How people search has fundamentally changed.
For twenty years, the way people found local businesses was simple: type a query into Google, receive a list of ten links, visit a few websites, make a decision. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was the discipline of getting your business onto that list.
That system is being replaced. When someone today opens ChatGPT and types "what's the best day spa near Henderson, Nevada?" — they don't receive ten links. They receive a direct answer: a recommendation, a name, sometimes a brief description. The search is over before a website is ever visited.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of ensuring your business is the answer that gets recommended. It's the AI-era equivalent of SEO — and right now, most local businesses don't know it exists.
800M+
Weekly ChatGPT users as of 2025
More than the population of the US and Canada combined
30%
Of Google searches now show AI Overviews
Appearing above all traditional results
73%
Of consumers trust AI recommendations
Versus 48% for traditional search results
<5%
Of local businesses are optimized for AI
That's the opportunity window you're looking at
GEO vs SEO — what's actually different?
Traditional SEO
GEO (what Foundly does)
A business can rank #1 on Google and still be completely invisible to ChatGPT — because AI platforms use entirely different signals. Both strategies matter in 2025, but GEO is where the competitive gap is biggest right now. Most businesses haven't started — which means starting early creates a meaningful advantage.
The 6 signals that determine your AI visibility.
These are the specific things AI engines look at when deciding whether to recommend a local business. Foundly optimizes all six.
Structured FAQ content with schema markup
Highest impactAI engines prefer content that's structured as direct questions and answers — and they can read it significantly better when it's marked up with JSON-LD schema code. A single well-structured FAQ page can dramatically increase how often an AI cites your business.
Google Business Profile completeness
Very high impactAI platforms pull heavily from Google's local business data. A profile that's 100% complete — with accurate categories, services, hours, photos, and description — tells AI exactly what your business is and where it operates. An incomplete profile is often the #1 reason businesses don't appear.
Citation consistency across directories
High impactAI engines cross-reference your business information across dozens of sources: Yelp, TripAdvisor, local directories, and more. When your business name, address, and phone number are inconsistent across these sources, it creates confusion and reduces trust. Consistent citations are fundamental.
Review volume and recency
Moderate-high impactAI platforms treat reviews as a signal of business quality and activity. A business with recent, plentiful reviews is more likely to be recommended than one with few or old reviews. Review response rate also matters — AI interprets owner responses as a signal of an active, engaged business.
Content that directly answers common questions
Moderate-high impactWhen someone asks AI "how much does a day spa cost in Las Vegas," the AI is looking for content that directly answers that question. Businesses that have pages addressing specific questions their customers ask are far more likely to be cited in the response.
Website technical health and crawlability
Moderate impactAI crawlers need to be able to read and understand your website. Pages that load slowly, have broken structure, or use JavaScript-heavy rendering that prevents crawling are less likely to be indexed by AI platforms. Basic technical hygiene matters.
What should I actually do?
The fastest path is to start with our free AI Visibility Check — it takes 2 minutes and shows you exactly which of the 6 signals above you're missing, with your business specifically. No guessing.
From there, you can either implement the fixes yourself using the $297 Report as your guide, or have our team implement everything for you with the $797 plan. Either way, you'll know exactly where you stand and exactly what needs to change.
A note on terminology
You may also see this practice called AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) — the terms are used interchangeably. Some practitioners prefer GEO because it emphasizes the generative AI aspect; others use AEO because it focuses on being the "answer" that gets cited. Foundly uses both terms. The underlying practice and signals are identical regardless of what you call it.