VECTOR: A FRAMEWORK FOR AI SEARCH OPTIMIZATION
Bertrand introduced a tactical framework for GEO called VECTOR, and it’s designed to help your brand show up in AI-generated content and convert.
V: Verify Intents
Understand what your audience is really asking beyond keywords. Instead of targeting high-volume keywords, zero-click SEO starts with mapping the actual questions, scenarios, and decision paths your buyers are exploring inside AI tools. “Talk to your customers to understand the information that they need when they're making a buying decision... This is what replaces keyword research,” Bertrand added.
💡Tactics:
- Interview customers about how they research before buying.
- Review sales call recordings and support tickets for recurring themes
- Explore niche communities like Reddit where your audience discusses problems and solutions
- Use AI itself to understand customer perspectives (you can ask ChatGPT what people generally think about product categories).
E: Expand Relevance
AI agents reward semantic depth, not keyword repetition. To show up in AI-generated answers, your content needs to be rich in adjacent concepts and closely related topics. Bertrand calls this “semantic enrichment”—the process of embedding your content into a network of meaning.
💡Tactics:
- Add related terms, use cases, and synonyms naturally throughout content.
- Use prompts to help AI generate content variants based on one core topic.
- Create internal content clusters around personas and stages of intent.
C: Clarify Answers
Write in modular, AI-friendly formats that can be lifted into responses. AI tools don’t retrieve full articles; they pull snippets, summaries, and short facts. The more clearly your content answers a question in a standalone passage, the more likely it is to be cited.
💡Tactics:
- Create one-paragraph answers to specific questions.
- Use bullet lists, comparisons, and callout boxes.
- Add section summaries with clear, factual statements.
- Repurpose blog intros as direct answer snippets.
T: Target Mentions
Earn credibility across the sources AI pulls from beyond your website. AI reads your content and it also reads everything said about you. Third-party mentions in forums, reviews, and publications help train models to associate your brand with trusted topics.
💡Tactics:
- Launch digital PR campaigns to earn citations in industry blogs, forums, or knowledge bases.
- Ask your customers to share reviews and use cases on platforms like G2 or Reddit.
- Monitor what AI says about your brand using prompts like: “What do customers think of [your brand]?”
O: Optimize for Assembly
Structure matters. AI reads content like machines, not humans. You’ve heard of structuring for skim readers. Now, structure for AI.
💡Tactics:
- Use clear headers (H1, H2, H3) that match your page hierarchy.
- Separate long text into labeled sections.
- Add tables, lists, and structured markup.
- Ensure only one core topic per page or section.
R: Refresh Passages
Up-to-date content wins in generative engines and outdated content disappears. AI models are constantly being retrained. If your content hasn’t been updated or doesn’t include recent context, then it’s unlikely to surface.
💡Tactics:
- Add current stats, events, or news hooks.
- Use explicit language like “as of November 2025…”
- Create a refresh schedule for top-performing pages.
- Set reminders to recheck your passages every 3-6 months.
