Getting Recommended by ChatGPT and AI: The New SEO
The 20-second version: your future customers no longer only ask Google — they ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot "which business do you recommend?". This new playing field is called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). The good news: AI assistants rely largely on the same foundations as Google. A clear, fast, well-structured website and a polished local profile position you on both fronts at once.
Try it yourself: ask ChatGPT "which plumber would you recommend in Ahuntsic?" or "which web agency should I choose in Montreal?". You will get names, each with a short explanation. The question that should keep you up at night: is your business part of the answer? If the AI doesn't know you, it recommends your competitor — and the customer never finds out you existed.
Why this is a game changer
For twenty years, being visible online meant one thing: ranking in Google's top ten. With AI assistants, the format changes radically. There are no longer ten blue links — there is one written answer that names two or three businesses. Being "somewhere on page 1" is no longer enough: you need to be in the answer itself. That is more demanding, but it is also a golden opportunity for small businesses, because most of your competitors are not thinking about it yet.
How an AI picks who to recommend
Nobody — not us, not anyone — controls an AI's answer. But we know what feeds those answers, and each of these sources can be worked on:
1
Your own website
This is source number one. An AI reading a clear page — who you are, what you do, for whom, where, at what price — can cite you with confidence. A vague or empty page gives it nothing to quote.
2
Your Google Business Profile
For local searches, assistants draw on business profiles: hours, services, reviews, photos. A complete, active profile carries real weight in “near me” recommendations.
3
Reviews and mentions
AI cross-checks what others say about you: Google reviews, directories, articles, local listings. The more your name appears in credible places, the more natural the recommendation becomes.
4
Structured data
Schema.org markup describes your business in machine language: business type, service area, services, language. It is the difference between being understood and being guessed at.
GEO and SEO: not a replacement, an extension
Be wary of anyone selling GEO as a magical, separate discipline. In practice, AI assistants lean heavily on search engines and on the same quality signals as Google: useful content, clear structure, a fast website, consistent information everywhere. Good SEO is the prerequisite for GEO. What changes is the emphasis: AI favours content that answers questions directly, pages that state plainly who you serve and where, and structured data that lets machines understand your business without guessing.
Where to start, concretely
1. Answer real questions, in plain words. "How much does it cost?", "Do you serve my city?", "What are your timelines?" — every question your website answers clearly is a sentence an AI can quote. An honest FAQ page is worth gold. 2. Polish your Google Business Profile. It is one of the most consulted sources for local recommendations — our complete Google profile guide shows you how. 3. Add structured data (Schema.org). This invisible markup tells machines who you are, what you do and where — without it, the AI has to guess. 4. Stay consistent everywhere. Same name, same address, same services on your website, your Google profile and your social accounts. Inconsistencies erode algorithmic trust just like human trust.
A word of honesty, because it is our trademark: nobody can guarantee you will be recommended by ChatGPT, any more than a first place on Google. Run from anyone who promises it. What we can do is put every chance on your side — and since GEO's foundations are those of good SEO, that work pays off either way.
Is your website readable by AI? Our websites ship with structured data, question-and-answer pages and the architecture that search engines — classic and AI — understand. Request a free website audit or take a look at our SEO services →