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ThinkingToo has launched a specialist agency to help European companies secure mentions in AI chatbot responses, as customers increasingly turn to AI tools instead of conventional search results.
The Antwerp-based firm focuses on search engine optimisation and generative engine optimisation, a newer discipline concerned with how companies appear in answers generated by tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews.
Its founders argue that AI assistants often cite American or other international sources when users ask questions with a local or national focus, risking lower visibility for European businesses in their own markets.
"We want more European companies cited by AI chatbots, especially in their own markets," said Hans Hermans, partner at ThinkingToo.
He said AI chatbots often cite American or other international sources and competitors, even when someone asks a local question. With the right measures, European companies can secure a place in AI answers in their own country and language, generating leads, customers and revenue.
Changing search
The launch comes as search behaviour shifts across Europe. According to figures cited by ThinkingToo, 32.7 per cent of people aged 16 to 74 in the European Union used generative AI tools in 2025, while usage among 16- to 24-year-olds was close to two in three.
At the same time, a growing share of searches ends without a visit to a website. Semrush's 2025 zero-click study found that 59.7 per cent of searches in the EU ended on Google's results page without a click through to any website.
Research from Ahrefs also pointed to lower website traffic when AI-generated summaries appear. In December 2025, the click-through rate for the top-ranking organic result was 58 per cent lower when an AI Overview was shown, according to the company.
That trend is changing the task for marketing and communications teams. Appearing prominently in conventional search rankings may no longer be enough if users rely on AI-generated summaries that cite only a limited set of sources.
Three founders
ThinkingToo was founded in 2025 by three partners based in Antwerp, Ghent and Turin. The group brings together search optimisation specialists Thierry De Marre and Sven van den Broek with Hans Hermans, a former business journalist who later moved into communications strategy and consultancy.
De Marre has worked in search since 2001. With Van den Broek, he previously built PAN.agency into a six-person core team focused on SEO strategies and content systems for local and international clients.
"We sold our agency in 2022 and returned with ThinkingToo in 2025," said Sven van den Broek, partner at ThinkingToo. "We combine our experience and independence with what we enjoy most: building technically robust solutions. Our clients don't get a junior with a senior's name on the quote, but specialists who have worked in search engine optimisation for more than 15 years."
Hermans previously worked as a journalist for Trends, Gazet van Antwerpen, Bizz and Vacature before starting his own communications and content business in 2013.
"Strong content or a good communication strategy alone is no longer enough," said Hans Hermans, partner at ThinkingToo. "Everything must also be technically sound, not least to be cited by AI chatbots. That is why I joined forces with two technical specialists."
Client work
The agency begins with an analysis of a client's corporate website, followed by technical and content changes designed to improve how the business is understood by search engines and AI systems. It also emphasises what it describes as external trust signals, including mentions on other credible sites.
Those external references matter because AI systems often rely on a mix of source material when generating responses. For companies, that means website performance alone may not determine whether they are named in an answer.
ThinkingToo cited several early client results. An online retail client recorded 160 per cent more mentions in AI responses within five months, while a sports sector client increased organic traffic by 240 per cent over 12 months across three languages.
It also said a photo-printing client has held first place on Google for the most searched term in its category for five consecutive years.
De Marre gave more detail on the retail example and how the company measures visibility in AI-generated answers.
"A client in online retail achieved 160 per cent more mentions in AI responses within five months. In Google AI Overviews, the online shop is now the most cited site on its topics in the Netherlands and Belgium," said Thierry De Marre, partner at ThinkingToo.
The agency works with clients in travel, online retail, sports, industrial services and clothing, as companies assess how to protect visibility as web users shift from clicking links to reading generated answers.