How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT and Google AI

More customers now ask AI tools for recommendations instead of scrolling through search results. “What’s the best accountant in Manchester?” or “Which Leeds web designer is good for small businesses?” If your business isn’t part of the answer, you’re invisible to those buyers. Here’s how to change that.

What is generative engine optimisation (GEO)?

Generative engine optimisation, or GEO, is the practice of making your business easy for AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews to understand, trust and recommend. Traditional SEO helps you rank in a list of links. GEO helps you get named inside the answer itself.

The two work together. AI tools draw heavily on the same signals search engines use: clear website content, consistent business information and mentions on trusted sites. Strong SEO is the foundation; GEO builds on top of it.

Why AI search matters for small businesses

When someone asks an AI assistant for a recommendation, they usually see a short list of two to five businesses, not ten pages of results. That makes the competition tighter, but it also levels the playing field. A small business with clear, well-structured information can be recommended alongside much bigger brands.

Five changes you can make this week

1. Say exactly what you do, for whom, and where

AI tools favour clarity. Your homepage should state in plain language what you offer, who it’s for and where you operate. “We help restaurants in Bristol get more bookings through Instagram ads” is far more useful to an AI than “We deliver innovative digital solutions.”

2. Answer your customers’ real questions on your site

Write down the ten questions customers ask most often, then answer each one directly on your website, in an FAQ section or individual blog posts. Start each answer with a one or two sentence summary, then add detail. This format is easy for AI tools to quote.

3. Add structured data (schema markup)

Schema markup is code that labels your business information, such as your services, location, opening hours and FAQs, in a format machines understand. It doesn’t change how your site looks, but it helps search engines and AI tools read your content accurately.

4. Keep your business information consistent everywhere

Your business name, description, phone number and address should match across your website, Google Business Profile, social media, LinkedIn and online directories. Inconsistent details make it harder for AI tools to be confident about who you are.

5. Get mentioned on sites people trust

AI assistants learn which businesses are credible partly from what other websites say. Reviews on Google and Trustpilot, features in local news, guest articles, podcast appearances and listings in industry directories all strengthen your reputation in AI answers.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Vague, buzzword-heavy copy that never states what you actually sell.
• Hiding key information in images or PDFs, which AI tools may not read.
• Ignoring reviews. Recent, detailed reviews are one of the strongest trust signals.
• Treating GEO as separate from SEO. A slow, poorly structured website hurts both.

The bottom line

Getting recommended by AI isn’t about tricks. It’s about being the clearest, most consistent and most trusted answer to your customers’ questions. Businesses that start now will have a head start as AI search keeps growing.