How to Manage Reputation in the AI Era: 5 Steps
AI engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews already summarize who you are. Here's how to control the story they tell.
- AI diagnosis — check what ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews say about you today
- Fix foundational sources — Wikipedia, Wikidata, and the Knowledge Graph are the "library" AI learns from
- Implement schema markup — structured data that tells Google and AI engines exactly who you are
- Build an authoritative presence in sources AI trusts: LinkedIn, PR, knowledge sites
- Track and update — AI models retrain; a quarterly check keeps you in control
When AI Tells Your Story
Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity summarize information about people and businesses directly in the answer, before a user ever reaches your site. What the AI presents isn't always accurate, and isn't always flattering. But you can influence what it learns about you.
GEO, Generative Engine Optimization
GEO is the new frontier of reputation management: optimizing a presence designed to appear correctly in the results AI engines generate. Targeted articles, profiles with structured data, and authority sites AI trusts — all of these determine what it says about you.
AI Overviews — the New Opportunity
Google AI Overviews respond to queries about names and businesses. If the available information about you is negative or thin, that's what the AI will show. If we've built a positive, verified presence on platforms Google trusts, the AI learns from it and repeats it.
Timelines and Expectations
Simple cases resolve within weeks. Complex cases take 4 to 12 months. Legitimate content published lawfully won't be removed — that's where we shift to a suppression and positive-presence strategy.
Reputation management in the AI era includes organic SEO that establishes authority, building a presence in sources AI engines trust, and international reputation management for those operating in overseas markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ChatGPT say about me right now, and how do I check?
We ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview directly about your name, your business, and your field of activity. We run the diagnosis and deliver a report of what the AI engines present.
Can you influence what ChatGPT says about me?
Not directly. The AI learns from sources Google and others trust. But you can change those sources: verified profiles, Wikipedia, press placements, and structured data. It takes months, but it works.
What is schema markup and how does it help AI?
Schema markup is code that explicitly tells Google and AI engines who you are: your name, field of work, location, role. AI engines favor sources with structured data because they're clear and verified.
What's the difference between regular SEO and GEO?
SEO optimizes for your links to rank high on Google. GEO optimizes for AI engines to cite you as an authority in your field and present accurate information about you. Both matter, but GEO is the next frontier.
How long does it take to change what AI engines say about me?
An average of 3 to 9 months for a meaningful change. AI trains its models on information accumulated over time; changing the narrative requires a consistent, verified presence from enough credible sources.