SEO & GEO: How to Get Your Business Noticed by AI

If you’ve been following the rapid changes in how people find businesses like yours online, you know we’ve already entered a new era. Search isn’t just about Google anymore. More people are turning to AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Bing Copilot and more, to find information about businesses and get recommendations. According to OpenAI, over a billion web-related searches were made in ChatGPT in a single week (April 2025) (1).

Even if you don’t consider yourself an expert, you probably have a good understanding of SEO (search engine optimization) and how it’s important for your website content to be optimized for it. GEO, Generative Engine Optimization, is the next step in amplifying your digital presence, because your customers and clients are increasingly using chatbots as advisors.

People are using ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Llama, Claude and other AI platforms the way they use Google, to find information and recommendations.

What is GEO and Why Should You Care?

While SEO focuses on helping your website appear higher in Google searches, GEO increases the likelihood that when someone uses ChatGPT or another AI platform to ask for recommendations or advice, your business gets mentioned or cited. Both SEO and GEO focus on quality content and credibility, but the rules are changing with AI.

Where SEO is about keywords and backlinks, GEO looks for:

Conversational, Q&A-style content that mirrors how people asks questions
Structured data and schema markup that let AI read your content
Authority, accurate citations, and up-to-date content

AI scan for information that they find trustworthy, reliable, and easy to pull into answers.

Stand Out with Schema

Schema is extra code added to your website that helps search engines and AI understand and feature your content, such as articles, FAQs, reviews, and more. It’s usually added by your website developer or SEO/marketing team, and many website platforms and plugins make it easy for non-technical users to add it, as well. It’s usually placed directly in the HTML of your web pages, often in the <head> section or alongside the specific content it describes. You can learn more at schema.org.

SEO, GEO and What to Do

Here’s a chart that breaks down the basics of SEO and GEO.

There are some similarities between SEO and GEO.

How to Optimize Your Content for GEO (and SEO)

1. Publish Authoritative, Cited Content

Build trust by thoroughly answering customer/client questions and linking out to respected third-party sources. Highlight your credentials, testimonials, and experience on your website and other places online, like your social media pages.

2. Structure Content for Questions and Answers

Format articles, blog posts, and core web pages around Q&A, FAQ, or step-by-step solutions. Anticipate the real, specific questions your potential clients ask (Who is the top realtor in Quincy MA? How much does retirement planning cost?), not just the basics (realtors in Quincy MA, retirement planning)

3. Use Schema Markup and Clear Structure

Schema is like a label (as discussed above) helping AI assistants “read” your content. You can learn more at at schema.org.

4. Update Content Regularly

AI models prefer up-to-date content. Make sure you update blogs, articles, guides and web pages with the latest insights and data.

5. Build a Strong Digital Footprint

Claim and optimize your business on LinkedIn, Google, Yelp and reputable industry directories. Get mentioned in local news sites and reputable publications. AI assistants notice!

6. Monitor AI Recommendations

Regularly ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity.AI, and others, the same questions your customers/clients would. Don’t see yourself mentioned? Check who is and study their strategy to improve your own.

7. Encourage Reviews and Authority

Get real reviews on sites like Yelp and Google. AI tools crawl these sources and use them to help decide who to recommend.

A Real GEO Success Story

One of my clients, signed a new book of business (yay!). When they asked where their new client had found them, the new client answered “I used ChatGPT and you were the first one they recommended.” My client’s blog has Q&A sections, citations in articles, and updated schema markup.

And they’re not just ranking.

They’ve become the recommended expert.

You can do this, too. It’s not luck, it’s about being ready for the new rules of discovery.

Get Ready for NextGen Search

The world is not abandoning Google, but more prospects are now coming from chatbots and AI assistants. AI agents can compile product lists, summarize reviews and make recommendations about potential purchases, acting as researchers and personal shoppers, functions that used to take a good deal of Google searching. (2) By blending traditional SEO best practices with a GEO mindset, your business will be even more visible, credible, and ready for what comes next.

Is your content future-proof? #LetsChitChat

Authored by Melissa E. Daley, CMO

Sources:

1) https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/28/openai-upgrades-chatgpt-search-with-shopping-features/

2) https://www.forbes.com/sites/aytekintank/2025/05/06/agentic-ai-may-replace-search-engines-is-your-business-ready/