From Zero Citations to AI Dominance: How Fortinet Went from Invisible to Cited in Every AI Search

Executive Summary

Client Background

Fortinet is a US-based global cybersecurity leader and the world's #1 secure networking vendor. With a comprehensive security portfolio spanning network, cloud, and enterprise environments, they serve over 700,000 customers including enterprises, service providers, and government organizations. As a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader across multiple categories with a leading share in the firewall market, the company maintains a strong position in the traditional cybersecurity landscape.

The Challenge

Despite their market leadership, the client faced a critical visibility gap in AI-powered search. When users queried LLMs like ChatGPT or searched through Google AI Overviews for phrases such as "Best cloud security solutions" or "Cloud security best practices," the client was conspicuously absent from responses.

Analysis revealed that competitors dominated LLM citations through strategic earned media and third-party content, areas where the client had minimal presence. With only 0.6% citation share in the cloud security category, the client risked being overlooked during critical buyer research moments when decision-makers increasingly turn to AI-powered tools for recommendations.

The Objective

Transform the client's digital presence to achieve prominent visibility across AI-powered search platforms, including LLM responses, ChatGPT citations, and Google AI Overviews, ensuring the brand appears when high-intent users seek cybersecurity solutions and guidance.

USE CASE 1: EXISTING PAGE OPTIMIZATION

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Page: SD-WAN vs MPLS Comparison 

URL: https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/sd-wan-vs-mpls 

CHALLENGE: Despite being a comprehensive resource, this page was completely invisible in: • Google AI Overviews • ChatGPT responses

IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH: We conducted a detailed content analysis against LLM citation patterns and implemented the following optimizations: 

1. H1 Restructuring → Added "How-To" framework (LLMs prioritize problem-solving content) 

2. Schema Markup → Implemented structured data for better AI parsing 

3. Use Case Section → Added real-world application scenarios 

4. "How to Choose" Section → Problem-solving framework LLMs prefer 

5. FAQ Enhancement → Rewrote in conversational tone aligned with natural language queries 

6. Comparison Table → Visual structure demonstrating key differences 

RESULTS (Within 3 Weeks): 

• Now appearing in Google AI Overviews
• Ranking on Google's first page for the target query
• Getting cited in ChatGPT responses

USE CASE 2: CATEGORY VISIBILITY IMPROVEMENT 

Category: Cloud Security 

CHALLENGE: Fortinet was barely visible when users asked LLMs about:

• "Best cloud security solutions"

• "Cloud security best practices"

• "How to secure cloud infrastructure"

• Other cloud security-related queries

IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH: After a comprehensive analysis of LLM content preferences, LeadWalnut recommended:

1. Strengthen Presence in Earned Media / Third-Party Publications

Profound analysis shows that 78.9% of all citations in the Cloud Security category come from earned media, with Fortinet capturing only 0.6% citation share — far lower than Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike, and Zscaler.

Fortinet’s limited inclusion in such articles restricts its visibility and reduces the likelihood of being cited by LLMs.

→ Recommendation:

• Expand Fortinet’s content outreach to high-authority third-party tech media that publish listicles or rankings (e.g., SentinelOne, CM-Alliance, Marlabs, Gartner-affiliated blogs).
• Collaborate with PR and SEO teams to ensure Fortinet products are mentioned and linked in these articles to improve both citation share and LLM training exposure.

2. Develop Fortinet-Owned “Listicle” Content

When running the query “Best Cloud Security Solutions” on ChatGPT, Fortinet currently doesn’t appear. Most of the citations are coming from listicle articles, either from their own website or third-party sites.

3 of the responses cite content from SentinelOne’s own blog, which appears multiple times — once for their brand, and twice indirectly (for Palo Alto and Microsoft Defender). 

These mentions are primarily driven by two listicle-style articles published by SentinelOne on cloud security — ‘10 Best Cybersecurity Solutions for 2025’ and ‘5 Cloud Security Providers for 2025.’ Both articles are being heavily cited by LLMs and third-party aggregators, contributing to SentinelOne’s repeated visibility in responses related to ‘best cloud security solutions

→ Recommendation:

• Publish Fortinet-authored listicle content, such as:
  
  • “Top 10 Cloud Security Platforms for 2025”
  • “Best AI-Powered Cloud Security Tools”
  • “Cloud Security Comparison: CNAPP, DSPM, CIEM, and Beyond”
• Strategically include Fortinet alongside peers, ensuring cross-category keyword coverage while controlling narrative and backlink structure.
• Promote this content through high-DA publishers to attract citations from LLM crawlers and SEO engines.

3. Build Topical Authority Across Emerging Cloud Security Themes

Further analysis shows Fortinet’s topical authority in the Cloud Security category is lower than CheckPoint, Palo Alto, and CrowdStrike — especially across upper- and mid-funnel content.
There are content gaps where Fortinet can establish leadership.

→ Recommended Focus Areas:

• AI Security & Threat Detection
• CIEM (Cloud Identity & Entitlement Management)
• DSPM (Data Security Posture Management)
• Attack Path Analysis
• Cloud Threat Hunting & Forensics

RESULTS (Within 2 Weeks): 

• Fortinet is now appearing in AI Overviews for key cloud security phrases
• Citations in ChatGPT for cloud security recommendations

The Bottom Line

This case study demonstrates that AI search visibility isn't determined by market position alone—it requires:

✓ Strategic content architecture that LLMs prefer to cite
✓ Proactive monitoring to detect threats early
✓ Rapid response capabilities to act within days, not weeks
✓ Deep understanding of how LLMs process and prioritize information
✓ Dual optimization for both traditional and AI search

For Fortinet, this meant reclaiming their rightful position as a cloud security leader in the channels where enterprise buyers make decisions. For the industry, it established a new standard for protecting brand visibility in the AI-powered search era.

Ready to Protect Your Brand Visibility?

In the AI search era, being the market leader isn't enough—you need to be visible where buyers are looking. Contact LeadWalnut to build your content intelligence system and rapid response framework through specialized GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) services.

Key Questions to Consider:

• What is your current citation share in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews?
• Are competitors appearing in AI search results while you're invisible?
• How quickly can you respond when competitor content threatens your visibility?
• Do you have a dual-optimization strategy for traditional and AI search?

The cost of invisibility is exclusion from buyer consideration sets. The cost of delay is letting competitors establish citation precedence.

Explore LeadWalnut’s B2B SaaS GEO Optimization Services to secure your position in the AI-powered search era, or contact LeadWalnut today for a custom strategy.