Multi-Platform GEO Strategy

Why Platform-Specific Optimization Matters

Not all AI platforms work the same way. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google Gemini have fundamentally different citation preferences, data sources, and ranking signals.

A one-size-fits-all approach leaves visibility on the table. This module teaches you how to optimize for each platform's unique characteristics.

The Four Major Platforms

Platform 1: ChatGPT (OpenAI)

How ChatGPT Works

Data Sources:

• Parametric knowledge (training data through April 2024)
• Web browsing (when enabled via GPT-4 with web search)
• User-provided context

Citation Behavior:

• Wikipedia dominates: 47.9% of citations in research studies
• Prefers authoritative, well-known domains
• Favors comprehensive, encyclopedia-style content
• Strong bias toward academic and institutional sources

ChatGPT Optimization Strategy

1. Build Wikipedia Presence

Wikipedia is ChatGPT's most-cited source by far. To get mentioned:

For Established Brands:

• Create or improve your Wikipedia page
• Follow Wikipedia's notability guidelines
• Cite reliable secondary sources
• Maintain neutral point of view
• Update regularly with verifiable facts

For Newer Brands:

• Get mentioned in existing Wikipedia articles
• Contribute to industry-related pages
• Build third-party coverage first (Wikipedia requires independent sources)
• Reference your tools/products in "See Also" sections

2. Target High-Authority Domains

Get cited by sources ChatGPT trusts:

• Major news outlets (NYT, WSJ, TechCrunch)
• Academic journals and .edu sites
• Government resources (.gov)
• Industry publications and trade journals
• Established tech blogs (Ars Technica, The Verge)

3. Create Encyclopedia-Style Content

ChatGPT favors comprehensive, neutral content:

• Objective tone (avoid hype and marketing speak)
• Comprehensive topic coverage
• Historical context and background
• Clear definitions and explanations
• Cited sources and references

Example Structure:

# Email Marketing

## Definition
Email marketing is a form of direct marketing that uses email to promote...

## History
Email marketing began in 1978 when Gary Thuerk sent the first commercial email...

## Types of Email Marketing
1. Promotional emails
2. Transactional emails
3. Lifecycle emails

## Best Practices
...

## See Also
- Digital marketing
- Marketing automation
- CRM

## References
[1] Smith, J. (2024). "Email Marketing Trends"...

4. Optimize for Conversational Queries

Users ask ChatGPT in natural language:

• "What's the best email marketing tool for small businesses?"
• "How does Mailchimp compare to HubSpot?"
• "Why do emails go to spam?"

Structure content to answer these directly.

5. Allow GPTBot Crawler

User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /

User-agent: ChatGPT-User
Allow: /

Measuring ChatGPT Success

Test with queries like:

• "What is [your product category]?"
• "Best tools for [your use case]"
• "How to [solve problem your product addresses]"
• "[Your brand name] vs [competitor]"

Track:

• Mention rate (% of relevant queries citing you)
• Citation position (primary vs. alternative recommendation)
• Context (positive, neutral, negative)

Platform 2: Perplexity

How Perplexity Works

Data Sources:

• Real-time web search (primary)
• Multiple search indices
• Reddit integration (strong preference)
• Recent content emphasis

Citation Behavior:

• Cites 5-10 sources per response (more than ChatGPT)
• Heavy Reddit presence
• Favors recent content (2024-2025)
• Includes discussion and community perspectives
• Shows citations inline with snippets

Perplexity Optimization Strategy

1. Leverage Reddit Strategically

Perplexity heavily cites Reddit:

Ethical Reddit Participation:

• Join relevant subreddits in your industry
• Provide genuine value (no spam)
• Answer questions thoughtfully
• Share expertise without self-promotion
• Build karma and credibility
• Occasionally mention your product when truly relevant

Target Subreddits:

• r/marketing, r/SEO, r/entrepreneur (for marketing tools)
• r/webdev, r/programming (for developer tools)
• Industry-specific subreddits

Example Approach:

User Question (Reddit): "What's the best way to track AI mentions of my brand?"

