AI search optimization for small businesses.
Get recommended when customers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews who to hire. Alaukix provides AEO services and GEO services for small businesses, included in every SEO plan from $299/month.
- AEO + GEO
- Included in every SEO plan
- No long-term contracts
Who's the best plumber near me in Atlanta?
Citedyourbusiness.com
Illustration. AI answers vary, and no one can guarantee citations.
The basics
What is AI search optimization?
AI search optimization is the work of making your business easy for AI tools to find, understand, trust, and recommend. It has two parts: answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO). Together, they help your business appear when people ask AI assistants for recommendations instead of scrolling through search results. As more people start their search in a chat window instead of a search bar, this has quietly become just as important as traditional SEO.
What is answer engine optimization?
Answer engine optimization (AEO) structures your content so AI tools and voice assistants can pull a direct answer from it. It focuses on clear questions, short factual answers, FAQs, and schema markup, the format Google AI Overviews and featured snippets rely on. A page written for AEO reads less like marketing copy and more like a well-organized reference, because that's what both AI systems and busy humans actually respond to.
What is generative engine optimization?
Generative engine optimization (GEO) helps AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity mention and recommend your business when they write an answer. It focuses on consistent business facts, trusted mentions across the web, reviews, and authoritative content. Unlike a search results page, there's no list of ten options to scroll through; AI tools typically name just a few businesses, which makes earning one of those spots more competitive, not less.
Compare
What's the difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO?
SEO gets your website ranked in search results. AEO gets your content used as the direct answer. GEO gets your business mentioned and recommended inside AI-written responses. They build on each other, so strong SEO is still the foundation for both AEO and GEO.
| What matters | SEO | AEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank your website in search results | Become the direct answer | Get recommended in AI responses |
| Where it shows | Google and Bing results, Google Maps | AI Overviews, featured snippets, voice | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot |
| Key work | Keywords, technical fixes, links | Answer-first content, FAQs, schema | Consistent facts, mentions, reviews |
| Success looks like | Clicks and calls from rankings | Your answer quoted by Google | Your business named by AI |
Why it matters
Why do small businesses need AI search optimization now?
More customers now ask AI assistants for recommendations, and those tools usually name only a few businesses. If AI tools can't find clear, consistent information about you, they recommend a competitor, even when you're the better choice. That gap between "being the better business" and "being the recommended business" is exactly what AI search optimization closes.
Google now shows AI Overviews above many search results, often answering the question before anyone clicks. ChatGPT and Perplexity give people a short list of businesses instead of ten blue links. That shift rewards businesses that are easy for AI to understand and verify, and it quietly punishes businesses whose information online is vague, outdated, or inconsistent.
The good news: AI search optimization for small businesses is still new territory, and most of your local competitors haven't started. The businesses that invest in AEO and GEO early are more likely to become the ones AI tools learn to recommend. Early movers in any new channel tend to build an advantage that gets harder to close once everyone else catches on.
How AI decides
How do ChatGPT and AI Overviews choose which businesses to recommend?
No AI company publishes its exact formula, but AI tools consistently favor businesses with six things: consistent facts across the web, strong reviews, clear answers on their website, structured data, trusted mentions, and fresh, specific content. These overlap heavily with what makes a website trustworthy to real people too, which is reassuring: optimizing for AI rarely means doing anything that would confuse or mislead a human visitor.
Consistent facts
The same name, address, phone, and services everywhere, so AI can confirm who you are.
Strong reviews
Recent, detailed reviews on Google and other platforms that AI tools read and summarize.
Clear answers
Pages that answer customer questions directly, in plain language, near the top.
Structured data
Schema markup that labels your services, prices, location, and FAQs for machines.
Trusted mentions
Your business named on directories, local news, and industry sites AI already trusts.
Fresh, specific content
Up-to-date pages with real details about your services, areas, and pricing.
