More customers now ask an AI assistant or read Google's AI summary before they visit a single website. So the question is fair: will AI recommend your business? Nobody can guarantee it. What you can do is make your business easy to find, easy to understand and easy to trust, which is what search engines have always rewarded.

This article separates what Google has said in its own documentation from what vendors sell, and ends with a checklist you can use this week.

In short

  • Google's documentation says you do not need special files, AI text files or special markup to appear in its AI features. Ordinary search fundamentals apply.
  • A page must be indexed and eligible to show a snippet in Google Search to be a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
  • llms.txt is an unofficial proposal. A Google representative has said publicly that no AI system currently uses it, and I found no independent evidence that it improves citations.
  • Nobody can promise AI citations or rankings. Be wary of anyone who does.

Does Google need special markup or files for AI features?

No. Google's Search Central page on AI features and your website says you don't need to create new machine-readable files, AI text files or markup to appear in these features, and that there is no special schema.org structured data to add.

The same page says a page needs to be indexed and eligible to appear in Search with a snippet to be shown as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode. It lists no additional technical requirements, and adds that meeting the requirements does not guarantee crawling, indexing or showing. It also confirms that traffic from these AI features is counted in the "Web" search type in Search Console's Performance report, so you can see it.

What is generative engine optimisation (GEO)?

Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is a name some agencies give to tactics meant to get content cited in AI answers. There is no agreed method behind it, and Google's own guidance says the work is the same as normal SEO.

Much of it is good writing and clear site structure under a new label, which is worth doing. Be careful with any claim of a secret formula, a guaranteed citation or a percentage uplift. Such figures usually come from vendors, and I could not verify them, so I have left them out.

Does llms.txt help?

There is no good evidence that it does. llms.txt is a proposed plain-text file, placed on a website, that is meant to guide AI systems. It is not an official standard.

In June 2025, Google's John Mueller wrote on Bluesky that no AI system currently uses llms.txt, as reported by Search Engine Roundtable. He also said the major AI chatbots fetch pages but do not fetch that file. Google's AI features page, quoted above, states that no AI text files are needed.

That does not mean nothing will change, but today, paying for llms.txt work instead of fixing your service pages is a poor trade.

Do AI summaries reduce clicks to websites?

On Google, searches that show an AI summary have been associated with fewer clicks on links, based on one careful study. The Pew Research Center tracked the browsing of 900 US adults in March 2025. Users clicked a traditional result link in 8% of visits where an AI summary appeared, against 15% where it did not. Around 1% of visits with a summary included a click on a link inside the summary.

This is US data from one month and 900 people, and it describes an association, not proof of cause. I have no comparable Malaysian figures, so I will not guess any.

A separate paper, Strategic Response of News Publishers to Generative AI (arXiv:2512.24968), reports that large news publishers that block generative AI crawlers saw reduced traffic compared with those that did not. I have only read the abstract, and the study is about news publishers, not small businesses. Treat it as a reminder that blocking is a trade-off, not as a rule that applies to your shop or clinic.

How do I get my business shown in AI answers?

Make the business easy to find in ordinary search, and easy to describe accurately. No step below guarantees an AI mention, but each one helps customers and search engines at the same time.

Action Why it matters Effort
Keep Googlebot allowed in robots.txt and avoid noindex on pages you want found Google says indexing and snippet eligibility are the requirements for its AI links Low
Write one clear page per main service, in plain language Answers "what do you do, for whom, where, and roughly how much" in one place Medium
Add a short FAQ with real customer questions, visible on the page Matches how people ask AI assistants; gives clean, quotable answers Low
Complete your Google Business Profile and keep it current Google lists relevance, distance and prominence as local ranking factors Low
Ask happy customers for reviews and reply to them Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking Ongoing
Add structured data (Organization or LocalBusiness) that matches visible content Helps machines read facts; no guarantee of any feature Low to medium
Make pages fast and usable on a phone Most Malaysian customers will find you on mobile; slow pages lose people Medium
Offer Bahasa Melayu and English content where you genuinely serve both audiences Customers ask in both languages; only write what you can maintain well Medium

A note on structured data

Structured data is useful when it describes what is already on the page. Google's structured data policies say markup must be a true representation of the page content and must not describe content visitors cannot see. They also say markup enables a feature to be present but does not guarantee it will be. So mark up your real business details, your real FAQ and nothing else.

A note on reviews and your Business Profile

Google's help page on local ranking names relevance, distance and prominence, and says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Complete information, genuine reviews and replies are the legitimate levers.

Should I block AI crawlers?

It is your decision, with trade-offs. Googlebot's robots.txt rules control crawling for Google Search, so never block it. Blocking other AI crawlers may suit a publisher protecting paid content, but for a business that wants to be found it gains little. Ask which bots a rule affects before changing it.

How can I test it myself?

You can run a simple test in about thirty minutes, without any paid tool.

  1. Write ten questions your customers would really ask, such as "best [your service] in [your town]" or "how much does [your service] cost in Malaysia". Use both Bahasa Melayu and English if your customers do.
  2. Ask each question in Google (look for an AI Overview), in AI Mode if it is available to you, and in the main AI assistants.
  3. Note who is recommended, which sources are cited, and why those pages seem to fit. Are they clearer, faster, more specific than yours?
  4. Open Google Search Console, go to the Performance report, and watch impressions and clicks for your key pages over several weeks.
  5. Repeat monthly. Answers change, so one test is a snapshot, not a verdict.

Questions to ask your web person

  • Can Googlebot crawl and index every page we want found? How do we know?
  • Is any structured data on the site matching what visitors can see?
  • How fast is the site on a mid-range phone on mobile data?
  • Is Search Console connected, and who reviews it?

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay to be recommended by AI? Not in a way you can trust. Google states there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking, and no one controls what an AI assistant says. Treat any guarantee as a warning sign.

Does being cited by AI bring customers? Possibly, but it is hard to measure, and the Pew data shows few people click links inside AI summaries. Judge success by enquiries, calls and WhatsApp messages, not by mentions alone.

Where I can help

I am Rahim, founder of Chillo Creative. If you are not sure whether your website explains your business clearly, start with a calm look at what you have. The free Digital Business Audit reviews your current website and online presence in plain language, with no pressure. If you are planning a new or improved site, my website work begins with your business, not with code, and includes 12-Month Post-Launch Support. I cannot promise rankings or AI citations, and I will say so plainly, but a clear, fast and trustworthy site is the right foundation either way.

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