Your customers no longer settle for a list of links. Some ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity or Copilot directly: “Who’s a good electrician in Drummondville?” Google also shows AI overviews at the top of some results. Being cited in those answers is becoming a new form of visibility. It’s called GEO, short for Generative Engine Optimization. Here’s how to improve your chances, honestly and practically.
How an AI assistant chooses what to recommend
An AI assistant has no opinion about your business. It builds its answer from the information it finds. Depending on the tool and the question, it may draw on:
- knowledge acquired during its training, from public texts;
- real-time web searches or a search index;
- sources like directories, review sites and media articles.
In other words, AI reflects the information available about you. If that information is scarce, contradictory or vague, the AI has little reason to mention you. If it’s clear, consistent and confirmed by several sources, your chances go up.
Let’s be honest: no one controls what an AI says. Answers vary by tool, by how the question is worded and by the moment. GEO is about putting every chance on your side, not guaranteeing a result.
What changes with AI
A traditional search engine shows a list of links. An AI assistant summarizes and synthesizes. It benefits from finding information that’s easy to extract, understand and verify. To see how it chooses the few businesses it names, read our article on being the answer when people ask AI.
Make your information accurate and consistent everywhere
This is the foundation. If your site shows one phone number, a directory another and your Facebook page a third, the AI doesn’t know which to believe. It may even repeat the wrong information to a customer.
- Standardize your name, address and phone number on every platform.
- Describe your services and service areas using the same terms everywhere.
- Update your hours and services everywhere at the same time.
- Fix or remove old listings tied to a previous address.
Structure your site so an AI can understand it
One page per service and per city
A “Our services” page that lists everything in a jumble is hard to use. Instead, create a clear page for each important service. If you serve several cities, create a useful page for each, with content that’s truly tailored: areas served, local specifics, response times. Avoid copy-pasted pages where only the city name changes.
Direct answers to real questions
People ask AI assistants full questions. Your site should answer them directly. An FAQ section on each service page works well. Start each answer with the essentials, in one or two sentences, then add the details.
- “How much does this service cost in my city?”: give a range or explain what makes the price vary.
- “Do you travel to this area?”: clearly name the cities you serve.
- “What are your turnaround times?”: be specific and realistic.
schema.org structured data
Structured data is code that’s invisible to your visitors but readable by machines. It describes your business in a precise, standardized way. Two types are especially useful for a local business:
- LocalBusiness (or a more specific subtype): name, address, phone, hours, service area.
- FAQPage: to mark up the questions and answers on your pages.
Make sure this data matches exactly what’s shown on the page and everywhere else on the web.
Build more trust signals beyond your site
A business mentioned by several credible, independent sources is easier to confirm, for an AI as much as for a customer. Your site isn’t enough: what others say about you counts too.
Detailed reviews
Reviews your customers leave on platforms in your industry provide valuable context. Reviews that mention the service provided and the city help clarify what you do and where. Our article on what AI reads before recommending you covers these sources in detail.
Mentions in credible sources
- Well-known directories and those in your industry.
- Your chamber of commerce and professional associations.
- Local media: an article about your business, an interview, an event sponsorship.
- Partners and suppliers who can feature you on their site.
The common mistake to avoid: writing for robots
Some businesses react to AI by publishing dozens of generic texts stuffed with keywords and city names. That’s a mistake. This content adds nothing new. It dilutes your message and can hurt your credibility, with search engines and customers alike.
Another trap: believing promises of “guaranteed ranking in ChatGPT.” No one can guarantee that. Be wary of these offers.
The best content for AI is content that genuinely helps a human: precise, verifiable and specific to your business.
Your GEO action plan
- Run a test: ask a few AI assistants to recommend a business like yours in your city. Note who gets cited and which sources appear.
- Standardize your name, address and phone number everywhere.
- Check that every listing under your name is complete and up to date.
- Create or improve one page per main service and per city served.
- Add a useful FAQ to your key pages.
- Install LocalBusiness and FAQPage structured data.
- Encourage your satisfied customers to leave a review on the relevant platforms in your industry.
- Look for credible mentions: chamber of commerce, associations, local media.
- Repeat your tests every quarter to track progress.
When testing, vary the wording. Your customers don’t all ask the same question. Try “best,” “near me,” your neighbourhood’s name or a specific need. You’ll quickly see which sources come up often: those are the ones to take care of first.
GEO isn’t mysterious. It rewards businesses whose information is clear, consistent and confirmed by others. This work also builds your customers’ trust. Discover our service or request a free audit to find out how AI assistants see your business today.
