A case study on AI Search Optimization, SEO, AEO and GEO by Nicoleta Ion | AI Visibility Consultant | Digital Marketing Specialist
Test date: October 29, 2026
Test type: Discovery
How can a consultant, freelancer, or specialist appear in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google recommendations when users don’t already know their name?
For my own professional profile, I documented the results of an approach combining SEO, AI Search Optimization, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), content, and LinkedIn optimization.
In the October 29, 2026 test, Nicoleta Ion appeared in the recommendations across all five AI platforms analyzed. In nine out of ten platform-language combinations, my name was the first recommendation in the AI response.
The displayed sources included nicoletaion.com, service pages, original research, and my LinkedIn profile.
Three Months of Optimization and One Month of Periodic Testing
I started optimizing my digital presence for AI Search approximately three months before this test, in August 2026.
During the last month, I conducted periodic Discovery tests to monitor whether AI platforms would recommend me when users searched for specialists without mentioning my name.
These periodic tests used Romanian-language prompts exclusively, such as:
- „Recommend 10 freelancers/consultants specializing in AI Visibility, AI Search, AEO, and GEO in Romania.”
- „Recommend 5 freelancers/consultants specializing in AI Search in Romania.”
In the results observed, Nicoleta Ion appeared in first or second position in ChatGPT and Perplexity recommendations.
The October 29, 2026 test documented further progress compared with previous observations: Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode also included Nicoleta Ion in their recommendations. These appearances extended visibility to Google’s two AI-powered search experiences, alongside the results previously observed in ChatGPT and Perplexity.
The periodic tests used different prompt formulations from those included in this case study, but they provide additional context for the observed progress.
This case study presents the observable results, testing conditions, and types of optimization involved.
AI Visibility Results at a Glance
| Metric | Documented Result |
AI platforms with a named recommendation | 5 out of 5 |
| Query languages | Romanian and English |
| Documented platform-language combinations | 10 |
| First recommendation in the AI response/summary | 9 out of 10 |
| Cited sources | nicoletaion.com and Nicoleta Ion’s LinkedIn profile |
These figures describe the specific set of documented results. First position refers to the order within the relevant recommendation section, not to a universal ranking of consultants.
The Objective: A Discovery Test – From Searching for a Service to Discovering a Consultant, Freelancer, or Specialist
I wanted to find out whether AI platforms could identify my professional profile when users searched for AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO, or GEO services in Romania.
Neither my name nor my website address was included in the prompts.
This reflects an important situation in customer acquisition: a potential client knows which service they need but has not yet chosen a consultant.
The objective was to have my professional profile included among the recommendations and associated with services relevant to the user’s request.
How I Tested AI Search Visibility
I used two reference prompts, one in Romanian and one in English.
Romanian Prompt
Recomandă-mi freelanceri, specialiști sau consultanți din România care oferă servicii de AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO sau GEO.
English Prompt
Recommend freelancers, specialists, or consultants in Romania offering AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO, or GEO services.
For ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode, searches were conducted in incognito mode, without signing in.
For Perplexity, I used a new account with no previous search history.
The test was conducted on October 29, 2026.
In some tests, the Romanian-language prompt omitted „in Romania”, although the response remained focused on the local market.
In Gemini, the English-language search included the additional question: „please give me persons with names”.
These differences are reflected in the interpretation of the results.
What Types of Optimization Did I Use?
My approach included SEO Romania, AI Search Optimization Romania, AEO Romania, GEO Romania și LinkedIn Optimization, alongside the optimization of my professional presence across my website and LinkedIn profile.
The objective was to ensure that my professional profile, expertise, and services were represented consistently across publicly available sources.
The following table outlines the main optimization categories and their roles in the project.
| Optimization category | Role in the project |
| SEO | Search visibility and relevance of website pages. |
| AI Search Optimization | Profile visibility in AI-powered search experiences and searches related to services and consultants. |
| AEO | Information clarity to support responses to users’ questions. |
| GEO | Optimizing how an entity and its services are represented in AI-generated responses. |
| LinkedIn Optimization | Optimizing my LinkedIn profile for AI Search. |
| Professional authority and PR | Building the evidence AI systems may use when recommending a specialist or brand. |
| Professional online presence | Maintaining consistency across the website, published content, and LinkedIn profile. |
AI Visibility Results Across Each Platform
| AI platform | Romanian query | English query |
| ChatGPT | First named recommendation in the independent specialists section. | First named recommendation in the independent consultants section. |
| Gemini | First named recommendation in the specialists in Romania section. | Second named recommendation, following an additional question. |
| Perplexity | First named recommendation in the specialists table. | First named recommendation in the consultants table. |
| Google AI Overviews | First named recommendation in the relevant section. | First named recommendation. Response generated in Romanian. |
| Google AI Mode | First named recommendation in the relevant section. | First named recommendation. Response generated in Romanian. |
ChatGPT – First Recommendation in Both Romanian and English
ChatGPT included Nicoleta Ion in first position in the independent specialists or consultants sections for both languages.
