More and more people don't type three words into Google — they ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity directly which company to hire in their city. If your business doesn't show up in that answer, that customer never even gets to compare. Here are the real steps for working on your AI presence — what's known in marketing as GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).

Step one: ask the AI yourself

Before changing anything, open ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity and type the question a real customer would ask: "which [your sector] company would you recommend in [your city]?" Look at which companies it names, in what order, and what information it uses to describe each one. That diagnosis — simple, free and done in five minutes — tells you exactly where you stand today.

Make sure your website clearly explains who you are and what you do

AI systems build their answers from content they can interpret without ambiguity. A website full of generic phrases ("innovative solutions for your business") gives them less to work with than one that states precisely what service you offer, in which city, and for what kind of customer. Clarity isn't a style detail — it's the technical foundation everything else depends on.

Local SEO and structured data, the foundation that still works

GEO doesn't replace SEO — it's built on top of it. Well-defined service pages, structured data (schema.org) describing your business, your location and what you offer, and clear local signals are still the foundation any system — search engine or AI — uses to understand your business.

Your Google Business Profile, more important than ever

The right category, well-described services, real photos, up-to-date reviews and complete contact details. Your Google listing is still one of the sources feeding AI assistants' answers about local businesses — leaving it outdated means being left out of the conversation before it starts.

Content that answers real questions

AI models don't reward a repeated keyword — they reward content that solves a specific question. Articles that answer "how much does it cost", "how to choose" or "what's the difference between" — with real, non-generic information — are exactly the kind of material an AI system can cite or paraphrase when recommending a company.

Authority: having others talk about your brand

Mentions in the press, industry directories, professional associations or real client case studies build a trust signal that goes beyond your own website. The more independent sources that agree on how they describe your business, the easier it is for an AI system to trust that description and repeat it.

GEO doesn't replace SEO, it complements it

Today's user doesn't follow a single path: they might arrive via Google, Instagram, a ChatGPT recommendation or Google Maps. The right strategy isn't to abandon any channel to bet everything on AI, but to make sure your business is understood equally well across all of them.

Want to know what AI says about your business today?

At DKZ Studio we run a free diagnostic: we test the real questions a customer would ask about your sector and city on ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, and hand you a report with prioritised opportunities.

Request my free diagnostic

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?

GEO is the evolution of SEO towards AI-based answer engines: instead of working only to rank in search engines, you work to have systems like ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity understand, consider and recommend your business.

How long does it take to see results from a GEO strategy?

There's no single timeline: it depends on your starting point (how clear your website is, your local signals, existing authority) and how much new content gets produced. That's why the first step is always a diagnostic, not a promised timeframe.

Do I need to abandon traditional SEO to do GEO?

No. GEO is built on the same foundations as SEO: clear service pages, structured data and local signals. The difference is that there are now more places where a search can happen, and it's worth working on all of them, not just one.

How do I know if my business already appears in AI answers?

Test it yourself: ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity what a real customer would ask about your sector and city, and see what it answers. If you want a fuller diagnostic, we do it at no cost at DKZ Studio.