulnerable client, looking for advice on community programmes, or trying to understand their rights. Instead of scrolling through pages of search results, they ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity a question and get a comprehensive, cited answer instantly.
This isn’t hypothetical. It’s happening right now, and the numbers are striking.
Recent research from SEMrush reveals that AI search visitors are set to surpass traditional search visitors by 2028. But here’s what really matters for community organisations: the average AI search visitor is worth 4.4 times more than a traditional organic search visitor.
For community legal centres, advocacy organisations, and purpose-led groups where every visitor could be someone seeking critical help, this shift isn’t just about marketing. It’s about being found when people need you most.
What Exactly is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?
Think of GEO as SEO’s more sophisticated cousin. Whilst traditional SEO focuses on ranking in search results, GEO is about getting your content cited and referenced when AI systems like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews respond to user queries.
It’s about making your expertise, resources, and guidance so clear and authoritative that AI systems naturally reference you when answering questions in your field. Instead of fighting for position one on Google, you’re working to become the trusted source that AI systems cite when people ask questions related to your mission.
For organisations working in legal aid, community services, or advocacy, this matters enormously. When someone asks an AI system "where can I get help with housing issues in Sydney?" or "what are my rights as a renter?", you want your organisation’s guidance to be part of that answer.
Why This Shift Matters for Community Organisations
ChatGPT’s weekly active users grew eightfold between October 2023 and April 2025, reaching over 800 million users. Google is rolling out AI Mode, which replaces traditional search results with a conversational experience. Apple has announced that AI-native search engines such as Perplexity and Claude will be integrated into Safari.
But here’s what really matters for community-focused organisations: AI search visitors tend to convert better, because LLMs equip users with the information they need to make a decision. By the time someone clicks through from an AI-generated response, they’ve already done their research, understood their options, and are much closer to taking action.
This makes sense when you consider your audience. Traditional search gives someone a list of options to explore. AI search gives them a personalised recommendation with reasoning and context. For someone in crisis or seeking help, that clarity is invaluable.
The Surprising Economics of AI Search
Here’s something that might surprise you: according to SEMrush’s research, AI search channels are projected to drive similar amounts of economic value globally by the end of 2027, potentially growing far beyond that in later years.
For community organisations operating on tight budgets, this creates a genuine opportunity. Whilst larger competitors invest heavily in traditional SEO campaigns, you can gain visibility in AI responses through quality content and clear communication, not just marketing budget.
The research shows something else particularly relevant to purpose-led organisations: when ChatGPT search cites webpages, the pages it cites rank in traditional organic search positions 21 and beyond for related queries almost 90% of the time. This means you don’t need to be ranking number one to get cited by AI systems. They’re looking for the best answer, not necessarily the highest-ranking page.
How GEO Builds on Your Existing Digital Presence
Here’s the encouraging part: GEO doesn’t replace everything you’ve already done. Traditional SEO factors still drive a large portion of a brand’s visibility in LLMs. All that work you’ve done creating helpful resources, ensuring your pages load properly, and building authority through your expertise is still valuable.
But there’s an evolution happening. AI systems are looking for content that helps people, presented clearly and quotably. For organisations already focused on public education and accessible information, this plays to your strengths.
Traditional SEO focuses on:
- Ranking high in search results
- Driving traffic to your website
- Optimising for search engine algorithms
- Competing for keyword positions
GEO focuses on:
- Getting cited in AI responses
- Building authority and trust with AI systems
- Creating quotable, contextual content
- Becoming the definitive source on a topic
The two approaches complement each other. Strong foundational digital work creates the foundation for GEO success.
Your 7-Step Action Plan for AI Citation Success
Step 1: Understand Where You Stand
Before you can improve, you need to know where you are. Start by manually searching for your organisation and key topics across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews.
Ask questions your community would ask:
- "Where can I get help with [your issue area] in [your location]?"
- "What are my rights regarding [topic you cover]?"
