Part of our guide: Why is my website not getting enquiries?.
Written by Dan Sagar, FoundationsAI. Updated October 2026.
GEO stands for generative engine optimisation. It means making your business easy for AI tools, like ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews and Perplexity, to understand, trust and recommend. More people now ask an AI tool questions like "who's a good electrician near me?" or "how much does a new boiler cost?". If your website answers those questions clearly, and other sites mention you, you're more likely to be included in the answer.
SEO vs GEO
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Where people see you | Google's search results and map | Answers from AI tools |
| What helps | Relevant pages, links, reviews, Google Business Profile | Clear answers, consistent facts, mentions on other sites, reviews |
| Overlap | Most good SEO helps GEO too | Most good GEO helps SEO too |
How AI tools decide who to mention
An AI tool doesn't know your business personally. When it answers a question, it pulls together what it can find and trust about you: your website, your Google Business Profile, your reviews, directories and anything else written about you online. Google's AI Overviews are built from Google's own search results, and ChatGPT and Perplexity can search the web while they answer.
So the tools favour businesses that are easy to describe with confidence. That means pages that say plainly what you do, where you work and what it costs, and the same facts repeated in other places they can check. If your website is vague, or your phone number and service area differ from one listing to the next, the tool has less to go on and is more likely to mention someone else.
Practical steps for a service business
- Answer real customer questions on your website in plain English, with the answer in the first sentence or two.
- Add a short FAQ to your main pages.
- Keep your business details identical everywhere: name, address, phone, services, areas.
- Get reviews, on Google and anywhere else your customers look.
- Get mentioned on other trusted sites, such as local directories, trade bodies and local news.
- Be specific: prices, areas, what's included, how long jobs take.
What a GEO-friendly page looks like
Take a plumber in Southampton. A typical services page says "We offer a full range of plumbing services to a high standard." An AI tool can't do much with that.
A page that helps would have a heading like "How much does a boiler service cost in Southampton?", then answer it straight away: the price range, what's included, how long it takes and which areas are covered. Further down it would answer the next questions people ask, like whether you do evenings or weekends and whether you're Gas Safe registered.
That page is easier for a person to read, easier for Google to rank and easier for an AI tool to quote. The same work helps all three.
Structured data
Structured data is a small block of code that labels the facts on a page, such as your business name, address, opening hours and FAQs, so machines can read them without guessing. Google no longer shows FAQ dropdowns in search results for most businesses, but the labels still help search engines and AI tools understand your page. If your website platform adds this for you, check it's there. If not, ask whoever built your site.
Check how AI tools see you
This takes about 15 minutes:
- Ask ChatGPT, Google and Perplexity the questions your customers would ask, like "best roofer in [your town]" or "how much does a new kitchen cost in [your town]".
- Note who comes up, and what the tools say about them.
- Ask directly about your business by name, and check the facts they give: services, area, phone number, opening hours.
- Fix anything wrong at the source: your website, your Google Business Profile and your main directory listings.
Do it again every few months. It's also a quick way to see which competitors the tools favour, and why.
What to avoid
- Stuffing pages with your town name and keywords. It reads badly and doesn't help.
- Fake or bought reviews. Since April 2025 they've been banned under UK consumer law, and Google removes them.
- Paying anyone who promises to get you "ranked" in ChatGPT. Nobody controls what AI tools say.
- Copying generic articles. If your page says the same as a thousand others, there's no reason to mention you.
Common questions
What does GEO stand for?
Generative engine optimisation: helping AI tools find, understand and recommend your business.
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. They overlap a lot. Clear, useful, accurate pages help with both.
How do I know if AI tools mention my business?
Ask them. Try questions your customers would ask, like "best roofer in [your town]", in ChatGPT and Google, and see who comes up.
Do I need a specialist for GEO?
Not to start. Answering customer questions clearly on your website, keeping your details consistent and getting reviews covers most of it.
How long does GEO take to work?
There's no fixed timeline. AI tools update what they know at different speeds, so changes can show up within weeks or take a few months. Pages that clearly answer questions tend to help with Google sooner.
Does GEO matter for a small local business?
Yes, if your customers ask AI tools for recommendations. The steps are the same ones that help your Google ranking, so the effort isn't wasted either way.
Want your website to answer the questions customers ask?
Book a 45-minute demo. See also our guide: why is my website not getting enquiries?