What Is GEO? How to Get the Chatbots to Recommend Your Business
Try a small experiment. Ask ChatGPT who builds good websites in your area. If you got names, those businesses did something right. Every other business in the area simply did not show up in the answer. GEO is the name for all the work that gets you to show up there.
Where people search today
For twenty years, a business that wanted to be found online had to show up on Google. Today a growing share of searches never reaches the results page at all. People ask ChatGPT which business to choose. They ask Gemini to compare providers. And Google itself shows a summary at the top of the page called AI Overviews. That is a summary AI writes before you even scroll down to the list of websites.
The difference is big. A regular results page has ten results and you can always move to the next page. A chat answer gives you two or three names at most. If your business is not there, the customer does not see it at all.
So what is GEO in practice?
GEO, in full Generative Engine Optimization, is the name for all the work that gets AI engines to know your business. The goal is for them to understand what you do, trust the information and mention you when someone asks. SEO is the same idea with Google. You make sure the site shows up high in the search results. With GEO you do it for the models that write the answers.
- Content that can be quoted. Direct answers with numbers and with names of places. A model quotes text that answers the question straight, not marketing copy
- Schema markup. These are lines of code on the site that explain to a computer what the business is, what the service is and where it is located. What is clear to a computer makes it into the answer
- Mentions around the web. The models learn from what is written about you in other places. Reviews, articles and your Google Business Profile. The more trusted sources mention you, the better your chances of showing up in the answer
- The technical side. A fast site the models can read easily, with a clear structure and an llms.txt file that points them to the right information
Why now?
Because most businesses in Israel have not heard the word GEO yet. Your competitors may be investing in Google, but almost no one is working on showing up in the chat answers. Whoever starts now gets into the answers while there is still room there.
And it is important to say this. GEO does not come instead of SEO. Most of the work is the same. A well organized site, good content and mentions around the web help you both on Google and with the models. You do the work once and get two places that bring in customers.
How do you start?
You start by measuring. We ask the leading chatbots exactly the questions your customers ask and write down what they answer today. From there we build a work plan for the site, the content and the mentions. And every month we come back and ask again to see what changed. There is not much room for interpretation here. Either your business shows up in the answer or it does not.
Frequently asked questions
No. They work together. SEO gets you into the Google search results and GEO into the answers of the AI engines. Most of the work is the same, so it is best to do both at the same time.
Technical changes on the site like schema markup and content can affect AI Overviews within weeks. That is the summary AI writes at the top of the Google results. Showing up consistently in the models' answers takes months. We check it every month and show you.
It actually works well for a local business. When someone asks who is recommended in Eilat, the model looks for a local business with clear information online. A small business that is set up right can show up there before big brands.
Want us to look at this for your business?
Just write to us on WhatsApp. The first conversation comes with no commitment. 050-294-0127
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