- "How do I access [service you provide]?"
Are you being mentioned? How are you being portrayed? What are other organisations doing better? Tools such as SEMrush’s Enterprise AIO or AI Toolkit can help you track this systematically, but even a manual audit will give you valuable insight into where you stand.
Step 2: Make Your Content AI-Friendly
AI systems favour content that’s easy to understand and quote. For community organisations, this often means taking existing expertise and presenting it more clearly: using descriptive headings that tell a story, writing in natural, conversational language, creating content that answers specific questions, and structuring information in logical, digestible sections.
Think about how you’d explain your area of expertise to someone new to the issue. That’s the clarity AI systems work with best.
Step 3: Focus on Authority and Accuracy
AI systems value unique, useful, and authoritative content that serves a specific audience. For community legal centres and advocacy groups, you’ve already got this in spades. You just need to present it effectively: attribute information to credible sources, include publication dates, review and update content regularly, and build genuine expertise through your lived experience and casework.
Your organisation’s track record is your greatest asset here. Make sure it’s visible.
Step 4: Create Quotable Content
AI systems need to extract meaningful information from your content. Help them by writing clear, standalone sentences that make sense out of context, including summary sections for complex topics, using bullet points for key information, and adding relevant examples from your work, appropriately anonymised.
Instead of burying important information in dense paragraphs, pull out key facts into clear, quotable sections.
Step 5: Optimise for Conversational Queries
People ask AI systems questions differently to how they search Google. They’re more conversational, more specific, and often looking for guidance rather than just information.
Create content that answers the "why" behind the "what", addresses follow-up questions, uses natural language patterns, and provides actionable next steps. Instead of just explaining what a particular legal right is, explain why it matters and what someone should do if that right is being violated.
Step 6: Build Your Citation Network
Quora is the most commonly cited website in Google AI Overviews, with Reddit second. This suggests that getting mentioned on high-authority, community discussion platforms can boost your AI visibility.
Consider engaging thoughtfully on relevant Reddit communities and Quora topics, building relationships with journalists who cover your issue areas, creating resources other organisations want to reference, and developing a presence on platforms your community actually uses.
The research shows that half of the links included in ChatGPT responses point to business and service websites, which means your own website has real potential to get cited directly. You just need to make it AI-friendly.
Step 7: Monitor and Adapt
The AI landscape changes rapidly. Set up simple systems to regularly test key queries across different AI platforms, monitor how your organisation is being mentioned, and stay informed about major platform updates.
This doesn’t need to be complicated. Even a monthly check-in testing your key topics across ChatGPT and Perplexity will give you useful insight.
The Tools You Need to Track AI Visibility
SEMrush Enterprise AIO generates prompts specific to your organisation across different stages of someone’s journey to finding help, then evaluates your visibility and mentions across LLMs compared to similar organisations. It’s comprehensive, but designed for larger organisations with dedicated digital teams.
SEMrush AI Toolkit is a more accessible option for smaller organisations that still provides solid AI visibility tracking without the enterprise price tag.
Beyond dedicated tools, you can set up Google Analytics to track referral traffic from AI platforms, create alerts for brand mentions, and regularly test key queries yourself. None of this needs to be sophisticated to be useful.
A Note on Digital Stewardship
At Marzipan, I work with community legal centres and purpose-led organisations to build sustainable digital capacity. If you’re reading this and thinking "this makes sense, but we don’t have the capacity to implement it," you’re not alone. Most community organisations are stretched thin.
This is exactly why digital stewardship matters. It’s not about doing everything at once. It’s about building sustainable systems that grow your organisation’s digital presence without burning out your team.
The GEO strategies outlined here work best as part of a broader approach to digital capacity building, where someone is actively monitoring, maintaining, and improving your digital presence over time.
The future of search is here. The question isn’t whether to adapt, but how to do it in a way that’s sustainable for your organisation and serves your community effectively.
Ben Adams