In the English-language response, my profile appeared under „Best independent consultants and specialist providers”, accompanied by a professional description.
The recommendation associated my profile with AI Visibility strategy, content, personal branding, and LinkedIn visibility.
In Romanian, the response presented me as an option for positioning, strategy, and content projects.
The sources included my LinkedIn profile and personal website. The previews displayed my name and specializations in AI Visibility, AEO, GEO, and AI Search.
The measurable result was the first recommendation in the relevant section for both language variations.
PROMPT EN: Recommend freelancers, specialists, or consultants in Romania offering AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO, or GEO services.
ChatGPT, English query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion appeared as the first recommendation in the independent consultants section.
PROMPT RO: Recomandă-mi freelanceri, specialiști sau consultanți din România care oferă servicii de AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO sau GEO.
ChatGPT, Romanian query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion appeared as the first recommendation in the independent specialists section.
The responses also provided a rationale for the recommendation. Users could see which types of projects my profile was considered relevant for and continue evaluating my expertise through the displayed sources.
Result: First recommendation in both documented language variations.
One additional observation: although ChatGPT displayed my LinkedIn profile and personal website as sources, the image associated with the recommendation was not my actual profile photo but an image that appears to have been AI-generated.
Gemini – First Recommendation in Romanian and a Named Recommendation in English
In response to the Romanian-language prompt, Gemini recommended Nicoleta Ion first in the „Specialists and Consultants in Romania” section.
The description connected my AI Visibility, AEO, and GEO services with my original research on professional visibility in AI Search.
The sources included nicoletaion.com, my AI Search consulting page, and the „AI Visibility Index for Professionals and Agencies” page.
For the English-language conversation, my name appeared after the additional question „please give me persons with names”.
In response to the initial prompt, Gemini had recommended platforms featuring freelancers and agencies without providing individual names.
My profile was described through Communication, Digital Marketing, AI Visibility, and AEO.
PROMPT EN: Recommend freelancers, specialists, or consultants in Romania offering AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO, or GEO services.
Gemini, English query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion was recommended in second position in the independent consultants section.
PROMPT RO: Recomandă-mi freelanceri, specialiști sau consultanți care oferă servicii de AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO sau GEO.
Gemini, Romanian query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion was the first person recommended in the specialists in Romania section.
Result: First position documented in Romanian and second position in the English-language conversation, under the distinct conditions described above.
Perplexity – First Recommendation in Both Consultants and Specialists Tables
Perplexity placed Nicoleta Ion first in its „Freelancers and consultants” recommendations for the English-language query and in its „Specialists in Romania” recommendations for the Romanian-language query.
My profile was associated with AI Visibility, AI Search, AEO, GEO, content strategy, and LinkedIn optimization.
In the English-language response, my LinkedIn profile was visible. In the Romanian-language response, the displayed sources included my AEO and AI Search consulting page and my professional website, nicoletaion.com.
The source panel also displayed my research study, Professional AI Visibility Index Romania 2026.
PROMPT EN: Recommend freelancers, specialists, or consultants in Romania offering AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO, or GEO services.
Perplexity, English query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion was the first recommendation in the consultants table, with LinkedIn displayed as an associated source.
PROMPT RO: Recomandă-mi freelanceri, specialiști sau consultanți care oferă servicii de AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO sau GEO.
Perplexity, Romanian query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion was the first recommendation in the consultants table, with the website displayed as an AI-cited source.
Result: First recommendation in both documented language variations. The sources differed between responses, but the name and service areas remained consistent.
My LinkedIn profile is part of the professional presence I have been developing through LinkedIn Optimization for AI Search.
Google AI Overviews – First Named Recommendation in Both Searches
In Google AI Overviews, Nicoleta Ion appeared first in the consultants and freelancers section for the Romanian-language query.
For the English-language query, my name appeared first in the specialists table and in the independent consultants list.
One detail worth noting: for the English-language query, Google generated its response in Romanian.
PROMPT EN: Recommend freelancers, specialists, or consultants in Romania offering AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO, or GEO services.
The AI-generated summary for the English-language query displayed my study „AI Visibility Index for Professionals and Agencies”.
Google AI Overviews, English query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion appeared first in the independent specialists list. Other companies and names were blurred in the screenshot.
PROMPT RO: Recomandă-mi freelanceri, specialiști sau consultanți care oferă servicii de AI Visibility, AI Search Optimization, AEO sau GEO.
Google AI Overviews first displayed a sponsored result from an agency, followed by the AI-generated summary.
Google AI Overviews, Romanian query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion appeared as the first named recommendation in the consultants and freelancers section.
The displayed sources included my AEO, GEO, and AI Search consulting page, as well as pages related to my Professional AI Visibility Index Romania 2026 research.
