GEO stands for generative engine optimisation. It’s a newer name for getting your business mentioned in answers from AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and Google’s AI Overviews. If traditional SEO is about ranking in a list of ten blue links, GEO is about being the business the AI actually names when someone asks for a recommendation.
It sounds like a whole new discipline. Honestly, most of it is good SEO done right, with a bit more care over how clearly you explain yourself. Here’s what it means for a local business and what I do about it for clients.
What does GEO actually mean?
It means making your business easy for AI tools to understand, trust and recommend. “Generative” refers to the way these tools write a fresh answer each time rather than showing a fixed list of websites. When someone types “who’s a good accountant in Southport?” into ChatGPT, it generates a short reply with a few names. GEO is the work that gives you a fair shot at being one of them.
You’ll also hear it called AI SEO, LLM SEO or answer engine optimisation. They all describe the same aim. I’ve covered the wider picture in AI SEO: what you need to know.
Why does GEO matter now?
Because more people are asking AI tools for recommendations instead of scrolling through search results. Google itself now puts an AI-written summary above the normal results for lots of searches. If that summary names three businesses and you’re not one of them, a chunk of potential customers never see you.
For most local trades, Google search and the map still bring in far more work than AI tools do. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But the share is growing, and the businesses that get their house in order early tend to stay ahead.
Is GEO different from SEO?
Less than the name suggests. The foundations are the same. A clear website, a page for each service, a well kept Google Business Profile, good reviews and consistent details everywhere online. Those things help you rank on Google, and they’re the same things AI tools lean on when deciding who to recommend.
Where GEO adds something is in how you write. AI tools like pages that answer a question directly and then explain. They pick up on plain statements of fact far more easily than on clever marketing lines. So I spend more time now making sure every page says exactly what the business does, where, for whom and roughly what it costs.
How do AI tools learn about your business?
From anything they can read. Your website is the main source, but they also draw on your Google profile, review sites, directories, local news, social media and any other site that mentions you. Some tools search the web live when you ask a question. Others rely more on what they learned earlier. Either way, the more consistent and detailed the picture, the more confident they are about naming you.
Nobody outside the companies that build these tools knows exactly how they choose. Anyone claiming a guaranteed formula is guessing. What I can tell you is what I see working across the businesses I look after, and it’s the boring stuff done well.
How do you write pages an AI can quote?
Answer first, then explain. If someone asks “how much does a boiler service cost in Wirral?”, the best page starts with a real figure or range and then explains what affects it. A page that waffles for three paragraphs before getting to the point is far less likely to be used.
Headings phrased as the questions customers ask help too, which is why every guide on this site is built that way. So does a good FAQ section on each service page. Short, direct answers in plain English. If your current pages are vague or full of jargon, a content overhaul is usually the quickest fix. My guide to why content matters for SEO goes into more detail.
Do mentions on other websites help?
Yes, a lot. AI tools look for signs that other people know and talk about you. A mention in a local news story, a listing on a trade body’s site, a write-up on a community blog or a sponsor credit for a local football team all add to the picture. They don’t need to be links to count, although links help your Google rankings too.
This is the same kind of work as traditional off-page SEO. I’ve written about what still works in off-page SEO techniques that still work and why a few good mentions beat hundreds of poor ones in backlinks: quality over quantity.
How much do reviews matter for GEO?
A great deal. When AI tools recommend local businesses they often mention review scores, and sometimes they summarise what customers say. A business with plenty of recent, detailed reviews gives them something solid to work with. One with a handful of old reviews gives them nothing.
Detailed reviews are the most useful. “Fixed our leaking flat roof in Maghull the same week” tells an AI tool what you do, where you do it and that you’re quick. Here’s why Google reviews matter and how to get more of them.
Is there a technical side to GEO?
Some. Schema markup is the main one. It’s code that sits in your page and spells out facts in a format machines read easily, such as your business type, address, opening hours, services, prices and FAQs. It doesn’t guarantee anything, but it removes guesswork. Every site I build or manage has it.
Speed and accessibility matter too. If your pages are slow or hidden behind heavy scripts, some tools struggle to read them. A fast, clean site helps everyone, people included. I explain the speed side in why a slow mobile site costs you customers, and fixing these problems is part of my SEO fixes.
How do you know if GEO is working?
Ask the tools directly. Every month I run a set of questions a real customer might ask, in a few different AI tools, and note who gets named. It’s not a perfect science because the answers vary from one go to the next. Over time, though, you can see whether a business is turning up more often.
Google Analytics can also show visits that come from some AI tools. The numbers are usually small for now, but they’re worth watching. If you haven’t got Analytics set up, my Google Analytics setup will sort it.
Want to know if AI tools mention you?
Fill in the form and I’ll check your website, your Google profile and what the main AI tools say when someone asks for a business like yours. You’ll get a straight answer and a short list of what to fix.
If you want me to crack on, it’s £125 a week, about £18 a day, on a 30 day rolling basis. AI visibility is included as standard.
Free website check
Checked by me, not a tool.
Rather message? WhatsApp 07463 631121 or call 0151 402 0925.
Questions people ask me
Is GEO just a buzzword?
Partly. The name is new, but the need to be clearly understood by AI tools is real.
Do I need a separate GEO agency?
No. Good SEO covers most of it. I include it in every campaign.
Can I pay to be recommended by ChatGPT?
Not in its normal recommendations. You earn a mention with clear information and a good reputation.
Which AI tools matter most?
Google’s AI Overviews reach the most people. ChatGPT is the most used standalone tool. It’s worth checking both.
How long does GEO take?
Similar to SEO. Some changes show quickly, others take a few months to filter through.
Does GEO work for small towns?
Yes. With fewer businesses to choose from, a clear and well reviewed one stands out more.
Will AI search replace Google?
Not any time soon for local services. Treat it as an extra place to be found.
Should my website have an FAQ section?
Yes. It’s one of the simplest ways to give AI tools clear answers to quote.
Can you check where I stand?
Yes. Fill in the form above or send me a WhatsApp.
Keep reading
If you’re a Merseyside firm, AI search for Liverpool businesses applies all of this to the local picture. Voice search SEO covers the spoken side of the same shift, and on-page SEO basics is the best place to start on your own pages.
Hi, I’m PeteGet named by AI, not just ranked by Google
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