AI SEO: how AI recommends your business (a guide for SMEs)

More and more customers no longer scroll through Google results. They ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Google’s AI answers who to hire. It has become a way of finding businesses in its own right. Here is what AI SEO means and what a small business should do about it.

What does AI SEO mean?

AI SEO, or AI search optimisation, means making sure your business is found and recommended in the answers AI gives. It is also called GEO. The goal is the same as in traditional SEO: customers find you at the moment they look for the service.

How does AI choose who to recommend?

AI builds its answer from the same public sources as search engines: websites, Google Business Profiles, directories and reviews. It does not choose at random. It relies on what it can find, understand and trust. Four things matter most:

• Clear web pages that say what you do, where you work and what it costs.
• An up-to-date Google Business Profile.
• Consistent business details in directories and other sources.
• Genuine, fresh reviews and examples of completed work.

Is AI SEO different from traditional SEO?

Largely no. Good SEO and good AI visibility rely on the same things. The difference is that an AI answer often names only two or three businesses, so first place matters more than before. The answer is also often built from several sources, so conflicting details hurt more.

What can you do today?

• Write a separate page for each service that answers the customer’s question right at the top.
• Create and verify a Google Business Profile and fill it in completely.
• Ask happy customers for reviews and reply to them.
• Check that your name, address and phone number are identical everywhere.
• Ask ChatGPT yourself who it would recommend in your field and area, and see which sources the answer uses.

Can an AI recommendation be guaranteed?

No. AI decides for itself, and anyone who promises a recommendation is promising too much. You can make your business easy to recommend though. Every month we check what the answers say and show what changed.

Frequently asked questions

Is AI SEO the same as GEO?

In practice, yes. Both mean that a business shows up in the answers AI gives.

Will AI replace Google?

Not for now. Many people use both. That is why it pays to look after both traditional search visibility and AI visibility.

How much does AI visibility cost?

With us it is part of the Pro plan, €399 a month. Agreements run for 12 months and prices exclude VAT.

Want to know what AI says about your business?

Book a call. We ask AI on your behalf and show who it recommends in your area today.