More customers now ask ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, Perplexity, or Gemini questions like "who is the best dog groomer near Andover" instead of scrolling a page of blue links. Generative engine optimization, or GEO, is the work of making sure your business is one of the answers those tools give.
How GEO is different from SEO
Traditional SEO is about ranking a page in a list of results. GEO is about being cited, summarized, or recommended inside a written answer. The two overlap heavily, because most AI tools still pull from pages that search engines can crawl and trust. The difference is that an AI answer usually names only a few businesses, so being vaguely relevant is no longer enough. You need to be the clearest, most consistent source on the topic.
Why it matters for a local business
When an AI tool recommends three options, the businesses that are not mentioned do not get a second chance on page two. For service businesses around Wichita, that means the customer may call a competitor without ever seeing your website. GEO protects the visibility you have already earned through SEO and reviews.
How to make your business easier for AI to recommend
Start with plain-language pages that answer real questions. A page titled "Dog grooming in Andover, KS" that clearly states what you offer, who it is for, your prices or price ranges, your hours, and your service area is far easier to quote than a page of slogans. Write the way customers ask: full questions as subheadings, followed by direct answers in the first sentence.
Be consistent everywhere you are listed
AI tools cross-check information. Your business name, phone number, address or service area, and categories should match on your website, Google Business Profile, Facebook, Yelp, and local directories. Inconsistent details make a business look less certain, and uncertain sources get cited less.
Earn mentions on other sites
Generative engines lean on third-party signals: reviews, local news coverage, chamber listings, partner websites, and community roundups. A mention on a trusted Wichita site that describes what you do is worth more than another page on your own site saying the same thing.
Add structured data
Schema markup such as LocalBusiness, Service, and FAQPage helps search engines and AI tools read your details without guessing. It does not replace good content, but it removes ambiguity about your name, location, hours, and offerings.
How to check where you stand
Ask a few AI tools the questions your customers ask, such as "best bakery in Wichita for custom cakes". Note which businesses appear, what sources are cited, and what details are repeated. That tells you what the tools already believe and what is missing about your business. Repeat the check monthly and track the changes.
GEO is not a replacement for SEO. It is the next layer on top of it. Businesses that keep their information clear, consistent, and well-cited are the ones AI tools keep recommending.