“If Google was the front door of the internet for 20 years, AI chatbots are slowly becoming the concierge.”
More people are now asking ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity for recommendations instead of typing into Google.
Where to travel. Which dentist to book. Which software to use. Who to hire.
This shift is subtle, but it’s already reshaping how businesses get discovered online.
So the real question is simple:
How do you make sure your business appears when AI is asked for advice?
That is where Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, comes in.
And the good news?
You don’t need to be a technical genius to benefit from it.
What Exactly Is GEO?
GEO is about making your business easy for AI to trust.
Traditional SEO made your website easy for search engines to find and rank.
GEO makes your business identity consistent, credible and verifiable across multiple sources, so that AI can confidently reference you when people ask questions.
Think of it like this:
- Search engines rank pages.
- AI models reference sources they believe are reliable.
So your goal is to become one of those reliable sources.
Not through hype.
Through clarity, consistency and proof.
Why This Matters Now
When someone types into Google:
“Best physiotherapist in West London”
They’ll get a list.
But when someone asks ChatGPT the same question, they get:
- One
- Single
- Answer
No scrolling.
No alternatives.
No second page.
If your business is not that answer, the opportunity goes to someone else.
This shift rewards the most trustworthy signals, not the loudest marketer.
How AI Decides Who to Recommend
AI models pull information from three main places:
- Google Business Profiles
If your GBP is detailed, active and reviewed, AI sees you as real and credible. - Your Website Structure
Clear pages, clean headings, location consistency, and helpful content matter more than backlinks or fancy web design. - Social and Multimedia Proof
Short videos, YouTube tutorials, client stories, podcasts.
These show that you are a real practitioner, not a ghost brand.
The more consistent these signals are across the web, the more confidently AI can recommend you.
Real-World Examples
Here are a few cases I’ve seen firsthand:
- A consultant with no blog and no SEO still appears in ChatGPT results because his Google Business Profile has hundreds of reviews and accurate business details.
- A new personal brand website (only six months old) outranked long-established blogs in AI responses simply because the content was written with clear expertise and experience.
- A travel tour website with zero backlinks still gets traffic from Gemini because the on-page content was structured around questions travellers actually ask, not keywords forced for ranking.
None of these required extreme strategies.
Just clarity and consistency.
How to Start GEO Today
1. Strengthen Your Google Business Profile
Fill every section.
Upload photos.
Reply to reviews.
Add services, FAQs and opening hours.
This is not optional.
This is your public identity record.
2. Clean Up Your Website Structure
You don’t need hundreds of pages.
You need:
- One clear homepage
- A services page
- A contact page
- A relevant blog or resources section
Use headings properly.
Write like a person.
Explain what you do and for whom.
3. Create Content with Real Experience
Not copied.
Not robotic.
Share:
- A lesson learned with a client
- A step-by-step guide to solve a common problem
- A short story about a result you helped someone achieve
This builds EEAT
Experience
Expertise
Authority
Trustworthiness
AI recognises this.
4. Make Short Videos
You don’t need to become an influencer.
Just be visible as a real human.
YouTube is one of the primary sources AI references.
Say something useful in under 60 seconds.
That’s enough.
The Big Picture
GEO is not about gaming a system.
It’s about showing up as the most trustworthy version of your business.
If someone searched for your service, would they find enough proof that you are real, reputable and experienced?
If yes, AI will recommend you.
If not, we start there.
Final Thought
The businesses that win the next 5 years are not the ones shouting the loudest.
They are the ones that are easiest to trust.
Make your business discoverable.
Make it clear.
Make it human.
The algorithms are already listening.