How AI search looks things up

A language model alone answers from what it learned in training. Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) adds a step. Lewis and colleagues described it in a paper at NeurIPS 2020 as a way to combine a pre-trained language model with an external, searchable memory, which in their work was Wikipedia. They also noted that giving provenance for a model’s decisions remained an open research problem.[1]

In plain words, the system looks up passages first and writes from them. Google describes something close for its AI features. It may issue related searches across subtopics and data sources, then develop a response.[3] The providers do not publish their full designs, so treat this as an outline.

For a business, the useful idea is simple. The model quotes what the lookup finds. Your job is to be easy to find, easy to read and easy to confirm.

What structured data can and cannot do

Google describes structured data as a standardised format for providing information about a page and classifying its content. It asks that markup describe what visitors can see on the page.[2] For its AI features, Google says there is no special schema.org structured data to add, and it advises that structured data match the visible text.[3]

Treat markup as labelling, not as a lever. It tells a machine what a page says about who you are, what you sell and what you answer. Wrong or invented markup breaks Google’s own rule, and it gives a system a reason to doubt the rest of your page.

Original, sourced and signed content

The GEO study tested rewrites on a benchmark. Citing sources, adding quotations from credible sources and adding statistics raised visibility by up to 40%. Keyword stuffing did not help.[4] One study on engines that have since changed gives direction, and no provider promises a result.

Google asks, in its guidance on helpful content, whether the content provides original information, reporting, research or analysis. It also says trust is the most important part of E-E-A-T.[7]

Our view is that original evidence gives others something to cite. A survey of your customers, a dated price index, a published method or a case study with named figures is easier to quote than a general claim. Put a real author and credentials on it, and date it.

What other people say about you

The 2025 preprint by Chen and colleagues reported that AI search engines showed a systematic and overwhelming bias towards earned media, in contrast to Google’s more balanced mix of sources.[5] Pew examined Google results from March 2025 and found that Wikipedia, YouTube and Reddit together made up 15% of the sources in AI summaries and 17% in standard results.[6]

Both findings carry limits. One is a preprint, and the other covers 900 US adults in one month. They point the same way. Independent sources shape what a system finds about you.

Earn those mentions. Ask satisfied customers for reviews on the platforms your buyers use. Give trade bodies and journalists real data they can quote. Keep your listings in directories accurate. Wikipedia and Reddit both have rules on promotion and on conflicts of interest, so read them before anyone on your team posts.

What to ask your team for

These requests are our method, not an industry standard.

  1. The facts buyers rely on. Ask for a list of prices, service areas, qualifications, turnaround times and terms. Check that each sits in plain page text, with a date and a source.
  2. The original evidence. Ask what the business has published in the past 12 months that others can cite, such as data, research or case studies with figures.
  3. The outside record. Ask where others describe the business: reviews, trade bodies, news and directories. Check that the details agree.
  4. The markup. Ask to see the structured data and confirm that it matches the page text.
  5. The people. Ask who is named as author or expert, and where their credentials appear.

How Vyzpro helps

A Vyzpro audit checks the evidence an AI tool would find. It looks at whether your pages hold direct answers in a shape that a tool can lift, how simple it is to lift one from your five priority pages, and whether your structured data is accurate. It also checks your name, address, phone, reviews, authorship and expertise against what Google, the main directories and review sites show. The report includes ready-to-paste JSON-LD built from the real details on your site.

Vyzpro reports only what public searches show, and it marks anything it cannot confirm “to verify”. It sells no SEO services, so the report has nothing to upsell. It ranks the fixes for your agency or team. No audit can promise a citation. See the AI search audit, look inside our report or check pricing. Related guides: what is AEO and what is GEO.