GEO vs SEO: what changes when AI answers first
Generative engine optimisation isn't a replacement for SEO. It's what SEO becomes when the first answer is written by an AI. Here's what actually changes.
How to get your business cited by ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.
When someone asks ChatGPT for the best accounting software for a small agency, or asks Google's AI Overview which clinic to trust in their city, the answer comes from a handful of sources the model found clear, consistent and trustworthy. Being one of them is the new first page.
What the assistants look for
Three things, in practice. Entity clarity: your name, what you do, where you operate and who you serve, stated the same way on your site, your Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and directories. Citable pages: a page that answers one question completely, in plain language, with a date and an author, is far more likely to be quoted than a brochure page. Structure: FAQ, service and organisation schema, a clean sitemap, and an llms.txt file that tells assistants what you'd like them to read.
A 30-day checklist
- Make your business name, description and contact details identical everywhere they appear.
- Write five answer pages for the five questions your sales team hears most.
- Add Organization, Service and FAQ schema to the pages that matter.
- Publish an
llms.txtat the root of your site. - Ask happy customers for reviews that mention the service and the place.
- Every month, ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity your own “best … for …” questions and note who gets cited.
None of this replaces good SEO; it builds on it. If your site is slow or thin, start there.