Search is evolving faster than most of us imagined, and it’s changing how customers discover, evaluate and choose their security providers.
Traditional SEO still matters, but ranking on page one of Google is no longer the only (or even the primary) way people find answers. Increasingly, prospective customers are getting recommendations and explanations directly from answer engines and generative AI tools like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Bing AI and Perplexity.
How People Find Information
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) changes how people find information online. The traditional SEO model is like visiting a library, asking the librarian a question and being handed a list of books to read in order to find the answer yourself. The research comes first.
With GEO, you ask the same question, and the librarian gives you a detailed answer immediately, then shares the specific books they used to create it. The answer comes first, followed by the sources.
The goal is to ensure your content is one of those “source books” that AI references so that your expertise is delivered upfront to potential customers, before they even decide to dig deeper.
For security integrators, this shift is both a challenge and an opportunity. To stay competitive, we need to understand and adapt to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and the new role of LLMs.txt files in shaping how AI models use our content.
What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
AEO focuses on helping your content appear as a direct answer to a question, whether that’s in a Google featured snippet, a voice assistant response or a “People Also Ask” box.
For integrators, AEO can help build trust early in the buying journey; capture customers searching for solutions, not just brands; and improve visibility in voice search (e.g., Alexa, Google Assistant).
Opportunities to apply AEO in security marketing include publishing FAQ pages for each service (e.g., “What is biometric access control?”); writing short, snippet-ready explanations above the fold; and regularly updating content to reflect new standards and technologies.
What Is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
GEO is a newer concept aimed at optimizing for AI-generated search results created by large language models (LLMs), rather than traditional search listings.
Instead of showing a list of links, these tools often summarize information and, in some cases, cite sources. If you want to be included in those citations, you have to ensure that your content is recognized as credible, up-to-date and relevant.
For integrators, GEO matters because AI search is becoming a default research tool for decision-makers; your content can influence purchasing decisions before they ever land on your site; and being cited by AI tools builds authority and visibility in the market.
Opportunities to apply GEO in the security industry include being featured in trade publications, case studies and industry directories; publishing technical and educational content; and using branded consistent language so that AI engines can recognize and connect mentions to your company.
Introducing LLMs.txt — The Robots.txt of AI
In 2024, the LLMs.txt file was introduced as a way for website owners to control how large language models use their content. Similar to robots.txt, LLMs.txt tells AI crawlers which pages they can or cannot use for training and answer generation.
For security integrators, however, that decision should be strategic. If you want to appear in AI-generated recommendations, you must ensure these bots can access your content.
Action steps include adding an LLMs.txt file to the root of your website; reviewing which AI bots to allow (e.g., GPTBot for OpenAI, ClaudeBot for Anthropic, Google-Extended for AI Overviews); tracking AI bot activity in your server logs or analytics; and regularly reviewing your policy as new AI crawlers emerge.
Why This Matters for Security Integrators
The way customers search is changing. That means the way we market our services has to evolve, too.
Here is the bottom line: SEO gets you found in search rankings; AEO gets you featured as the answer; GEO gets you included in AI-driven recommendations; and LLMs.txt gives you control over how AI uses your content.
Early adopters in the security industry will have a significant advantage. If your content is structured for clarity, recognized as authoritative and accessible to AI crawlers, you will be positioned to capture leads in this new search landscape, even if they never click through via a traditional search result.
The Next Step
Review your current content strategy. Identify opportunities to add FAQs, improve clarity, earn citations and update your site’s LLMs.txt policy. The sooner you adapt, the more visible your brand will be in today’s search environment, as well as tomorrow’s.
Courtesy / Karlie Turner
Karlie Turner is a digital marketer and content strategist with expertise in SEO, web management and storytelling for the security and AV industries.
