How to Make Your Science or Engineering Organisation Discoverable by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini

The rise of generative AI tools has changed how people discover information, including how they discover and research your organisation. Any serious comms strategy now needs to consider this.

You’ve probably seen lists of sources that GenAI ‘likes’ – Wikipedia, Reddit, etc – but these generic insights aren’t really helpful. It’s like saying ‘CEOs like reading books’. Generative AI is relevance-driven, and your company needs to show up in the sources that shape answers in your particular niche.

So what does a meaningful GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) strategy look like?

Let’s break it down into the practical things you can do. For each section we provide recommendations, presented through the lens of advising a startup that makes components for quantum computers. 

Whilst there are some small nuances between models, this approach will stand you in good stead for ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity.

(NB if you doubt the legitimacy of any of this  - copy this entire post into your GenAI model of choice and ask if it’s good advice).

Part 1: Boost Your Own Content

Start with your own content. If what you write isn’t calibrated to resonate with what the model looks for, then it won’t impact results, no matter how far and wide you promote it.

1. Publish clear, technical, crawlable content on your website
GenAI favours content with a clear narrative structure and human language – it’s trained on human language patterns, not keyword tricks. Using domain-specific language helps signal expertise, which the model is trained to prioritise (but avoid excessive jargon). But the model is still a machine, and it processes information best when it’s findable, well-structured in HTML, and marked up with clear tags and metadata that explain what the content is about.

What to do (generalisable advice, calibrated to a quantum startup)

✔ Create product pages with detailed specifications and applications

✔ Write explainer content using the language of your industry (without jargon)

✔ Don’t hide content in PDFs or behind logins – LLMs don’t index them well

✔ Use Schema.org tags, clear headings, and meta descriptions that explain the content and what your company does

2. Create content that answers specific questions
LLM (Large Language Models,  which power GenAI tools) often reference FAQ-style content that directly answers common user questions.

What to do:

✔ Add blog posts answering questions like “What quantum systems are your components compatible with?” or “What makes your design unique?”

✔ Include a structured FAQ page with question-answer schema markup

3. Create authoritative thought leadership content
LLMs prioritise high-quality educational content and expert viewpoints. If someone asks, “which companies are leading in quantum components?”, They are more likely to recommend businesses that look like thought leaders.

What to do:
✔ Publish articles that explain the science and significance of your niche
✔ Share expert perspectives – technical explainers for specialists and non-specialists, industry outlooks, founder or CTO-authored content
✔ Host on your own site and also aim to publish in respected trade publications (see below)

4. Showcase partnerships, pilots, and use cases
GenAI looks for proof points – real-world implementations, collaborations, or customer case studies when making recommendations.

What to do:
✔ Publish case studies and announce partnerships
✔ Mention funded research participation
✔ Write blogs like “How we helped X increase qubit fidelity by 20%”

Part 2: Get Referenced in Authoritative Sources

GenAI models value authoritative websites when deciding what information sources to use, and scrapes these for the most relevant content. Quality content in quality online sources is the best way to shape their answers.

1. Secure coverage in trusted science and engineering media
GenAI prioritises information from national quality media and credible science and engineering outlets.

What to do:
✔ Secure media coverage related to what GenAI looks for: milestones, deployments, case studies, partnerships, research, funding, and thought leadership (as described in Part 1)

✔ Focus on publications LLMs trust for science and innovation, eg national media with strong coverage of these topics like The FT, Guardian, and Telegraph, and trades such as TechCrunch, The Engineer, Electronics Weekly, E&T, Physics World
✔ Use PR surgically – a small mention in a credible publication is worth far more than dozens of posts on obscure blogs

2. Get cited in academic or government-backed content
LLMs give significant weight to academic citations (.edu, .ac.uk) and government and research council sites (.gov, .europa.eu).

What to do:
✔ Encourage researchers to cite your tech in papers or preprints
✔ Contribute data, whitepapers, or insight to national initiatives (e.g. UKRI, quantum hubs, NQCC)
✔ Even a footnote in a government report can boost your GenAI discoverability

3. Get listed in trusted directories or rankings
If someone asks ChatGPT for “top companies working on quantum components,” it may rely on startup rankings, VC-backed maps and analyst market briefings.

What to do:
✔ Submit your company to relevant maps like:
→ The Quantum Insider database
→ CB Insights Quantum Computing Market Map
→ Gartner or Forrester briefings
→ PitchBook if you're raising capital

4. Speak at industry events
GenAI models often draw from conference websites, programs, and speaker bios, especially when recommending niche companies.

What to do:
✔ Apply to speak or exhibit at events like Quantum.Tech (London, Boston) or IEEE Quantum Week
✔ Make sure your name appears in speaker lists, agendas, and abstracts – these are all crawlable sources for GenAI

And… what to avoid

For science or engineering queries, GenAI typically ignores:

✘ Tabloid coverage
✘ SEO-driven fluff (e.g. keyword-stuffed Medium posts)
✘ Consumer lifestyle publications
✘ Salesy or hype-driven language
✘ Reposted press releases or paid advertorials

And finally…

Generative AI is not the whole story, but it is an important one. A strong GEO strategy makes your company easier to find and recommend in the tools people are increasingly using to understand your industry.

That said, your communication strategy should still span media, LinkedIn, and events. Generative AI is one channel. Your audience still reads, attends, and listens across many others. But the good news is that GenAI likes useful, relevant content – which is a good foundation for all these channels.

Whilst we offer practical advice here, any GEO strategy will be different, with different content themes, target media, events, and so on depending on the company and its strategy. If you want help building your GEO strategy specifically within science and engineering fields, contact us on info@memetic-comms.com for a free GEO consultation.