All figures below are in Colombian pesos (COP).

This is piece 11 of the series. The pillar guide covers the full menu.

SEO didn't die. AI search is SEO with extra rules. The difference: the "click" is no longer the end goal. Being cited inside the answer is.

01 The new search reality in 2026

  • Google AI Overviews appear on 30 to 50% of informational searches. User reads the answer without clicking.
  • ChatGPT has 200M+ weekly active users. Many use it instead of Google.
  • Claude from Anthropic grows fast in professional/B2B use.
  • Perplexity dominates deep searches, especially in tech and finance.
  • The 4 engines cite 3 to 8 sources per response. Appearing in those citations is the new "ranking #1".

02 How models decide what to cite

There's no public algorithm. But citation patterns over 18 months are clear:

1

Solid traditional SEO

If Google ranks you well, AI Overviews cite you. Derived from the same index.

2

Clear, parseable structure

Hierarchical headers. Numbered lists. Tables. Direct Q&A.

3

Data and numbers

Models reward specific assertions with data over vague claims.

4

Primary-source citations

Your content cites studies, official reports, verifiable data. Models trust you more.

5

Identified, recognized author

Author bio, real profile, presence in other media. E-E-A-T.

6

Presence in sources models consult

Reddit, Wikipedia, top niche review sites, Stack Overflow (technical), major media.

03 Traditional SEO is still the foundation

Don't reinvent. Solid SEO basics still work, and are a prerequisite to being cited by AI.

  • Pages loading under 1 second.
  • Basic Schema.org (Organization, Article, FAQPage).
  • Mobile-first.
  • 1,500+ words on pillar pieces, 600 to 1,200 on deep dives.
  • Backlinks from real sites.

For local SEO, see the local SEO and GBP guide. Here we focus on the AI add-on.

04 The sources models pull most

WikipediaThe #1 cited by all models. If your business has a Wikipedia entry, master move.
RedditEspecially niche subreddits. Recommendations in r/Emprender, r/Bogota etc. get cited a lot.
Top niche review sitesG2, Capterra for SaaS. Trustpilot for consumer. Google Reviews for local services.
Major mediaEl Tiempo, La República, Forbes Colombia. See local PR guide.
Stack Overflow / GitHubFor technical topics and dev tools.
YouTube transcriptsLong videos with transcripts are a growing source.
Your own well-indexed siteIf you rank well organic, models go straight to your site.

05 Content structure optimized for AI

The pattern that gets cited most

1

Question as header (H2 or H3)

"How much does a website cost in Colombia?" instead of "Website prices".

2

Direct answer in first paragraph

50 to 80 words. No rambling. Then expand if needed.

3

Specific figures

"Between $390.000 and $1.500.000 COP" instead of "varies by case".

4

Numbered lists for steps

Models extract lists perfectly.

5

Tables for comparisons

Tables get cited in table format by AI Overviews.

6

FAQ at the end

With FAQPage schema. Captures long-tail queries.

06 Advanced schema markup

AI parses JSON-LD very well. Use relevant types:

// Schema types to consider Article - each guide or blog post FAQPage - FAQ sections HowTo - step-by-step tutorials Product - each product Service - each service LocalBusiness - physical business Organization - your company BreadcrumbList - navigation Person - content author

Key use case: If your content answers "How to do X?", mark it with HowTo. ChatGPT and Perplexity use this schema to extract steps directly.

07 E-E-A-T in 2026

Google formalized E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) in 2022. Today it's practically the only deciding factor in sensitive categories (health, finance, legal).

How an SMB builds it

  • Author bio on every article: real name, photo, role, LinkedIn link.
  • Detailed "About us" page: founders, team, where they studied, years of experience, prior cases.
  • Real customer success cases: names, photos, concrete results (with permission).
  • Press mentions visible on your site.
  • Customer reviews visible, not hidden.
  • Verifiable data: NIT, Cámara de Comercio, professional registry if applicable.

08 Tools to measure AI visibility

Young category, few mature players, but useful:

AthenaHQTracks mentions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini. From $400.000 COP/month.
ProfoundAI response visibility. More expensive but deeper data.
Otterly.aiMore accessible. From $200.000 COP/month.
Periodic manual searchFree. Once a month, search your keywords in ChatGPT/Claude/Perplexity and check if you appear.

09 Mistakes that leave you invisible

1

Vague content without data

"We offer high quality services" is not citable. "Implants from $1.200.000 COP, 10-year warranty" is.

2

No schema markup

Models parse schema. Without it, your content is harder to process.

3

No identified author

"PymeWebPro Team" doesn't build trust. Real name + bio + link.

4

No presence in external sources

Only your site. No Reddit, no reviews, no media. Models ignore you.

5

Wikipedia-stub-style content

Trying to imitate Wikipedia with artificial paragraphs. Google and AI detect it. Quality wins.

6

Blocking AI bots

Some sites block GPTBot, ClaudeBot, etc. in robots.txt. If you want to be cited, let them through.

10 90-day plan

Month 1: Audit and basics

  • Audit your site: complete schema? Author bios? FAQs with schema?
  • Search your main keywords in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini. Document who appears and why.
  • Make sure you don't block AI bots in robots.txt.
  • Identify your 10 best-SEO pages today; reinforce them with data and AI-friendly structure.

Month 2: Externalize authority

  • Create profile on G2/Capterra/Trustpilot for your niche.
  • Ask 10 to 20 customers for reviews on those sites.
  • Start contributing usefully in relevant subreddits (no spam).
  • Send 5 pitches to local press (see PR guide).

Month 3: Optimized content

  • Publish 3 to 5 pillar pieces with question-answer structure and data.
  • Add HowTo schema to tutorials, FAQPage to question pages.
  • Launch tracking tool (AthenaHQ, Otterly, or monthly manual search).
  • Measure: are you appearing in AI responses? If not, adjust external sources.

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