Over the past year, we have been hearing more and more about GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), a new concept focused on how ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI tools find, understand and recommend products, services and companies.
In the past, it was enough to appear in Google Search. Today, more and more users simply ask artificial intelligence:
- What is the best hotel in the Alps?
- Which restaurant do you recommend?
- Who creates high-quality websites?
- Which travel agency has good reviews?
AI then provides an answer based on the information it finds online.
The good news is that you do not need to have a professional website to improve your visibility on AI platforms.
Before you start optimizing, do a simple test.
Open ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity and ask questions such as:
- What do you know about me or about the company [company name]?
- What are the strengths of my company?
- Would you recommend my company?
- Which companies from my industry do you recommend?
The answers you receive will show you how visible your company is today in the AI world.
Below are ten simple things you can do yourself.
1. Fully complete your Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is now one of the most important online business cards for local companies. In many cases, a potential customer will first visit your Google profile and only after that your website or social media pages.
Add:
- business description,
- address,
- working hours,
- phone number,
- email address,
- website,
- business categories,
- photos,
- products and services,
Pay special attention to your business description. Instead of general phrases such as:
“We provide high-quality services.”
try to clearly explain what you actually do.
For example:
“A mountain hotel in the Alps with a wellness center, restaurant, conference facilities and ski slopes just 200 meters away.”
Many companies still have half-empty profiles, which is a missed opportunity.
2. Collect as many authentic Google reviews as possible
Reviews are one of the most important indicators of trust.
Do not buy reviews or ask for fake comments.
Instead, ask satisfied customers to leave an honest opinion about your service.
Reviews that include specific details are especially valuable. For example:
“Excellent wellness center, friendly staff and rich breakfast.”
Such reviews help future customers build trust, but they also help algorithms better understand what you offer and what makes you recognizable.
Ten quality reviews are worth more than ten advertising posts.
3. Reply to all reviews
Most companies reply only to negative comments or do not reply at all.
Try to respond to as many reviews as possible, whether they are positive, neutral or negative.
If a guest or customer is satisfied, thank them and feel free to mention other services you offer.
If someone is dissatisfied:
- thank them for the feedback,
- apologize if a mistake was made,
- explain what happened,
- take responsibility when appropriate,
- offer a solution or compensation if possible.
Bad example:
Thank you for your review.
Good example:
Thank you. We are glad that you were satisfied with the accommodation and wellness facilities. We hope to welcome you again during the summer season, when our guests can enjoy additional activities such as mountain walks, cycling, panoramic gondola rides, adrenaline activities, wellness programs, children’s activities and many opportunities for an active holiday in nature.
In this way, you show that your company is active, professional and attentive to its customers.
4. Regularly publish photos on your Google Business Profile
Google likes active profiles, and photos are one of the strongest signals that a business is active and operating.
Many business owners upload a few photos when they create their profile and then leave them unchanged for years. This is a missed opportunity.
Try to add at least 30 new photos during the year, and ideally upload several new photos once a month.
Publish:
- the exterior of your building,
- reception or business space,
- interior,
- exterior,
- products,
- services you offer,
- employees at work,
- team photos,
- events,
- new facilities and investments,
- seasonal offers,
- satisfied customers, with their consent.
For example, a hotel can publish:
- rooms,
- restaurant,
- wellness center,
- view from the balcony,
- ski slopes,
- summer activities,
- breakfast and gastronomy offer,
- photos from events and manifestations.
A restaurant can publish:
- new dishes,
- food preparation,
- interior,
- garden or terrace,
- staff,
- special offers.
Photos are not important only for potential guests and customers. Modern algorithms can now analyze images and draw conclusions about the products, services and content you offer. In addition, an active profile with a large number of quality photos sends a signal that the company is operating, investing in its online presence and regularly communicating with users. This is why regularly adding photos can indirectly contribute to better visibility on AI platforms.
5. Write a quality description on social media and pay attention to the content you publish
Many companies have only one generic sentence in their page descriptions.
Bad:
“We provide high-quality services.”
Good:
“A hotel in the Alps with a wellness center, restaurant, conference room and ski slopes located just 200 meters away.”
However, your profile description is not the only important thing. What you publish is just as important.
Many companies on Facebook and Instagram publish photos without any description or with short messages such as:
“Good morning.”
Such posts do not say much to people or to algorithms.
It is much more useful to write a few sentences with each photo or video explaining what is shown.
For example:
While snow falls gently outside and the Alps fade into silence, time seems to slow down. ♨️ A sauna, a steam bath and a few quiet moments just for yourself. This is what a mountain holiday in the Alps feels like. #wellness #alps #mountainhotel #winterescape #spa
Or:
If you think the Alps are only for winter, watch this video. ☀️🚠 A panoramic gondola ride in summer reveals breathtaking mountain views, endless forests and unforgettable Alpine landscapes. #alps #gondola #mountains #summertravel #nature
A clear description helps both people and algorithms understand what you do.
