How to Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT (GEO)
When people ask ChatGPT or Gemini for 'the best option', a few businesses get named. Here's how Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) gets your business onto that list — legitimately.
More people now ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity “what’s the best [service] for me?” — and the AI names a handful of businesses. Getting your business onto that shortlist is what Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) does. Here’s how it works.
Cited vs recommended
There’s a difference worth understanding:
- AEO gets your content cited as a source in an AI answer.
- GEO gets your business recommended as a choice.
AEO answers “what is X?”; GEO answers “who’s the best at X?”. This post is about the second.
What makes AI recommend a business
Generative engines don’t have opinions — they synthesise from patterns in their training data and the live sources they read. They recommend businesses that have:
1. A clear brand entity
The AI has to understand what you are and what you do with confidence. A consistent name, description, services and location across your site and the web build that entity. Organization schema and an “about” presence help.
2. Genuine reputation
Sentiment and consensus matter. Real reviews, genuine mentions and a credible track record make an AI confident enough to put your name forward.
3. Presence on trusted sources
AI reads roundups, directories, comparison content and reputable publications. Being genuinely present on the sources it trusts increases your odds of being named.
4. Topical authority
If your site is the clear authority in your niche, you’re more likely to be the example the AI reaches for.
What does NOT work
GEO can’t be faked. Fake reviews, spammy mentions and fabricated authority backfire — they breach platform and Google policies and erode the trust GEO depends on. Anyone promising to “guarantee” AI recommendations through tricks is selling you risk.
The honest reality
GEO compounds over months as your entity strength and reputation grow. It’s newer and less precise to measure than rankings — we track whether AI tools recommend you for target prompts and refine from there.
The upside: very few businesses are doing this yet, so starting now is a real head start.
Want AI to recommend you? See our GEO service and AEO service, or check your current AI visibility free.