How do I get my business named in AI answers?
BoostAEO's plain-language answers to the ten questions business owners and marketers ask most about AEO, GEO and AI visibility. Each starts with a short answer, then the steps.
- 01
What is AEO and GEO, and how are they different from SEO?
AEO (answer engine optimisation) and GEO (generative engine optimisation) are the work of getting your business named, quoted and linked inside AI answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews. SEO aims for a high position in a list of links; AEO and GEO aim to be part of the answer itself.
- 02
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
Make your website easy for AI to read and quote, state clear facts about what you do and where, get listed and reviewed on the sites AI cites for your category, and keep your name and details the same everywhere. Then track the same buyer questions over time to see what moves.
- 03
How can I check whether ChatGPT and Gemini mention my business?
Ask the AI engines the questions your buyers ask, without your business name in them, and record whether you are named, in what position, and which websites are cited. Do it on several engines and repeat it on a schedule, because AI answers vary by engine, location and day.
- 04
How do ChatGPT and Google AI choose which businesses and sources to show?
When an AI engine searches the web, it looks up pages in a search index, reads the ones that best match the question, and writes an answer from the clearest, most consistent facts it finds. Businesses that appear across several trusted sources, with matching details and specific claims, are the easiest for it to name.
- 05
Does SEO still matter for AI answers?
Yes. AI engines that search the web find pages through search indexes, and Google says its AI Overviews and AI Mode draw on pages that are indexed and eligible in Google Search. A site with technical SEO problems is harder for AI to find and quote. SEO is the foundation; AEO adds clarity, listings and reviews on top.
- 06
How long does it take to appear in AI answers?
Changes that AI engines pick up through live web search can show within days to a few weeks, once your pages and listings are re-crawled. Anything that depends on what a model learned in training can take many months. Narrow, local questions usually move faster than broad national ones. No one can promise a date.
- 07
What is llms.txt, and does my website need one?
llms.txt is a plain-text file at the root of a website that lists its most useful pages, with a short summary, for AI tools to read. It was proposed in 2024. It is cheap to add and does no harm, but there is no public confirmation that the major AI engines use it to choose answers, so treat it as optional.
- 08
Does schema markup help my business show up in AI answers?
Schema markup (structured data in JSON-LD) states facts about your business, services, prices and FAQs in a format machines read without guessing. Search engines use it to understand pages, and Microsoft has said it helps its AI understand content. It isn't a guaranteed boost, but it removes ambiguity, which makes you easier to cite.
- 09
How much does AEO cost, and is it worth it for a small business?
You can start AEO for free: check what AI says about you, fix your main pages and complete your listings yourself. Tracking tools cost a monthly fee (BoostAEO starts at ₹2,999 a month), and done-for-you work costs more. It is worth it when your customers already ask AI for recommendations in your category.
- 10
Can you pay to appear in ChatGPT, or guarantee a mention?
No. You can't buy a place inside ChatGPT's, Gemini's or Google AI's answers, and no agency or tool can guarantee a mention, because the engines decide each answer themselves and change how they work often. Some AI products show labelled ads, but those sit apart from the answer. What you can do is improve the signals AI uses.