The rules of visibility are shifting from traditional SEO to GEO (generative engine optimization). Unlike Google, which relies heavily on crawling and indexing websites, AI systems like ChatGPT prioritize frequency, consistency and distributed brand mentions across the web. According to Brannon, many brands mistakenly focus too much on their own websites and not enough on how their products are discussed across channels like Amazon, retail platforms, forums, news sites and social media.
Much of showing up in GEO comes down to “entity consistency,” which refers to how clearly and consistently a product or brand is represented across channels. Brannon explained that inconsistent product names, varying descriptions and conflicting messaging can confuse AI systems and weaken associations between products and specific consumer needs. He warns that strategies once used to differentiate retail listings or support SEO efforts may now work against AI discoverability.
“You’re going to really want to dial into this entity consistency, ensuring that you’re widely cited as being associated to a particular customer need, customer desire [or] customer question,” he said. “The more that you’re able to do those things, the more success you’re going to have as the ‘default answer.’”
Supplement brands should also be thinking about product page structure for AI retrieval. Brannon warned that older SEO tactics like long-form, keyword-heavy content may actually hurt AI visibility because large language models often prioritize concise, structured information that can be quickly parsed. He recommended that brands focus on above-the-fold content, clear question-and-answer formatting and smaller “chunked” sections of information designed to align with common user prompts.
“There’s a term that’s going around called chunking,” he said. “I don’t love the term–it just sounds kind of unappetizing. But it basically means taking that content and putting it into smaller snippets that are easier for an LLM operating on a budget like ChatGPT to grab and then associate to a particular prompt.”
Brannon also noted the growing importance of citation footprints, particularly across platforms frequently referenced by AI systems, including Reddit, YouTube and trusted editorial sources. Unlike Google, which values backlinks and domain authority, AI systems care more about repeated, recent and consistent mentions.
For mid-sized supplement brands with limited resources, Brannon recommended three priorities: maintaining entity consistency across channels, regularly refreshing content and creating a strong distribution strategy that reinforces brand messaging across multiple platforms. Ultimately, he said becoming the “default answer” in AI depends on widespread, authoritative and highly consistent brand representation online.
To hear more tips on how brands can rank higher in AI-generated search, listen to the NutraCast above or on your preferred podcast platform.
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