Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is how you get your business cited inside AI answers like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews. Done well, it comes down to ten practical moves: lead with direct answers, structure content around real questions, add schema and an llms.txt file, build reviews and authority, and keep everything current. Here is the full checklist you can work through this week.
The 10-step GEO checklist
1. Answer the question in the first two sentences. AI engines quote pages that give a clear, direct answer up front. Open every page and post with a 2-3 sentence answer, then expand.
2. Use real question headings. Structure content around the exact questions customers ask (“How much does SEO cost in South Africa?”) as H2s, so AI can lift a clean answer.
3. Add FAQ and Service schema. Structured data tells AI exactly what your content means. It is one of the strongest and most under-used GEO levers.
4. Publish an llms.txt file. This simple file tells AI crawlers what your business does and where your key content lives.
5. Win at SEO first. 99% of AI answers cite the organic top 10, so you must rank to be quoted. GEO sits on top of solid SEO.
6. Build genuine reviews. AI leans heavily on reputation and reviews when choosing who to recommend – our AI reputation management covers this.
7. Be specific and local. Generic content loses to specific, locally relevant content. Mention your town, real services and real prices.
8. Keep facts current and sourced. AI favours fresh, accurate, citable information over stale pages.
9. Make your site fast and crawlable. If AI cannot read your site, it cannot quote it. Clean structure and speed matter – see web design.
10. Monitor where you appear. Check monthly whether ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI name you, and fix the gaps.
Want this done for you? That is exactly what our AI Search Visibility (GEO) service delivers, and you can start with a free AI Visibility Audit.
Frequently asked questions
How long does GEO take to work?
Once your content and structured data are in place and re-crawled, you can start being cited within weeks – though it builds over months as your authority grows.
Can I do GEO myself?
The basics in this checklist are doable in-house. The heavier lifting – schema at scale, monitoring across engines, and authority building – is where an agency speeds things up.
Does GEO work for small local businesses?
Yes. AI favours clear, specific, locally relevant answers, which is exactly where a focused local business can outperform a vague national one.
Ready to get found by AI, not just Google?
See where your business stands today with a free AI Visibility Audit, or explore our AI Search Visibility (GEO) and SEO services. Prefer to talk? Get in touch and we will map out your next move.