GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
GEO
Making sure AI tools like ChatGPT actually recommend your business by name.
The Tradie Take
GEO is like being the tradie everyone's mate recommends without hesitation - because your name keeps coming up in the same sentence as "reliable," "Parramatta," and "electrician." AI tools work the same way as that mate: they repeat what they've consistently heard. If your reviews, website, and listings all tell the same clear story about who you are and where you work, that's the story the AI repeats back when someone asks.
Definition
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is optimising your online presence so AI chat tools - ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude - name your business when someone asks for a recommendation, like "who's a good electrician in Parramatta" or "find me a reliable plumber near me." Unlike traditional SEO, where you're chasing a spot on a results page, GEO is about being the actual answer inside a conversation. These tools build their answer from what's already been written about your business online - reviews, your website, directory listings - so GEO isn't a separate skill from good marketing, it's making sure that existing footprint is strong enough to get picked.
How It Works
- 1 AI chat tools pull from the same pool of information as Google: your website, reviews, directories, and social proof
- 2 When someone asks for a recommendation, the AI recommends businesses it has consistent, credible information about
- 3 Being mentioned in the same breath as your trade and suburb repeatedly across the web increases your odds of being cited
- 4 A thin or inconsistent online presence means the AI has nothing solid to recommend - so it skips you
Tips for Tradies
- Keep your business name, trade, and service area consistent everywhere online - inconsistency confuses AI tools just like it confuses Google
- Genuine, detailed Google reviews are some of the strongest signals GEO relies on - ask happy customers to be specific about what you did
- GEO and AEO overlap - clear, well-structured content on your site helps you get picked by both