Your Answer: "I've been researching GEO tools and found a few approaches:
1. Manual testing (time-consuming but free)
2. Tools like [Tool A], [Tool B], or [Your Tool] (disclosure: I work on [Your Tool])
3. DIY scripts using AI APIs

For manual testing, I'd recommend [process]. For automation, [detailed comparison].

Happy to answer questions about any of these approaches."

2. Prioritize Freshness

Perplexity strongly prefers recent content:

Freshness Tactics:

• Publish new content frequently
• Update existing articles with "Updated 2025" in titles
• Add current statistics and case studies
• Reference recent events and trends
• Use dates in content ("As of January 2025...")
• Display "Last Modified" date prominently

3. Create Comparison and Discussion Content

Perplexity excels at comparison queries:

• "Mailchimp vs. HubSpot: Which is better?"
• "Best project management tools for remote teams"
• "Shopify alternatives comparison"

Comparison Content Format:

# Mailchimp vs. HubSpot vs. ActiveCampaign (2025)

## Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Mailchimp | HubSpot | ActiveCampaign |
|---------|-----------|---------|----------------|
| Price | $13/mo | $15/mo | $29/mo |
| ...

## Detailed Breakdown

### Email Automation
**Mailchimp**: Basic automation with...
**HubSpot**: Advanced workflows including...
**ActiveCampaign**: Most sophisticated automation featuring...

### Best For
- **Mailchimp**: Small businesses just starting with email
- **HubSpot**: Companies wanting all-in-one CRM + marketing
- **ActiveCampaign**: Advanced users needing complex automation

4. Participate in Community Discussions

Beyond Reddit:

• Hacker News (news.ycombinator.com)
• ProductHunt discussions
• Quora answers
• Industry forums
• LinkedIn comment threads

5. Allow PerplexityBot

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

Measuring Perplexity Success

Test with:

• Comparison queries: "[Product A] vs [Product B]"
• Recent trend queries: "Best [category] 2025"
• Discussion-style: "What do people think about [topic]?"

Platform 3: Google Gemini / AI Overviews

How Google Gemini Works

Data Sources:

• Google Search index (primary)
• Web crawl data
• Knowledge Graph
• User search behavior signals

Citation Behavior:

• Strong overlap with traditional SEO signals
• Favors sites with high Domain Authority
• Schema markup important
• E-E-A-T signals critical
• Prefers structured, well-formatted content

Google Gemini Optimization Strategy

1. Maintain Strong SEO Fundamentals

Google AI Overviews correlate with strong SEO:

• Backlink profile: Build high-quality backlinks
• Domain Authority: Increase site-wide authority
• Technical SEO: Fast, mobile-friendly, HTTPS
• Content quality: Comprehensive, well-researched
• User signals: Low bounce rate, high engagement

2. Implement Comprehensive Schema Markup

Schema is critical for Google AI:

Priority Schemas:

• Article (for blog posts)
• FAQPage (for Q&A content)
• HowTo (for guides)
• Product (for product pages)
• Organization (site-wide)
• BreadcrumbList (for navigation)
• Review and Rating (when applicable)

3. Optimize for Featured Snippets

AI Overviews often pull from featured snippet content:

Snippet Optimization:

• Direct answers to questions
• Clear, concise paragraphs (40-60 words)
• Bulleted or numbered lists
• Tables for comparisons
• Use question-based H2s

4. Create Structured, Scannable Content

Google AI prefers:

• Clear heading hierarchy (H1 > H2 > H3)
• Short paragraphs
• Bullet points and lists
• Tables for data
• Images with alt text
• Bold key terms

5. Build E-E-A-T Signals

Google emphasizes Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness:

• Author bylines with credentials
• Updated "last modified" dates
• Cited sources and references
• About page and contact info
• Privacy policy and terms
• Social proof (reviews, testimonials)

Measuring Google AI Success

Tools:

• Google Search Console (track impressions in AI Overviews)
• Monitor SERP features (featured snippets, People Also Ask)
• Test queries in Google's AI mode

Track:

• Appearance rate in AI Overviews
• Position in traditional search (correlates with AI visibility)
• Featured snippet ownership
• Click-through rate from AI Overviews

Platform 4: Claude (Anthropic)

How Claude Works

Data Sources:

• Parametric knowledge (training data through early 2024)
• Web search (when tools enabled)
• User-provided context

