AI search optimisation
Buyers now ask ChatGPT and Google's AI who to call. We make sure your business is in the answer, with the facts right and a link back to you.
AEO & GEO for UK businesses
AI search optimisation makes your business easy for AI tools to find, understand and recommend. When someone asks ChatGPT for a conveyancing solicitor in St Albans, or Google's AI Overview summarises the best kitchen fitters in Leeds, the answer is built from pages it can read and facts it can trust. If your site is vague, slow or inconsistent with what others say about you, you are left out.
The work goes by several names. Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is about being the clear answer to a specific question. Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is about being cited by tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. AI Overviews optimisation (AIO) focuses on Google's AI summaries. They share one foundation, and we treat them as one job built on solid SEO.
What we build
- Answer-first pagesPages that answer the exact questions buyers ask AI.
- Structured dataSchema that tells AI who you are, what you do and where.
- Entity consistencyThe same facts about you everywhere AI reads.
- AI visibility trackingMonthly checks on what AI tools say about you.
Answer engine optimisation: be the answer, not a link
AI assistants pull short, confident answers from pages that state things plainly. We rewrite key pages so the answer comes first: what you do, who for, where, how much it usually costs and what happens next, followed by the detail. Questions buyers actually ask become their own sections or FAQ entries, phrased the way people type and speak them, so an AI can lift a clean, accurate passage and point back to you.
- Answer-first service, location and pricing-guide pages
- FAQs written from real customer and sales questions
- Comparison and "how to choose" pages AI tools like to cite
Generative engine optimisation: give AI facts it can trust
Generative AI checks what you say against the rest of the web. We make your business a clear entity: the same name, address, services and contact details on your site, Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Companies House and the directories in your sector. Structured data tells AI exactly who you are and what you offer. Reviews, accreditations and mentions on trusted sites give it the confidence to recommend you rather than a competitor.
- Organisation, local business, service and FAQ schema
- Google Business Profile and Bing Places, which feeds Copilot
- Consistent listings, reviews and sector directory profiles
AI Overviews optimisation and tracking what AI says about you
Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode lean on pages that already rank and answer clearly, so AIO starts with the technical SEO basics: fast pages, crawlable content and no blocked AI search crawlers. Then we measure. Each month we run a fixed set of prompts your buyers would use across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Google, record whether you are mentioned, cited or linked, and track visits arriving from AI tools in your analytics.
- Robots rules that allow AI search crawlers to read your site
- A monthly AI visibility report on your own buyer prompts
- Referral tracking for visits from ChatGPT, Perplexity and others
What AI looks for
Real questions UK buyers ask AI tools, and what the answer is built from. Illustrative examples.
Who are the best conveyancing solicitors in St Albans?
AI answerA few firms stand out. One publishes clear fixed fees for sale and purchase, explains each stage and has strong recent reviews…
What the answer drew on
- A fees page that states prices plainly
- SRA details and accreditations on the site
- Consistent address and reviews on Google
Which UK machining companies can make aluminium prototypes quickly?
AI answerSeveral subcontractors offer rapid aluminium prototyping. One lists 5-axis CNC capacity, tolerances and ISO 9001 approval, with an online quote form…
What the answer drew on
- A capability page listing materials and tolerances
- Certifications named on the page
- An RFQ form AI can point buyers to
Recommend a commercial cleaning company for offices in Manchester
AI answerFor office contracts in Manchester, look for a provider with sector experience and clear coverage. One FM company describes its office cleaning service, areas covered and site survey process…
What the answer drew on
- A sector page for office cleaning
- A coverage page naming Manchester
- Case studies and accreditations
What’s included
- An AI visibility audit: what ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google say about you today
- A prompt list built from how your buyers ask for what you sell
- Answer-first rewrites of your most important pages
- Structured data for your business, services, locations and FAQs
- Entity clean-up across Google Business Profile, Bing Places and directories
- Technical checks so AI search crawlers can read your content
- A short monthly AI visibility report with what to fix next
Not sure what you need yet? Get a free audit and a clear plan, with no obligation.
Get my free auditHow it works
- AuditWhat you have today, what competitors do, and what’s costing you enquiries.
- PlanPages, features, searches to target, integrations and a fixed written quote.
- DesignDesigned in the browser, so you review the real thing, not a picture of it.
- BuildFast, accessible, secure code, connected to the tools you already use.
- GrowLaunch, tracking and monthly improvements from real data.
Questions
What is AI search optimisation?
It is the work of making your business easy for AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot to understand, trust and recommend. It builds on SEO, with more weight on clear answers, structured data and consistent facts about you across the web.
What is the difference between AEO, GEO and AIO?
AEO, answer engine optimisation, is about being the direct answer to a question. GEO, generative engine optimisation, is about being cited by generative AI tools. AIO is about Google's AI Overviews. The labels overlap, and the same foundations improve all three.
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
Make it easy to understand and easy to trust. That means clear pages that say what you do and where, consistent details across the web, structured data, genuine reviews and mentions on sites ChatGPT already relies on. Nobody can force a recommendation, but these signals make one far more likely.
Does AI search optimisation replace SEO?
No. AI tools lean heavily on pages that already rank and on sources search engines trust, so good SEO is the starting point. We treat AI search as an extra layer on top of it, not a replacement.
How do you measure AI search visibility?
We run a fixed set of prompts your buyers would use, every month, across the main AI tools and Google, and record whether you appear, how you are described and whether you are linked. We also track visits that arrive from AI tools in your analytics.
How much does AI search optimisation cost in the UK?
It depends on how many services and locations you cover and how much of your site needs rewriting. The free audit shows what AI tools say about you today and ends with a clear written quote if you want one.
By industry
Find out what to fix, build or automate first
Tell us about your website, the app you have in mind or the work you want off your plate. We’ll review it and send you a clear, practical audit made for your business. Free, no obligation, and yours to keep.
- What’s costing you enquiries on your current site
- Where a custom web app or AI could save your team hours
- The fixes and features that would pay back first
- A clear written quote, only if you want one
Rather email? hello@thirdtab.co.uk