제스트컴퍼니(ZESTCOMPANY)

ZESTCOMPANY is a specialized SEO and GEO agency that designs and executes strategies to ensure brands are cited in search results and Generative AI responses. Since its establishment in 2017, we have operated search marketing services for nine years and have worked with over 500 brands.

Exposure in AI search is determined by citations, not rankings. The actual performance is measured by whether the brand appears by name in the body of the answer when a user asks a question on ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or Claude, and whether the brand's page is cited as the basis for that reference. We view these two as distinct metrics and measure them separately.

The process begins with finalizing the target questions. The client defines the questions that should appear in the responses, and prior to commencement, the same questions are repeatedly measured across four engines to establish a baseline for the current exposure rate. Subsequently, the site's information structure, structured data, and entity notation are refined, and content directly answering the questions is produced and distributed to both internal and external channels. After publication, the same set of questions is re-measured to track changes in mention rates and cited URLs.

Since each engine selects sources differently, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude are measured individually. The report records mentions per question, cited URLs, and even co-mentioned competitor brands. As responses vary by round, the results are evaluated based on repeated measurements rather than a single measurement.

We do not stop at strategy formulation. We personally handle everything from site technical checks and modifications, structured data design, content creation, external channel distribution, indexing requests, to Google Business Profile maintenance.

In Korea, Naver has established an independent search ecosystem, leaving areas that cannot be reached solely by optimizing according to Google standards. We integrate Naver search exposure with Google and AI search response into a single operation.

I have operational experience in the finance, pharmaceuticals/health functional foods, medical, education, real estate, logistics, and e-commerce sectors. In GEO and AEO roles, I worked with Jeonbuk Bank, Sunjin, Rokit America, and Danbi Education, while in Naver search marketing, I collaborated with Daesang Wellife and GC Green Cross. In industries with strict expression regulations, such as finance and pharmaceuticals, I operate with established procedures to incorporate client review standards at the word level.

It is common for the first citation to be confirmed within 4 to 8 weeks after commencement, and we record a citation confirmation rate in the 40–60% range. Since there are variations depending on the industry, competition density, and the condition of the existing site, we recommend defining target questions and measuring and presenting the current exposure rate before signing a contract. This is because the potential for improvement cannot be proven without knowing the starting point.

Measurement is determined by accumulating rounds. Since AI responses vary from round to round even for the same question, a single successful result is not considered a performance indicator. A single question is repeated tens to hundreds of times per engine, and the ratio in which a brand appears is recorded. Because a baseline is established in the same manner before the contract begins, it is possible to immediately compare whether subsequent figures have risen or fallen.

We have experience operating in strictly regulated industries. In the financial sector, interest rates and product terms cannot be described arbitrarily, and every sentence must undergo compliance review. The pharmaceutical and health functional food industries are subject to restrictions on the expression of efficacy. In these sectors, the key is to create a structure that allows users to compare and evaluate products while using approved wording exactly as is. We operate with a procedure in place to incorporate client review standards down to the word level.

Content is created in a question-answering format. Rather than a text that simply lists search terms, the structure directly answers questions actually posed by users and presents the supporting evidence. This is because the content must be in a format that AI can refer to when generating answers in order to be selected as a source. Titles, subheadings, tables, and comparison items are all designed around the questions.

The scope of work does not end with diagnosis. We directly modify the site's structured data and entity notation, create and publish content, request indexing, and even overhaul the Google Business Profile. Metrics will not change if we simply deliver strategy documents and leave execution to the client.

We report the discrepancies in results by engine exactly as they are. Even within the same brand, there are cases where results are high in ChatGPT but never appear in Gemini. Since grouping them into a single average obscures these differences, we record the figures for each engine separately in the report. Knowing which engines are weak is essential to determining what to improve next.