Generative Engine Optimisation: How to Get AI to Recommend Your Brand

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the practice of getting your brand cited and recommended by AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI Overviews — and as those tools absorb more buying questions, it's fast becoming as important as traditional SEO.

For twenty-five years, being found online meant ranking on Google. That hasn't disappeared, but a second front has opened: more and more people now ask an AI assistant 'what's the best X for Y?' and act on the answer without clicking a single link. When the machine names three brands, being one of them is the whole game. Getting named is what GEO is about.

How answer engines pick who to mention

AI assistants don't rank ten blue links; they synthesise an answer from what they've read across the web and then cite a handful of sources. In practice they favour brands that are described clearly and consistently, mentioned by credible third parties, and associated with specific, well-structured information. The old game was climbing a ranking. The new game is being the clearest, most-corroborated answer to a question — so the model reaches for you when it summarises.

Seven things to do about it

1. Answer real questions in plain language. Create content that directly answers the questions your customers ask, with the answer stated up front — the quotable, standalone sentence a model can lift. 2. Earn third-party mentions. AI systems weight what others say about you, so press coverage, reviews, directories and credible citations matter more than ever. 3. Be consistent everywhere. Your name, what you do and your key facts should read identically across your site, your profiles and every listing — contradictions make a model distrust you.

4. Use clear structure and schema. Headings, FAQs, lists and structured data make your information easy for a machine to parse and reuse. 5. Build entity clarity. Help the engines understand exactly who you are — a well-maintained 'About' page, consistent business profiles, and associations with your category and location. 6. Keep it current. Models favour fresh, maintained sources over stale ones. 7. Measure it. Actually ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI mode what they say about your brand and category, and track how that changes — you can't improve what you never check.

Quick FAQ

Is GEO replacing SEO?

No — it's extending it. Traditional search still drives huge volume, and much of what helps GEO (clear content, authority, structure) also helps SEO. Think of GEO as a second visibility surface you now have to win, not a replacement.

How do I know if AI tools recommend my brand?

Ask them. Put your buying questions to ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI Overviews and note whether you appear, how you're described and who's cited. Repeat it monthly — it's the simplest GEO audit there is.

Do small businesses stand a chance?

Yes. Answer engines reward clarity and credibility, not just budget. A small business with sharp, consistent, well-cited information about a specific niche can be recommended ahead of a vague giant.

A customer recently told me they chose a supplier because 'ChatGPT recommended them'. That sentence should keep every marketer up at night — and excited. The brands that win the next decade won't just rank on Google; they'll be the answer the machine gives. Being clear, credible and consistent is no longer good practice. It's survival. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing

The next 'page one of Google' is being one of the three brands an AI names in its answer. Start optimising to be the answer, not just to rank.

Have you actually asked ChatGPT or Gemini what they say about your brand — and did you like the answer?

If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk

Sources: Marketing Minute analysis, with reference to industry reporting on AI search and answer engines.

Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute