How to Get Found in ChatGPT: A Guide to AIO & Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
Or: How to make AI recommend your business while you’re off doing literally anything else
Whether you call it AIO (AI Optimisation), GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), or the far more relatable…
“How do I get ChatGPT to recommend my business?” …it all means the same thing.
“Optimising your online presence so Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity can understand you, trust you, and confidently recommend you”
This is the new level of visibility. And hardly anyone is talking about it - yet.
But trust me it’s coming.
And like I always say: Let’s make your website hustle so you don’t have to. Yes. I do say this. A lot.
I’m all for energy smart marketing.
The kind I can geek out over, like SEO. The kind where you put it all in place and then watch as the leads come in, so should the worst happen and you can’t show up online, you know your website is still working for you.
Why Generative Engine Optimisation Matters (and Why It’s the New SEO)
AI tools are quickly becoming the place people go to first to find help.
You’ve probably done it yourself.
Instead of Googling, you pop into ChatGPT and ask:
“Where can I find the best deal for an Apple Laptop?”
“Are there any business networking events near me that are inclusive?”
“Who can help me with my SEO” (I’m still working on getting found for this!)
It doesn’t involve scrolling or working through 20 tabs. You get a fairly clear answer, and someone else (AI) does the legwork for you.
For my clients, it was an accidental occurrence. I obviously work on SEO, but my clients were coming to me and telling me their customers were saying, “I found you through ChatGPT.”
And not because those clients had huge websites or massive followings. (One of my clients runs an online business without a Facebook or Instagram account!) but because their website was clear, consistent, and easy for AI to understand.
So, me being me, I started testing. Researching and trying to find out why this was happening.
Was ChatGPT just picking up Google searches, or was there something more?
I spent months playing detective in ChatGPT - trying dozens of prompts, adjusting website copy, tweaking titles, adding credentials, removing fluffy language - all to see what actually affects whether ChatGPT recommends someone.
From my research, I’ve now distilled everything into the four signals that AI looks for when recommending a business.
Welcome to my FACT Framework™ - Foundations, Authority, Clarity, Trust.
These signals are your roadmap to getting found in ChatGPT.
The Four Signals AI looks For (The FACT Framework™)
These 4 signals create a super strong framework that when utilised, mean you become the obvious recommendation and choice for AI.
Let’s break them down with the real client stories and examples.
F = FOUNDATIONS: Your SEO building blocks that Google looks for
SEO foundations are the things you need to rank well on Google. If you’re not getting found in Google, then AI isn’t going to find you.
Foundations are the things I check in the first 10 minutes of any SEO audit, but now they matter just as much for AIO/GEO. If you want to get found in ChatGPT, you gotta start with the foundations.
Fun (or not so fun, depending on how you look at it) fact – there are over 200 elements that Google looks for when ranking you in searches.
I don’t know all of them. Anyone who tells you they do is lying.
But what I do know is that there are some pretty big ones to target first.
These include:
Clear headers (one H1 per page)
Does your first header on your homepage say ‘Welcome’? No shade – you wouldn’t know any different! So here’s the deal with H1s (header ones). Each page needs a H1. Just one. That H1 needs to have the keywords for THAT specific page.
If you changed that “Welcome” to: “Therapist for teens with Anxiety”, not only does that hit a juicy keyword search, but ChatGPT instantly knows who you are, what you do, and who you do it for.
Meta titles that hit keywords
Your meta title is that title you complete in the settings of every page. The one you’ve probably seen and wondered what the heck it is. It’s the one that shows up in the Google searches. Your keywords need to go in there too. If you leave it blank Google will likely take the page title – which might be fine – but you’re likely better to choose it yourself.
‘I’m the expert of this subject’ page – also called a content pillar page.
You’ve probably heard of content pillars and pillar pages. Blah blah blah. It's just a page that goes into great detail about one of your expert subjects. You might have one, you might have two or three distinct and clear areas. Prioritise getting at least one done.
Structure and internal linking
This helps with clarity. Not only do you want a clear pathway around your content; service pages, blog pages around questions about your specialist topic, they all need to connect. Link them up. So your website looks like a spiderweb of rich expert information.
Speed & Responsiveness
Does your website load in a good time (there are online checkers you can use), and does it look good on mobile? Mobile is now used more than desktop, so it’s even MORE important.
A = AUTHORITY: Show AI you’re legit (Chatty isn’t going to recommend anyone dodgy, it’s got a reputation to uphold!)
Now we’re getting more into AI territory.
This is the section where people usually cringe… but it’s also where most of the wins happen.
✔ Qualifications matter — a LOT
Chat needs to see ou can prove your experience. Accredited bodies, CPD training – it all matters. When it comes to recommendations, it’s going to go for the qualified people. How does it know wha qualifications and accreditations you have? You’ve got to spell it out in black and white.
✔ Reviews are HUGE
Getting reviews on Google is best, because that all helps with SEO. But anywhere that’s independent of you is essential.
