Keep ahead of the curve and learn more about how your business can stay seen online. For years, digital visibility meant one thing: ranking on search engines, mainly Google. But today, the landscape has shifted dramatically. Increasingly, users are turning to AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Gemini to find answers, recommendations, and comparisons.
These platforms don’t always show a list of links; they generate answers & recommendations. That means if your brand isn’t being cited or referenced in those AI-generated responses, you’re effectively invisible, no matter how good your traditional SEO might be.
This new development is known as AI Visibility, more commonly referred to now as GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation).
What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)?
GEO is the next development of SEO, a strategy designed to help businesses ensure their content and brand information are understood, trusted, and surfaced by generative AI systems.
While SEO focuses on ranking in search results, GEO focuses on being cited or referenced in AI-generated answers. Instead of optimising for search engine crawlers, you’re optimising for how AI models like ChatGPT or Gemini read, interpret, and select content when producing responses.
In short:
- SEO = visibility on Google.
- GEO = visibility inside AI-generated answers.
Why AI Visibility Matters for SMEs
Losing Clicks and Attention
As users rely more on AI-generated summaries, the traditional 'click-through' model is shrinking. If AI doesn’t cite your business, you miss opportunities for visibility, authority, and traffic.
Staying Competitive in a New Landscape
GEO is still in its relatively early stages. By embracing these developments early and implementing the correct strategies, SMEs can stay ahead of the curve and position themselves strongly. As seen many times before with SEO, making the first move often gets rewarded online.
Protecting Your Brand Narrative
Generative AI tools pull data from across the web, including reviews, articles, and social mentions. That means others could tell your brand story. Building your online brand & reputation across different platforms will be rewarded through new GEO developments.
Tips to Optimise for AI Visibility
Audit Your Current AI Presence
Like many solutions recommended for improving online presence, starting with an audit can help you see how your company is ranking online. There are plenty of tools available, with more increasingly being introduced to track your GEO performance.
If you are not currently ranking, your competitors could be!
Strengthen Authoritative Mentions
AI systems tend to trust third-party, high-authority sources. For SMEs, this means:
- Getting mentioned in credible industry publications.
- Contributing guest articles, expert quotes, or case studies.
- Engaging in reputable community forums or review platforms.
The more your business is referenced on trusted sites, the more likely it will appear in AI-generated results.
Optimise Your Content for Machine Readability
Generative AI models understand well-structured, clear information.
- Use logical headings, FAQ-style sections, and straightforward question–answer formats.
- Refresh your pages regularly, AI tools often favour up-to-date information.
This makes it easier for AI systems to identify your expertise and cite your pages correctly.
Create Comparison and Explainer Content
Many AI queries are comparative: 'Which is better?', 'What's the best option for X?', or 'How does Y compare to Z?'.
Creating fair, well-researched comparison pages (e.g. 'Best digital marketing agencies in the UK and how to choose the right one') positions your business to appear in these conversational answers.
Challenges and Considerations
GEO is still an emerging science. AI systems are largely complex, meaning we don’t always know why certain sources are cited. Larger brands naturally have an advantage due to stronger digital authority.
However, SMEs can compete by being faster, fresher, and more strategic, publishing high-quality, current content that directly answers audience questions. Consistency, transparency, and expertise are the signals AI models reward most.
The Future of GEO
Just as SEO became standard practice for online growth, GEO will soon be an essential part of every business’s digital strategy.
We’re already seeing tools and CMS platforms introduce features to help site owners monitor where and how their content appears in AI responses. The next evolution of search is conversational, and businesses that adapt early will stay visible, relevant, and trusted.
AI-driven discovery isn’t coming; it’s already here. As more users turn to generative engines for quick answers and recommendations, your brand’s visibility inside AI results will directly impact your online growth.
At MultiWebMarketing™, we’re helping businesses stay ahead of this shift by combining expert SEO practices with emerging GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) strategies to improve your lead generation efforts. Our team can help you strengthen your online authority, improve your AI visibility. To learn more about how we can support your business, simply enquire about our SEO services today.
Posted on 13 October 2025
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