Myth-busting
Common AEO and GEO myths, debunked
AI search is new enough that a lot of advice about it is guesswork. Tap a card to see the truth behind each myth.
Is it time?
Signs your business needs AI search optimization
You don't need a formal audit to notice these warning signs. If any sound familiar, it's worth checking what AI tools currently say about you.
You've never checked
You've never actually asked ChatGPT or Gemini what they know about your business.
Competitors get named, you don't
AI tools recommend other businesses in your space but never mention yours.
Your details are inconsistent
Your name, address, or phone number differs across your website and listings.
Your content lacks direct answers
Your pages talk about your business without ever clearly answering common questions.
No schema markup
Your site has no structured data telling search engines and AI what you offer.
Traffic from search feels flat
Overall organic visibility hasn't grown even as AI search adoption has.
A typical example
What does AI search optimization look like in practice?
Consider a family dental practice that asked ChatGPT "best dentist near me" in their city and got three competitor names back, none of them the practice itself, despite strong reviews and a solid reputation locally. It's a common gap: a business that's genuinely trustworthy offline but invisible to the AI tools customers increasingly turn to first.
An AI visibility audit found the cause: inconsistent business details across directories, no schema markup on the website, and no content that directly answered common questions like "do you accept new patients" or "do you offer emergency appointments."
Over the following weeks, we fixed the inconsistent listings, added schema for services and location, and rewrote key pages to open with direct, quotable answers. We also set up an llms.txt file pointing AI crawlers to the practice's most important pages.
Within two months, the same question to ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews began surfacing the practice by name, alongside a short, accurate description pulled directly from the site's own content.
What we do
What's included in Alaukix AEO services and GEO services?
Our AEO services and GEO services cover eight areas, from auditing how AI tools describe you today to building the content, data, and mentions that make you easier to recommend. Every plan starts with the same question: what do AI tools currently say about you, and where are the gaps?
AI visibility audit
We ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google what they say about you and your competitors.
Entity and schema markup
We add structured data so AI understands your business, services, and service areas.
Answer-first content
We rewrite key pages to open with direct answers AI Overviews can quote.
FAQ architecture
We build FAQs around the real questions customers ask AI assistants.
Business fact consistency
We align your details across Google, directories, and social profiles.
Mentions and citations
We earn mentions on trusted local and industry sites AI tools draw from.
llms.txt setup
We add an llms.txt file that points AI crawlers to your most important pages.
AI citation tracking
We track how often and how accurately AI tools mention your business.
Process
How does answer engine optimization work at Alaukix?
Our answer engine optimization and generative engine optimization process runs in four steps: audit what AI says about you, fix your foundations, publish AI-ready content, and track and improve every month. It's deliberately similar in shape to our SEO process, since the two disciplines reinforce each other at nearly every step.
- 1
Audit
We record how AI tools describe you today, and which competitors they recommend instead.
- 2
Foundations
We fix inconsistent business details, add schema, and set up llms.txt.
- 3
Content
We publish answer-first pages and FAQs built around real customer questions.
- 4
Track and improve
We re-check AI answers regularly and adjust based on what changes.
Pricing
How much does AI search optimization cost?
At Alaukix, AI search optimization is included in every SEO plan at no extra cost, from $299 to $1,499 per month. Higher plans add more AEO and GEO work, from a quarterly AI visibility snapshot to full AI citation tracking. We don't sell AEO and GEO as a separate line item, since we don't believe it should be treated as an optional add-on to SEO rather than a core part of it.
Google Business Profile
$299/mo
- Consistent business facts for AI
- Quarterly AI visibility snapshot
Local SEO
$499/mo
- AI-ready FAQs and schema on city pages
- Monthly AI check: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity
SEO Growth
$999/mo
- Google AI Overview optimization
- Entity and schema markup
- llms.txt setup
SEO Thrive
$1,499/mo
- AI citation tracking across all major tools
- Brand mentions on trusted sources
Each plan includes everything in the one before it. See every feature on our pricing page.
