Overview
Discover how GEO can increase your business’s visibility in ChatGPT and other AI tools.
For years, Google has been the go-to place for people looking for information online. Recently, a new way of searching has emerged. More and more people are asking questions directly through AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Instead of browsing through multiple search results and piecing the information together themselves, users can receive a concise, summarised answer straight away.
For businesses, this means that online visibility is changing too. Ranking well on Google remains valuable, but it is becoming just as important to consider how AI systems understand and assess your business.
So, how can you make sure ChatGPT knows your business? Can you influence the information AI tools use about your company? And what exactly does GEO have to do with it?
How Does ChatGPT Get Its Information?
One common question is whether you can submit your website to ChatGPT. Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple. There is no central database where you can register your business to make it visible in the tool.
ChatGPT can access information in different ways, depending on the model being used and the features available. Some information comes from data used to train the model. In other cases, the tool can search the web to find up-to-date information.
That is why it is becoming increasingly important to look at your entire online presence. The clearer, more relevant and more trustworthy the information about your business is online, the easier it becomes for ChatGPT and other AI systems to understand what your business is about.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is therefore not about one technical trick or a simple optimisation. Instead, it involves a combination of factors that influence how your business is discovered, interpreted and represented online.
Why Is One Business Mentioned While Another Is Not?
When an AI tool generates an answer, it needs to determine which information and which sources are most relevant to the user’s question. This depends on the information available to the system and the context of the query.
The information available about your business online plays an important role. Relevant content, clear business information, demonstrable expertise, consistent details and mentions on other websites can all help AI systems understand your business.
Is the correct information about your business consistent across different platforms? If so, it becomes easier for AI to understand who you are and what you do. Multiple reliable sources presenting the same information can also reinforce a consistent picture of your business online.
That said, no single optimisation can guarantee that your business will suddenly appear in ChatGPT. The aim is to strengthen a range of online signals, making it easier for AI systems to discover and understand your brand and recognise it as a relevant source.
Want to know where to start? In our blog post Need a strong GEO strategy? Start with these 5 tips, we share five practical principles to help you develop your GEO strategy further.
AI Looks Beyond Your Website
Your own website is an important source of information about your business. However, it is only one part of the bigger picture. AI systems that access the web can also consult or draw information from other online sources, including business listings, publications, social media and customer reviews.
When your business name, services and contact details are presented consistently across different websites, this creates a coherent picture of your business. This makes it easier for AI to interpret your company accurately.
Your online presence therefore needs to be clear not only on your website but across the wider web. The information surrounding your business needs to be consistent wherever people encounter your brand.
GEO as a Complement to SEO
Perhaps you are already investing heavily in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). That is still absolutely worthwhile. SEO helps improve your visibility in traditional search engines such as Google. What is changing, however, is the way people search for information. Alongside traditional search engines, people are increasingly turning to AI to find information and get answers to their questions.
That is where GEO comes in as a complementary approach. With GEO, you optimise not only your website but also your broader online presence. The aim is to make it as easy as possible for AI systems to understand who you are, what you offer and why your business is relevant.
SEO and GEO do not have to compete with one another. In fact, a strong SEO foundation can actively support your GEO efforts.
Do You Want Your Business to Be Visible in ChatGPT?
AI is likely to play an increasingly important role in how people discover businesses, products and services. By thinking about AI visibility today, you can start building the online visibility of tomorrow.
Want to find out how AI systems currently interpret your business? Or are you curious about how your business could become more visible in ChatGPT?
At Applic Group, we are happy to help businesses develop a well-planned GEO strategy that works seamlessly alongside their existing SEO approach. We analyse how your brand is currently represented in AI-generated answers and develop a clear, actionable plan based on our findings. Feel free to get in touch for a free consultation.
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