How to do GEO: a simple step by step guide to getting recommended by AI
In short
To do GEO, test what AI tools say about your industry today, write one clear description of who you serve and use it everywhere, let AI tools read your site, get mentioned on the sites AI already trusts, add facts worth quoting, and repeat the test every month. New to GEO? Start with What is GEO?
GEO builds on the same groundwork as SEO and AEO. If you haven’t covered those yet, see How to do SEO and How to do AEO.
Step 1: Run a baseline test
Write down five questions a customer might ask an AI tool when looking for what you sell. Ask each one in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Mode. For each answer, note:
- Which businesses got named
- What the AI said about them
- Which websites it linked to or cited
That last list is gold. Those cited websites are the places AI trusts in your industry, and they’re where you want to show up.
Step 2: Write one clear sentence about who you are
AI can only recommend you for what it can clearly tell you do. Use this simple formula: We help [who] with [what] in [where].
Example · A bookkeeping firm
Before: “Trusted financial solutions for businesses of all sizes.”
After: “We help construction companies in Colorado with bookkeeping, payroll and job costing.”
Now use that same sentence, word for word or close to it, on your homepage, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, and every directory listing.
Step 3: Let AI tools read your website
Type yourwebsite.com/robots.txt into your browser. This small file tells bots what they can read. Look for lines that block GPTBot or OAI-SearchBot (ChatGPT), PerplexityBot or ClaudeBot. If they’re blocked and you didn’t mean it, remove those lines or ask whoever manages your site to.
Step 4: Get mentioned where AI looks
This is the biggest difference between GEO and SEO. AI tools lean heavily on what other websites say about you. Start with the cited sites from Step 1, then work through:
- Directories and review sites in your industry and city
- “Best of” lists: ask to be considered, or offer an expert quote
- Associations, partners and suppliers who can list or feature you
- Local news, podcasts and industry blogs looking for expert sources
- Online communities like Reddit or industry forums, where you genuinely help, not advertise
Step 5: Make your details match everywhere
Same business name, services, location and description on your website, Google, Yelp, LinkedIn and every directory. When details don’t match, AI tools are less sure you’re one real, trustworthy business.
Step 6: Add facts worth quoting
AI tools love specific, checkable information. In the research paper that introduced GEO, adding things like statistics, quotes and sources helped boost a page’s visibility in AI answers by up to 40%. Ideas that work for most businesses:
- Real numbers from your work, like “We’ve installed 1,200 water heaters in Colorado since 2015”
- Simple pricing ranges and timelines
- Short quotes from your team or customers
- Links to trustworthy sources when you mention a fact
Step 7: Repeat the test every month
Ask the same five questions from Step 1 once a month and write down what changes. GEO takes time, like building a reputation offline, so look for steady progress: first showing up in one tool, then in more, then being described the way you want.
Do this week
1. Run the baseline test with five questions. 2. Write your one-sentence description. 3. Check your robots.txt file.
Free tools
Is GEO worth it for your business?
How much money are you missing in AI search? estimates what AI search could be worth to you using your own numbers. Or get your full plan with Where should I start? Both free, no email needed.
Common questions
How long does GEO take to work?
Some fixes, like unblocking AI tools, can help once those tools revisit your site. Getting mentioned across the web takes longer, the same way a reputation does.
Which AI tools should I check?
Start with ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Mode. They’re where many people ask for recommendations today.
Can I do GEO without SEO?
Not really. AI tools lean on the same signals SEO builds. Get the basics from How to do SEO in place first, and GEO gets much easier.
Keep reading: SEO and AI search basics
- What is GEO? Generative engine optimization explained →
The basics behind this guide, with simple examples. - How to do SEO →
Step by step: the foundations GEO builds on. - How to do AEO →
Step by step: get your content picked as the direct answer.
Sources
- Aggarwal et al., GEO: Generative Engine Optimization · The research paper that introduced GEO
