Generative engine optimization, or GEO, is the practice of making your business more likely to appear in answers from AI tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot. Instead of ranking a link on a results page, the goal is to be the business the AI mentions, recommends or cites.
How GEO differs from SEO
Traditional SEO focuses on ranking pages for keywords. GEO focuses on being a trusted, clearly described source that an AI system can confidently summarize. In practice they overlap a lot:
- Both reward accurate, helpful content that answers real questions
- Both depend on your business being consistently described across the web
- Both benefit from reviews, mentions and links from reputable sources
The main difference is emphasis. AI tools favor content that states facts plainly, answers questions directly and is backed up by other sources.
What AI tools look for in a local business
- Clear identity: who you are, what you do and where you do it, stated plainly on your site
- Consistency: the same name, phone, services and service area on your website, Google Business Profile and directories
- Direct answers: pages and FAQs that answer specific questions like cost, timelines and process
- Third-party confirmation: reviews, local news coverage, associations and “best of” lists that mention you
- Structured data: schema markup that spells out your business details for machines
Practical GEO steps for a local business
- Write a clear “about” summary on your homepage in two or three plain sentences.
- Add FAQs to your service pages using the questions customers ask on the phone.
- Answer cost questions honestly, with typical ranges and what affects price.
- Keep your Google Business Profile complete and active, since many AI answers draw on Google’s local data.
- Earn mentions on local sites: chambers of commerce, local media, sponsorships and industry associations.
- Encourage detailed reviews that mention services and locations.
- Add schema markup for your business, services and FAQs.
Can you track GEO results?
Partly. You can regularly ask AI tools the questions your customers ask and note whether your business appears, watch for referral traffic from AI tools in your analytics, and track branded searches. No one can guarantee placement in AI answers, but you can make your business a much stronger candidate.
See how AI tools describe your business
As part of a free audit, we’ll check how your business shows up in Google and the major AI assistants.