How to get your local business found by AI search (AEO & GEO)
Search is shifting from a list of links to a single AI answer. Here's how local businesses can get recommended by ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other assistants.
More and more people no longer scroll through ten blue links. They ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity a question and act on the single answer they get back. If your business isn't part of that answer, you're invisible to a fast-growing slice of your customers — no matter how good your classic SEO is.
Getting into those answers has a name. Two, actually.
What are AEO and GEO?
- AEO — Answer Engine Optimisation. Structuring your content so answer engines (voice assistants, featured snippets, AI answer boxes) can pull a clear, direct response from your site.
- GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation. Making sure generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini cite your business accurately when they compose an answer, instead of guessing or naming a competitor.
Both are the natural next step after SEO. SEO gets you ranked in a list; AEO and GEO get you quoted as the answer.
Why it matters for local businesses now
AI assistants are increasingly where people ask "who's a good [your service] near me?" The tools answer with a shortlist — and that shortlist is built from whatever they can read and trust about you online. Being absent isn't neutral; it means a competitor gets named instead.
What AI engines look for
You don't need tricks. You need to be legible and trustworthy to a machine reading your site:
- Clear, direct answers. Lead with the answer, then explain. A question as a heading, followed by a two-sentence response, is exactly the shape assistants extract.
- Structured data. Schema markup (Organization, LocalBusiness, FAQ) tells engines who you are, where you are, and what you offer — in a format they parse instantly.
- Consistent business details. The same name, location, and contact info everywhere — your site, Google Business, directories. Contradictions make AI hesitate to cite you.
- Real, specific content. Pages that actually answer the questions customers ask, in plain language, beat vague marketing copy every time.
Where to start
- Add an FAQ to your site that answers the real questions people ask before buying.
- Put structured data in place so engines can read your business cleanly.
- Keep your name, address, and languages consistent across the web.
- Write like a human answering a question — because that's exactly what the AI is looking for.
This is work we build into every Komorebi project, because being found is half the job. If you'd like your business to be the one the assistant recommends, let's talk.
Ready to be seen in the right light?
If something here resonated, tell us about your project — you'll be talking to the maker, not a ticket queue.