GEO & AI Search5 August 202610 min read

GEO: your next client doesn’t Google — they ask AI

More and more people ask "which agency/shop/service do you recommend?" directly from ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity. If AI doesn’t know you, you don’t get recommended — and the client goes to a competitor. GEO is the new SEO.

MU
Must Uba tiim
Marketing agency · Tallinn, Estonia

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Contents

  1. What is GEO and why does it matter now?
  2. How AI search actually builds its answers
  3. 7 steps to become visible in AI search
  4. GEO vs SEO: what stays, what changes
  5. How to measure whether AI recommends you

What is GEO and why does it matter now?

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is optimising your company’s visibility in AI search engines: ChatGPT Search, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Overview and Copilot. Where classic SEO fights for a position in a row of blue links, GEO fights for a place inside the AI’s answer.

The shift is fast: a significant share of pre-purchase research has already moved into conversational AI. And an AI answer doesn’t have 10 slots like Google’s first page — it usually recommends 1–3 companies. If you’re not among them, you’re invisible.

Test it yourself: ask ChatGPT or Claude "best [your service] in [your city]". If you’re not in the answer, your future client is reading a competitor’s name right now.

How AI search actually builds its answers

AI search combines two sources: training data (what the model "knows" about you) and live web search (what it finds about you). Both can be influenced:

7 steps to become visible in AI search

  1. Answer real questions. Create pages that answer exactly what your client asks AI: "what does X cost?", "how to choose Y?", "best Z in Estonia".
  2. Add structured data. Schema.org markup (Organization, Service, FAQPage, Article) is machine-readable truth about your business.
  3. Say things with numbers. "100+ clients, prices from €299, in Tallinn, reply within 24h" is quotable for AI. "Best quality, great prices" is not.
  4. Keep information consistent. Name, address, services and prices must match across your site, Google Business and directories.
  5. Collect mentions. Media coverage, review portals, industry listings — AI reads them all and weighs your reputation.
  6. Write FAQs. Question-and-answer is exactly the shape AI builds its own answers in. FAQ pages with FAQPage markup are GEO gold.
  7. Keep the site technically healthy. Fast, mobile-friendly and indexable — AI crawlers read the same web Google does.

GEO vs SEO: what stays, what changes

SEO (Google)GEO (ChatGPT, Claude etc.)
GoalPosition in search resultsA place inside the AI answer
Winners at a time~10 on page oneOften 1–3 recommendations
What countsKeywords, links, technical SEOFacts, structure, trust, mentions
Content styleKeyword-optimised pagesDirect answers and numbers
Overlap~70% of the work overlaps — good SEO is the foundation of GEO

How to measure whether AI recommends you

GEO quick check (do it monthly)

  • Ask ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity 5–10 key questions from your field
  • Note: are you mentioned? In what position? What is said about you?
  • See who else gets recommended — those are your GEO competitors
  • Check your analytics for traffic arriving from AI sources

Our AI optimisation service covers GEO end to end: from audit and structured data to content that makes it into AI answers. Combined with SEO you get visibility in both worlds — Google and AI search. Ask for a free GEO audit — we’ll show you what AI currently says about you.

Does GEO replace SEO?

No — they complement each other. About 70% of the work overlaps: a technically healthy site, good content and credibility help in both. GEO adds an AI-specific layer: structured data, direct answers and growing your mentions.

How fast does GEO show results?

In AIs that use live web search (ChatGPT Search, Perplexity) impact can appear within weeks. Getting into model training data takes longer — which is why it pays to start now.

How do I know if ChatGPT recommends me?

Ask it! Test key questions from your field in different phrasings and different AIs. In our GEO audit we do this systematically and deliver a report with an action plan.

What does ChatGPT say about your business?

Ask for a free GEO audit — we test the AI engines and show you how to get recommended.

Ask for a free GEO audit →