6. Optimize your LinkedIn profile or company LinkedIn page
LinkedIn is now much more than a social network for job searching. For many industries, it is one of the most important sources of professional information online:
- consultants,
- marketing agencies,
- IT companies,
- educators,
- business services.
Make sure your profile or company page is fully completed.
Add:
- company logo,
- quality cover photo,
- detailed business description,
- location,
- contact information,
- services you offer,
- references and projects,
- team photos.
If you have a personal LinkedIn profile, it is important to clearly state:
- what you do,
- how long you have been working in your field,
- which services you offer,
- which projects you have completed.
A fully completed profile increases credibility and makes it easier for AI systems to find information about you.
A complete LinkedIn profile also increases credibility with potential clients, partners and business associates.
7. Publish useful advice instead of advertisements
Most companies publish mainly advertisements on their social media pages and websites. People are tired of ads.
The problem is that people are exposed to hundreds of similar messages every day. Over time, they simply learn to ignore them.
When a user opens Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, they are usually not looking for an advertisement. They are looking for information, inspiration, advice or a solution to a problem.
That is why companies that share useful information from their field usually achieve much better results.
If you run a hotel, instead of:
“Book your stay in the Alps.”
publish:
“5 things to see in the Alps during the summer.”
“How to plan a perfect weekend in the Alps.”
“What should you pack for a mountain holiday with children?”
This is also important for AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Their goal is not to show users advertisements, but to find the best possible answer to the question asked.
If someone asks:
“What to do in the Alps during the summer?”
AI is much more likely to use an article or post that contains specific recommendations than a post that only invites people to book accommodation.
In other words, every time you publish a useful tip, guide, recommendation or answer to a frequently asked question, you increase the amount of quality information that people and AI systems can find about your business.
8. Appear on relevant portals and directories
If only your Facebook page talks about your company, AI has very little information.
Try to appear on:
- local portals,
- tourism portals,
- business directories,
- websites of chambers of commerce.
Sometimes it is also worth investing in a quality promotional or PR article on a relevant portal.
The more independent sources mention your business, the greater the chance that AI will recognize you as a relevant source.
9. Keep your information consistent everywhere
One of the most common mistakes small companies make is having different business information in different places.
For example:
On Google Business Profile, the hotel is called:
Alpine Wellness Resort
On Facebook:
Alpine Wellness Resort & Spa
On Booking.com:
Alpine Resort
On a tourism portal:
Alpine Wellness & Mountain Hotel
For a person, it may be clear that this is the same company, but algorithms and AI systems do not always make such conclusions with the same level of confidence.
That is why it is very important that your basic information is consistent everywhere your company appears. This includes:
- your website,
- Google Business,
- Facebook and Instagram,
- LinkedIn,
- directories,
- tourism portals.
Consistent information increases trust in the data about your company.
10. Add a face behind the business
People trust people.
Whether you run a hotel, restaurant, travel agency, shop or marketing company, potential customers want to know who stands behind the business they are planning to work with.
That is why you should not hide people behind logos and advertising messages.
Publish a photo of the owner, team or employees and present the story behind the company.
Say:
- who you are,
- how long you have been working,
- how your company was created,
- why you started the business,
- what makes you different from the competition,
- what values you nurture in your work with clients.
For example, the owner of a family hotel can tell the story of how the property was created and how many generations of the family are involved in running it. A restaurant can introduce its chef and the story behind the dishes being prepared.
Such content often creates more trust than any advertisement, because people like to work with real people, not anonymous brands.
In addition, photos of employees, owners, workspaces and everyday activities help algorithms better understand that there is a real and active team behind the company.
At a time when the internet is becoming full of generic and automatically generated content, authenticity is becoming one of the greatest advantages small businesses can have.
Conclusion
Most small businesses believe they need an expensive and modern website to be visible online.
The truth is that you can already make a big step forward today by using tools you probably already have.
Google Business Profile, reviews, social media and quality information about your company can significantly increase the chances that people will find you — and that AI platforms will recognize and recommend you.
Because in the world of artificial intelligence, it is no longer enough to simply be present online.
You need to be recognizable, trustworthy and easy to understand.
Of course, for many business owners, the problem is not a lack of willingness, but a lack of time. Running a business often leaves little room for regularly updating profiles, writing content, collecting reviews and following new trends in digital marketing.
If you want a professional analysis of your online presence, an assessment of your current AI visibility or help improving your Google Business Profile, website and social media content, feel free to contact us.
We will be happy to analyze the current situation and suggest specific steps that can help make your company more visible both to people and AI platforms.
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