SEO and AI search
What is AEO? How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT
, a 2 minute read
The short version
- AEO means getting your business named in the answers AI assistants give.
- AI assistants recommend businesses they can understand and trust.
- Clear answers on your site, consistent listings and real reviews do most of the work.
More and more people skip the list of search results. They ask ChatGPT, or read the AI answer at the top of Google, and call whoever it names. Getting your business into that answer has a name: AEO.
What does AEO stand for?
AEO stands for answer engine optimisation. It is the work of setting up your website and online presence so AI assistants can understand your business and recommend it when someone asks for a service like yours.
How is it different from SEO?
SEO gets your website to the top of a list of links. AEO gets your business named inside the answer itself.
| SEO | AEO | |
|---|---|---|
| The goal | Rank high in search results | Be named in an AI answer |
| What the customer sees | A list of websites | One answer with a few names |
| What it rewards | Relevant pages and links | Clear facts, consistency and trust |
The good news is that they share a foundation. A fast, clear, trustworthy website helps with both.
How does an AI decide who to recommend?
It cannot recommend a business it does not understand. In practice it looks for three things:
- Clear facts. What you do, where you do it, your hours and how to reach you, stated plainly on your site.
- Consistency. The same name, address and phone number everywhere your business is listed.
- Proof. Real reviews and mentions on sites it trusts, such as Google and local directories.
What can I do this month?
- Write a short, direct answer on your site to each question customers ask you most. Put the answer first, then the detail.
- Check that your name, address and phone number match on your website, your Google Business Profile and your main listings.
- Ask every happy customer for a Google review.
- Add a page for each service and each area you cover, so it is obvious what you do and where.
You do not need to trick anything. AI assistants reward the same thing customers do: a business that is clear about what it does and has people vouching for it.
Is this worth it for a small local business?
Yes, and it is early. Most local businesses have not done any of this, so the ones that do stand out quickly.
If you would like us to look at how your business shows up, get in touch or read about our SEO and AI search service.