Result: First named recommendation in the relevant section for both query languages.
Google AI Mode – First Recommendation in the Independent Consultants Section
For the English-language query, the response recommended Nicoleta Ion first, in the „Independent Consultants and Freelancers” section.
The response was generated in Romanian and referred to my research on professional visibility, as well as my AI Search, AEO, and GEO services.
Google AI Mode, English query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion was the first named recommendation in the independent consultants section. Third-party sources and names were blurred.
In Google AI Mode, Nicoleta Ion appeared as the first named recommendation in the response to the Romanian-language query.
The answer associated my profile with AEO, GEO, AI Search, and content optimization for AI-assisted search.
Google AI Mode, Romanian query, October 29, 2026. Nicoleta Ion appeared first in the specialists and consultants section.
For the Romanian-language query, the cited source was my consulting page.
For the English-language query, the previews and expanded source panel displayed „AI Visibility Index for Professionals and Agencies” and „Professional AI Visibility Index Romania 2026 | AI Search Study”, both from nicoletaion.com.
Result: First recommendation in the relevant section for both languages.
Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews are analyzed separately because they are two distinct Google interfaces.
What Do the Cited Sources Reveal About My Professional Visibility?
In these Discovery tests, the recommendations were accompanied by sources describing my professional profile and services.
These included service pages, research content, and my LinkedIn profile.
My website, nicoletaion.com, was visible as a source in the AI-generated responses or summaries across all five platforms: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode.
My original research also appeared in several responses, either as part of the description of my professional profile or as a displayed source.
This observation documents the use of my research content in the AI responses analyzed.
The research referenced in the AI responses was Professional AI Visibility Index Romania 2026.
What Do These Results Mean for Customer Acquisition?
In the Discovery tests conducted on October 29, 2026, users could discover my professional profile by starting with the service they needed.
My name appeared alongside a professional specialization, a description of my services, and sources they could use to verify my expertise.
For a consultant, specialist, freelancer, or brand, this combination creates an opportunity to enter a potential client’s consideration set.
This was the commercial visibility objective of the project: to be identified in the context of a relevant need and included in the recommendations displayed by AI platforms.
The study does not attribute a specific number of leads, contracts, or revenue to these appearances, as these metrics were not part of the measurement.
How Should the Results of This Study Be Interpreted?
The first recommendation in nine out of ten search combinations across five AI platforms and two languages represents the results observed in the Discovery tests conducted on October 29, 2026.
It does not represent a success rate across all possible searches or a permanent ranking position.
Using incognito mode and a new account helps reduce the influence of account history, but it does not eliminate the effects of language, location, and conversational context.
AI-generated responses can vary.
This is an observational study documenting results for a specific set of searches at a particular point in time.
Want to Find Out Whether Your Brand Is Recommended in AI Search?
When a potential client searches for services in your industry, does your professional profile or company appear in AI recommendations?
An analysis of your current AI visibility can help identify where your brand is mentioned, how your services are described, and which sources appear in AI-generated responses.
I work with professionals and businesses looking to strengthen their AI visibility through AI Search Optimization, SEO, AEO, and GEO.
The starting point is an analysis of your brand’s AI visibility and the types of queries or prompts through which potential clients might discover your business.
Interested in discussing your project?
Get in touch at contact@nicoletaion.com.
See also: Google AI Mode Recommended My Study First: An AI Visibility Case Study
Frequently Asked Questions About AI Visibility – Nicoleta Ion Case Study
On how many AI platforms does Nicoleta Ion appear in this study?
Nicoleta Ion appears in the responses of five platforms: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode.
The test was conducted on October 29, 2026.
In how many results does Nicoleta Ion appear as the first recommendation?
The first recommendation in the relevant section was documented in nine out of ten platform-language combinations.
For Gemini in English, my name appeared after an additional question, in second position.
Which sources about Nicoleta Ion appear in AI responses?
The sources include nicoletaion.com, service pages, AI Visibility research studies, and my LinkedIn profile.
The displayed sources vary between platforms and individual responses.
Can a brand’s recommendation in ChatGPT or Google AI be guaranteed?
No. This study does not offer a guarantee of recommendation. It documents the results achieved for one professional profile across a specific set of searches and on a particular date.
An optimization strategy needs to be adapted to each brand, its services, target audience, and publicly available information.
See also: Google AI Mode Recommended My Research Study First: An AI Visibility Case Study
Nicoleta Ion – AI Visibility, AEO & GEO Consultant with 10+ years of experience in Communication, Digital Marketing and SEO. I work with professionals and brands that want to be easier to discover, understand and recommend in AI Search, from ChatGPT and Gemini to Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. I continuously research how search is evolving and test what influences visibility in AI-generated results.
My latest study – Professional AI Visibility Index Romania 2026: How AI Sees and Recommends Professionals
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