Citation Behavior:

• Favors well-structured, clearly written content
• Strong emphasis on accuracy and credibility
• Prefers nuanced, balanced perspectives
• Values depth over breadth in specialized topics
• Careful about making claims without strong evidence

Claude Optimization Strategy

1. Emphasize Clarity and Structure

Claude responds well to:

• Clear hierarchical organization
• Logical flow of information
• Well-defined concepts
• Explicit relationships between ideas
• Comprehensive but focused content

2. Demonstrate Expertise and Nuance

Claude appreciates:

• Balanced perspectives (not one-sided)
• Acknowledgment of limitations
• Nuanced discussion of trade-offs
• Technical accuracy
• Evidence-based claims

3. Provide Depth on Specialized Topics

Claude excels at complex queries:

• In-depth technical content
• Detailed how-to guides
• Comprehensive explainers
• Multi-faceted analysis
• Industry-specific insights

4. Use Credible Citations

Link to authoritative sources:

• Research papers
• Industry reports
• Expert analysis
• Primary data sources
• Established publications

5. Allow ClaudeBot

User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /

User-agent: Claude-Web
Allow: /

Measuring Claude Success

Test with:

• Complex, nuanced queries
• Technical how-to questions
• In-depth analysis requests
• Multi-part questions requiring synthesis

Multi-Platform Content Strategy

Create Content for Multiple Platforms

Base Content (works everywhere):

• High-quality, well-researched
• Clear structure and hierarchy
• Cited sources
• E-E-A-T signals
• Mobile-friendly, fast-loading

ChatGPT Layer:

• Wikipedia-style comprehensiveness
• Neutral, objective tone
• Historical context
• Academic/authoritative citations

Perplexity Layer:

• Current data (2025)
• Discussion and community perspectives
• Comparison tables
• Reddit-style practical advice

Google Layer:

• Schema markup
• Featured snippet optimization
• Strong SEO fundamentals
• Structured Q&A format

Claude Layer:

• Nuanced analysis
• Technical depth
• Balanced perspectives
• Clear logical structure

Example: Multi-Platform Article

Topic: "Email Marketing Automation Guide"

ChatGPT Optimization:

• Comprehensive history of email automation
• Definitions and terminology
• Academic references
• Objective comparison of approaches

Perplexity Optimization:

• "Updated January 2025" in title
• Current statistics from 2025 reports
• Community recommendations
• "What Redditors say about email automation"

Google Optimization:

• HowTo schema markup
• Featured snippet-optimized intro
• Table comparing automation platforms
• FAQ section with schema

Claude Optimization:

• Detailed technical implementation guide
• Nuanced discussion of when automation helps vs. hurts
• Trade-offs of different approaches
• In-depth troubleshooting section

Cross-Platform Citation Tracking

Tools for Multi-Platform Monitoring

Citedify (shameless plug):

• Tracks ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI
• Monitors mention rate, position, sentiment
• Automated testing across platforms
• Competitive analysis

Alternatives:

• Otterly.AI
• Frase AI Visibility
• Geoptie
• Manual testing (time-consuming)

Testing Methodology

Monthly audit:

1. Define 20-30 test queries relevant to your brand
2. Test each query across all platforms
3. Record: mention rate, position, sentiment, citations
4. Track changes over time
5. Correlate with optimization efforts

Query types to test:

• Brand queries: "[Your Brand]"
• Category queries: "best [category] tools"
• Problem queries: "how to [problem you solve]"
• Comparison queries: "[You] vs [Competitor]"
• Discovery queries: "tools for [use case]"

The Bottom Line

Different platforms, different strategies:

• ChatGPT: Build Wikipedia presence, target high-authority domains, create encyclopedia-style content
• Perplexity: Engage on Reddit, prioritize freshness, create comparison content
• Google Gemini: Maintain SEO fundamentals, implement schema, optimize for snippets
• Claude: Emphasize structure and depth, provide nuanced analysis, demonstrate expertise

Don't pick just one-optimize for all platforms using layered strategies. The brands dominating AI visibility in 2025 are those that understand each platform's unique preferences and optimize accordingly.

Next up: Learn advanced GEO tactics like citation gap analysis and authority building.