You've spent years on SEO. Getting your site on page one of Google. Ranking for "plumber near me" or "electrician in Suffolk."
But something's changing.
More people aren't starting their search on Google anymore. They're asking ChatGPT: "Who's the best plumber near me?" Or telling Gemini: "Find me an electrician in Suffolk who does emergency callouts."
And Google itself is pushing AI Overviews to the top of search results — answers generated by AI, not a list of blue links.
This is the new game. It's called GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation.
What GEO Actually Is
GEO is the practice of making your business visible to AI answer engines.
Not just Google. ChatGPT. Gemini. Perplexity. Claude. Google AI Overview. Microsoft Copilot.
These systems don't just pull from a list of websites. They reason about who to recommend based on what they can find about you.
If someone asks ChatGPT "best plumber in Swansea," it doesn't show ten blue links. It gives you one or two names with a short explanation of why.
The question is: is your business one of those names?
How GEO Differs from SEO
SEO is about ranking in a list. GEO is about being recommended directly.
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank on page one | Be recommended by AI |
| Platform | Google search | ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overview, Perplexity |
| What matters | Keywords, backlinks, page speed | Entity data, structured content, trust signals |
| How you win | Appear in a list of ten | Be the one name the AI gives |
SEO isn't dead. But it's no longer enough.
What AI Answer Engines Look For
When ChatGPT or Gemini decides who to recommend, it's looking for:
1. Clear entity data
Does the AI know what your business is, where you are, what you do? This comes from structured data (JSON-LD schema), consistent business information, and clear service descriptions.
2. Trust signals
Reviews. Directory listings. Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across the web. A professional website that loads fast and answers real questions.
3. Useful content
Not keyword-stuffed blog posts. Content that actually answers buyer questions. "How much does a boiler repair cost in Swansea?" "What to do if your electrician doesn't show up?" Content that gives the AI something useful to cite.
4. Entity associations
Does the AI connect your business to the right concepts? If you're a plumber, does it associate you with "emergency plumber," "boiler repair," "central heating" — the terms people actually use?
Why This Matters for Local Businesses Now
Most local businesses aren't set up for GEO yet.
Their websites have no structured data. Their business information is inconsistent across directories. Their content is thin or generic.
That means the AI has nothing to work with. It can't recommend you because it doesn't know enough about you.
But here's the opportunity: this is still early.
The businesses that get their entity data right now — that build clear, useful content that AI can understand — will be the ones the AI recommends when the shift fully happens.
What You Can Do Today
You don't need a massive overhaul. Start with the basics:
1. Get a free visibility audit
Find out where you show up and where you don't. The Tabtrickle free audit covers Google search, Maps, AI answer engines, and your website. You get a plain-English report — no sales pitch.
2. Fix your structured data
Add JSON-LD schema to your site. This tells AI engines what your business is, what you do, where you operate. It's not complicated, but most local sites don't have it.
3. Make your business information consistent
Same name, same address, same phone number everywhere. Google Business Profile. Yell. Checkatrade. Your website. If it's different in different places, the AI gets confused.
4. Write content that answers real questions
Not "5 reasons to choose us." Content that actually helps: "How much does a boiler service cost in 2026?" "What to do if your plumber doesn't turn up?" Content the AI can cite.
The Bottom Line
GEO isn't a replacement for SEO. It's the next layer.
SEO gets you on the list. GEO gets you recommended.
And as more people use AI answer engines instead of traditional search, being recommended is what matters.
The businesses that figure this out now will have a massive advantage. The ones that wait will be playing catch-up.
Want to know where your business stands?
Get your free GEO/SEO visibility audit →
Covers Google search, Maps, AI answer engines, and your website. Plain-English report. No sales pitch.
Tabtrickle builds AI visibility, lead capture and follow-up systems for UK businesses. Based in Suffolk, working nationwide.