✔ Long-form testimonials
More than just “Sam is amazing!” – AI wants to see the real-life transformations. Think case studies and long form.
✔ PR and podcasts
These are gold for backlinks (links to your website from reputable sources) and give lots of additional juicy content to firm up your authority in a specific subject matter.
C = CLARITY: If AI can understand you, then so can your website visitors
Clarity I believe is the number one reason people don’t get recommended in ChatGPT. I had a client who was nowhere to be seen in recommendations – but as soon as we tidied up his website and added in some clear content with keywords that explained that HE was the expert in his niche, he started being recommended as the expert in ChatGPT! This is why I choose clarity over everything.
“The Manifestation Maven Problem”
I’m sorry to all the manifestation mavens out there – this isn’t personal. It’s a beautiful title. And I totally see why you might not align with the title the world “puts” on you. However you do it, you gotta get the plain speak into your content so AI (and your audience) understands what you do and who you do it for. If you’re a business coach who specialises in accountability, say it.
All you manifestation mavens – consider changing (or adding in content) that says something like: Mindset & Manifestation Coach specialising in goal-setting and behaviour change.
Clarity wins every time.
✔ Use the words your clients use
Look at your reviews, check back over discovery calls – what words are they using exactly?
I always use this example.
If you were a dog trainer, you might say that you train “reactive” dogs. It’s a term the profession prefers to use.
But the average dog owner has never heard of that term. They use the term “aggressive” or “out of control” or other more specific scenarios like “barking” or “lunging”. Use THEIR language within your content.
T = TRUST: Confusion kills trust
Essentially, everything we’ve talked about builds trust – but there are a few more things you can do to really nail it.
Make your one-line intro/bio consistent EVERYWHERE
LinkedIn, Instagram, website, Google profile – keep everything the same. If you’re a copywriter on one platform and a consultant on another, AI is going to get confused.
Outdated content
Got any old blogs hanging around back when you specialised in something else? The content might have been great, but if it’s not got anything to do with your specialist area now, you kinda need to get rid of it (in the most loving way possible).
It’s that confusion signalling again.
Regular posting
If you’re posting regular blogs and regular content to your Google Business page, then that’s a hit with Google and AI. No confusion there about how active you are.
Broken Links
Another trust destroyer. Keep your website up to date and make sure all those lovely links you have are going somewhere.
How to get recommended in ChatGPT: To put it simply
AI will recommend you when your Foundations, Authority, Clarity and Trust are all working together.
That’s AIO.
That’s Generative Engine Optimisation.
This is your roadmap to showing up in ChatGPT that works in practice with the clients I work with.
It’s not about hacks or quick wins (although you can sometimes get those).
It’s not about tricking the algorithm.
It’s about making it easy for AI to understand you, trust you and know where to put you.
When you get this right, you start showing up when people ask things like:
“Who can help me with [your service]?”
“Recommend a [your job title] near me.”
“Who’s the best person for [specific problem]?”
It’s visibility without the burnout, constant ‘showing up’, overwhelm or need to be everywhere.
It’s genuinely the most ND-friendly visibility strategy I've ever worked with – which is why I love it so much.
Want to know how to write a Blog that Google will love and start to get those foundations in place?
Check out my Page One DESIGN Blog Framework. A super little bundle that consists of a 16 page guide on how to structure your blog (with examples) and a checklist. You’ll never stare at a blank page again - I give you a start, a middle and an end. All with SEO in mind.
FAQs
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GEO is the process of optimising your website and online presence so Generative Engines — like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude — can understand you, trust you and recommend you.
It’s basically SEO’s younger, cooler cousin. -
Pretty much, yes. Different names, same goal: Make AI confident enough to put your name forward when someone asks for a recommendation.
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SEO helps you rank in Google. AIO helps you get recommended in ChatGPT. There is overlap. (foundations, authority, clarity).
The difference ?AIO leans more heavily on clarity, consistency and trust signals. -
Nope! AIO is more about having a tidy up and aligning and clarifying what you already have. It’s the least overwhelming visibility strategy because it's about making your existing content (and footprint) easier for AI to read.
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Fix your job title on your website (and in your social media bios) AI needs a clean, industry-recognised label to confidently recommend you.
It’s the #1 issue I see in client audits. -
Not necessarily.
ChatGPT favours:
✔ clear job titles
✔ trustworthy content
✔ solid reviews
✔ consistent bios
✔ well-structured websites
Small businesses who tick all those boxes can outperform big ones. -
Ask it. Literally. Try prompts like:
“Who do you recommend for [your niche] in the UK?”
“What do you know about [your name]?”
“How would you describe my business?”
If it gets you wrong or you don’t appear, you know you’ve got AIO opportunities.
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My framework of four signals AI looks for before recommending you:
F – Foundations (SEO basics, structure, pillars)
A – Authority (credentials, reviews, PR)
C – Clarity (titles, niche, language)
T – Trust (consistency, visibility + alignment)Tick these off and you’re already ahead of 90% of business owners online.
