What GEO and AEO mean
GEO is generative engine optimization. AEO is answer engine optimization. Both describe the same job: making sure that when someone asks an AI assistant, an AI search tool or a search engine’s AI summary a question like “who is a good plumber near me”, your company is part of the answer, and that what the answer says about you is true.
This is not a replacement for search. It is a new place where homeowners ask questions, sitting on top of the same foundation that local search has always rewarded: accurate information, strong reviews and pages that answer real questions.
How homeowners use AI to find companies
People do use AI to shortlist companies, but most do not stop there. In a 2026 survey of US consumers, three out of four people who used AI to find a local business went on to check Google or Maps before contacting it, and very few were ready to act on an AI recommendation alone.
75%
of US consumers who used AI to find a local business checked Google or Maps before contacting them.
18%
felt ready to contact a business recommended by an AI tool without checking further.
2%
of people who started with an AI tool used it as their only channel.
Source: 2026 consumer search behavior survey, 1,227 US consumers.
The takeaway is practical. AI is often the first step, and search, maps, reviews and your website are the second. A company has to be in both places, and the two have to agree.
What AI answers draw on
Each AI tool works differently, and they change often, so nobody can promise what a particular answer will say. In general, they tend to rely on the same kinds of signals:
Your website
Clear service pages, plain descriptions of what you do and where, and structured information that machines can read.
Your business profiles
Google Business Profile, Apple and Bing listings, and directories that repeat your name, address, phone number, services and areas.
Your reviews
What customers say about the work, how recent it is and how you respond.
Mentions elsewhere
Local news, partner and supplier sites, community pages and other places that talk about your company.
Consistency
The same facts everywhere. Conflicting hours, old addresses or duplicate listings confuse people and machines alike.
Answers to real questions
Pages that respond to what homeowners actually ask, in plain language.
What we do
Audit how AI describes you
We ask the questions homeowners ask, across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google AI Overviews, and record whether you appear, how you are described and where the answers come from.
Fix the facts
Names, addresses, hours, services and areas corrected and made consistent across your site, profiles and listings.
Build answer-ready pages
Service and FAQ pages written to answer real questions plainly, with structured data added where it helps.
Strengthen the signals
A steady review process, accurate listings and credible mentions that give AI tools and people reasons to trust you.
Test, track and adjust
The same questions asked again on a schedule, so you can see what changes.
How we test it
There is no ranking report for AI answers, so we build our own. We write a set of prompts for each service and market, such as who to call for a leaking water heater or what a roof replacement costs in your area. We run them across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google AI Overviews on a schedule, and record whether you are named, how you are described, what is wrong and which sources the tools cite.
Answers vary from one run to the next, so we look for patterns over time, not a single result. We do not publish a screenshot and call it a ranking.
GEO and AEO versus local SEO
They are closely related and we plan them together. The difference is where the answer appears and what you can measure.
Win map and search results
Be named and described correctly in AI answers
Measured by rankings, calls and forms
Measured by test prompts, accuracy and referrals
Pages, profile and reviews
The same foundation, plus answer-ready content and consistent facts
Results build over months
Results build over months, and answers change often
GEO and AEO by trade
The questions homeowners ask AI tools differ by trade, so the content and the testing do too.
Roofing
Questions about replacement cost, how long a roof lasts and what to do after a storm. Pages should answer them plainly and carefully, without promising insurance outcomes.
HVAC
Questions about repair versus replacement, what size system a home needs and how often to service it. Seasonal answers should be ready before demand.
Plumbing
Urgent questions about burst pipes and drains, and planned ones about water heaters. Accurate availability and service areas matter most.
Electrical
Questions about panel upgrades, EV chargers and safety. Licensing and permit information help both people and machines trust the answer.
Landscaping and lawn care
Questions about seasonal care, design costs and recurring plans. Real project pages and service-area detail give AI tools something specific to cite.
Pest control
Questions by pest, about safety and about how plans work. Clear, accurate treatment explanations matter more here than anywhere.
Garage doors
Urgent repair questions and replacement questions. Honest availability and a clean service area keep the answers accurate.
Cleaning services
Questions about what is included, how pricing works and whether to trust a stranger in the home. Review themes and trust information carry weight.
Every other home-service trade
The same approach applies: accurate facts, answer-ready pages and reviews that describe the work.
How we measure it
AI platforms do not report on your visibility, so reporting is built from what we can observe and what your CRM records.
What is hard to see
What we report
A ranking in an AI answer
Test-prompt results over time
Why a tool mentioned you
Accuracy of what the tools say
Impressions in AI tools
Referral traffic where analytics can identify it
Cost of an AI mention
Calls, forms and booked jobs by source, and cost per converted lead
Some AI-influenced visits arrive without a clear source, so we also ask new customers how they found you and record it in your CRM. That keeps the picture honest.
Common mistakes
× Looking for a trick.
There is no shortcut that makes every AI tool recommend a company. The foundation is accurate facts, good reviews and useful pages.
× Letting the facts drift.
Old hours, old addresses and duplicate listings spread into AI answers.
× Thin pages written for machines.
Copy that does not help a homeowner does not help an AI tool either.
× Ignoring reviews.
They are among the most visible signals about a company.
× Promising rankings in AI answers.
Nobody can. Be wary of anyone who does.
What to expect
The first step is knowing what AI tools say about you today. Many companies are surprised, in both directions. From there, the work is mostly foundation: correct facts, clear pages and reviews that keep coming. AI tools change often, so we test on a schedule and adjust.
We do not promise mentions or rankings. We do show you how you are described, what changed and what search and AI together book, next to every other channel.
