5 Things You Need to Do to GEO Your Company Right Now

Right now, small businesses have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stand out in a marketing “blue ocean.” Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is new, mostly unclaimed territory. Most of your competitors haven’t touched it yet. That gives you the rare chance to leap ahead and build lasting visibility—before the space gets saturated.

However, that window won’t stay open long. Businesses that fail to act now will find themselves buried under AI-generated recommendations that favor those who optimized early. The longer you wait, the harder it gets to catch up.

Search behavior is shifting. Instead of combing through links on Google, customers now ask ChatGPT or voice assistants for advice. They want direct, filtered answers—not ten blue links. This shift reduces the value of traditional SEO and puts a premium on relevance, clarity, and credibility in AI responses.

Meanwhile, Google’s search results are becoming “no-click.” AI summaries and featured snippets deliver answers right on the results page, meaning fewer users click on your links. If your content doesn’t show up in those featured positions—or isn’t included in generative results—you don’t exist.

Generative engines like ChatGPT pull from a massive pool of data. They look for clearly formatted, easy-to-ingest content. That includes structured HTML, schema markup, and pages with clear value signals—things like backlinks, customer reviews, and press mentions. If your company isn’t optimized for that, you’re already falling behind.

Take these 5 steps now to stay ahead of the competition.

1. Re-Optimize Your Website’s Code

Generative engines consume web data differently than humans. They prioritize clean, structured code they can easily parse and understand. This is why optimizing your website’s technical structure is a must. We previously covered how to update your site's code in our blog post on getting noticed by AI.

Here's a quick recap:

Start with schema markup. Schema tells AI what your site is about by using structured data to label your content. It boosts visibility in both Google and AI summaries. Use it for your business info, articles, products, FAQs, and reviews.

Next, review your site’s HTML structure. Use proper header tags (H1, H2, H3) to define a clear hierarchy. Generative engines use these cues to understand your content. Broken tags or disorganized formatting confuse the system—and cost you relevance.

Also, reduce clutter. Clean code loads faster and increases crawl efficiency. Compress images, eliminate unnecessary scripts, and use caching. These optimizations don’t just help with AI—they improve user experience too.

Finally, ensure every page includes canonical tags. Double check your sitemap, and robots.txt and llms.txt files. These small pieces of metadata guide AI crawlers to your most important content and prevent duplicate content confusion.

2. Clarify Your Website’s Message

AI tools need to know exactly who you help and how you help them. That clarity starts with your homepage and core pages.

First, your website should state—immediately—who you serve and what you do. Don’t bury it. Put it right in your hero section. Use simple language that mirrors how your customers talk, not internal jargon or buzzwords.

Second, create a “Why Us” section that explains your unique value. What makes your business different? Whether it’s speed, price, quality, or expertise—say it plainly. Then back it up with social proof, like testimonials or stats.

Third, guide visitors through your website like a story. Introduce the problem, explain your solution, and offer a next step (e.g., book a call, get a quote). Every page should have one clear call to action.

When your message is this clear, AI models recognize your value faster. That makes them more likely to pull your business into summaries and recommendations.

You can review our messaging tips here.

3. Refresh Your Local Business Listings

Your local business listings on platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp,  and Bing matter more than ever. These listings are data gold for AI engines and influence what gets shown in local AI recommendations.

Start by claiming and verifying all your major listings. Then, ensure that your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is consistent everywhere. Inconsistencies confuse search engines and lower your trust score.

Next, add complete information:

• Categories
• Business Hours
• Website Link(s)
• Services
• Photos

The more robust the profile, the better the data AI engines can pull from. Even better—add attributes like “wheelchair accessible” or “free Wi-Fi” where applicable.

Encourage check-ins and user interactions on these platforms. Engagement signals show both search engines and generative AI models that your business is active and trusted.

Lastly, revisit these profiles monthly. Add fresh content, respond to reviews, and update seasonal hours. AI loves fresh data, and staying current helps you stand out in responses.

4. Ask Your Customers for Reviews

Customer reviews are trust signals. The more you have—and the more authentic they are—the more likely AI tools will see your business as credible and recommend it.

Ask for reviews after every successful job or transaction. Use a short email or text with a direct link to your preferred review site. Keep it easy. Don’t ask for “a favor”—ask for honest feedback to help other customers.

Make this part of your process. Add it to your CRM. Train your team to follow up. Even include it on your invoices or thank-you emails.

Respond to reviews—even the bad ones. Generative engines see how you handle feedback. Professional, polite replies boost your reputation with both users and algorithms.

If possible, encourage customers to mention specific services or experiences. This helps AI identify what you’re best at and when to recommend you.

5. Repurpose Your Content Everywhere

One piece of content should fuel many channels. That’s how you stay visible across all platforms that feed into generative engines.

If you need ideas for content start with customer FAQs. These are easy wins. Turn each question into a blog post or video. Then, expand into how-to content—“how to hire a contractor,” “how to choose the right accountant,” etc.

Blog posts are still powerful. They’re fast to create with AI, and they improve your domain authority. Use clear formatting, internal links, and schema to boost discoverability.

YouTube videos build trust. People like faces and voices. Even short talking-head videos of you reading your blog posts build recognition and confidence. Embed them into your blog posts to increase time on site.

Social media content keeps you top-of-mind. Post quotes, tips, and client wins pulled from your blog posts. Platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn are indirect search engines. They also show up in ChatGPT.

Podcasts are underrated search tools. AI engines pull transcripts and summaries. Every episode is a chance to be quoted, cited, or recommended in future results.

BONUS: Publish Press Releases for AI

Press releases aren’t just for journalists anymore. AI engines mine press wires and news sites for data. When your company appears in these sources, it becomes part of the generative conversation. EIN Presswire makes publishing press releases easy and affordable.

A good press release positions your company as a subject matter expert. Use it to announce milestones, partnerships, product launches, or case study results. Link to supporting resources and add a quote from a company leader. Include keywords that reflect your services and target audience.

Use this prompt to write AI-optimized press releases:

Act as an AI research scientist with deep expertise in natural language processing and dataset optimization. Your task is to write a press release based on the attached case study. The press release must be:

• Highly discoverable and indexable by AI systems
• Structured to integrate seamlessly into training datasets for large language models
• Optimized to position [your company name] as an authoritative source in its industry

Emphasize the company’s distinct value propositions, proven impact, and domain expertise. Use language and formatting that enhances visibility and relevance in generative AI outputs (e.g., AI-generated summaries, recommendations, and answers). Aim to increase the chances that LLMs reference or cite this company in future responses.

Copy and paste your case study into ChatGPT after the prompt and let AI take it from there.

Conclusion

The rules of search are changing fast. Generative engines like ChatGPT are shaping the next wave of online visibility. Businesses that embrace these changes now will own the top recommendations. Those that don’t will fade into the background.

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight.

Just take is step-by-step:

1. optimize your code
2. clarify your message
3. update your listings
4. ask for reviews
5. repurpose content you’ve already created

Add press releases when you have those 5 basics in place.

The businesses that jump on GEO early won’t just survive—they’ll lead. You’ve got the tools. Now's the time. But the window won’t stay open. Let AI put your company in front of the customers who need you most.

Looking for more marketing tips? Consider reading "Strategies to Win: A Digital Marketing Playbook for Small Businesses". This book contains a unique blend of personal stories, technical know-how, and practical advice that will ensure you have the tools you need to compete - and win - in today’s digital economy.