Can anyone guarantee ChatGPT will recommend your business?
No. AI answers change from one question to the next, and no agency controls them. Be wary of anyone who promises guaranteed AI citations. What we can promise is the work that makes recommendations far more likely, and honest monthly reporting on what AI tools say about you.
FAQ
AI search optimization questions, answered
Curious what AI says about your business? Book a free AI visibility check or call (607) 608-6034.
What is AI search optimization for small businesses?
AI search optimization for small businesses is the work of helping AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews find, trust, and recommend your business. It combines answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO).
What is answer engine optimization (AEO)?
Answer engine optimization is the practice of structuring content so AI tools and voice assistants can use it as a direct answer. It relies on clear questions, short factual answers, FAQs, and schema markup.
What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?
Generative engine optimization is the practice of helping AI models mention and recommend your business in the answers they write. It relies on consistent business facts, trusted mentions, reviews, and authoritative content.
Do I still need SEO if I do AEO and GEO?
Yes. AI tools draw heavily on websites that already rank well and are technically sound. SEO is the foundation, and AEO and GEO build on top of it, which is why Alaukix includes all three in every SEO plan.
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
Make your business easy to verify: keep your name, address, phone, and services consistent everywhere, earn recent reviews, answer customer questions clearly on your website, add schema markup, and get mentioned on trusted sites. Our GEO services handle each of these steps.
How do I show up in Google AI Overviews?
Google AI Overviews favor pages that already rank well and answer a question directly near the top. Answer-first content, well-structured FAQs, and schema markup all help. This is the core of our AEO services.
How much do AEO services and GEO services cost?
At Alaukix, AEO services and GEO services are included in every SEO plan at no extra cost. Plans range from $299 to $1,499 per month, with more AI search work included in higher plans.
How long does AI search optimization take?
Foundational fixes like consistent business details and schema take effect within weeks. Changes in how AI tools describe and recommend you usually appear over 2 to 6 months, as AI systems re-read the web.
Can you guarantee AI citations?
No. No agency controls what AI tools say, and answers vary from one question to the next. We do the work that makes citations more likely and report honestly on what AI tools say about you each month.
What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a simple text file on your website that points AI crawlers to your most important pages, similar to how a sitemap helps search engines. It's an emerging standard, and we set it up on SEO Growth plans and above.
Do reviews affect AI search?
Yes. AI tools often summarize reviews when recommending businesses, so a steady flow of recent, detailed reviews helps both your Google Maps rankings and your AI search visibility.
What is llms.txt and why does it matter?
llms.txt is a simple text file that points AI crawlers to your most important pages, similar to how a sitemap helps search engines. It's an emerging standard, and we set it up as part of our SEO Growth and SEO Thrive plans.
How is AEO different from featured snippets?
Featured snippets are a Google-specific format that AEO also helps you earn, but AEO extends further, covering how ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI tools use your content when generating conversational answers.
Which AI tools do you track?
We track ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, since these are where most consumer AI searches happen today. We add new tools to our tracking as their usage grows.
Can I do AEO and GEO myself?
Some of it, yes. Keeping your business details consistent and writing clearer, more direct content are things any owner can start today. Structured data, llms.txt setup, and ongoing AI visibility tracking usually benefit from professional help.
Does AI search optimization help ecommerce businesses too?
Yes. AI shopping assistants increasingly recommend specific products, and the same principles apply: structured product data, genuine reviews, and clear, honest content help your products get recommended.
How is GEO different from traditional PR?
Traditional PR aims for press coverage and brand awareness. GEO specifically targets the sources and signals AI models draw from when generating answers, which sometimes overlaps with PR but is measured differently.
How do you measure AI search visibility?
We regularly ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google a set of questions your customers would ask, record whether and how your business appears, and compare the results over time in your monthly report.
Find out what AI says about your business.
Start AI search optimization for small businesses the right way: book a free AI visibility check. We'll show you how ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google describe you today, and what it takes to get recommended.