AI search optimisation is the work that makes ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI Overviews name your business when someone asks. Most of it is straightforward: answer questions plainly, add FAQs with schema, keep your name, address and phone identical on every listing, and publish real numbers.
Ask ChatGPT "which agency in Ahmedabad builds Shopify stores" and the reply is a short paragraph with three or four names. There are no ten blue links and no page two. A business missing from that paragraph may never be considered.
What are AEO and GEO?
AEO, answer engine optimisation, means writing a page so a machine can lift a clean answer from it. GEO, generative engine optimisation, means getting your brand named inside the answer an AI tool writes itself.
AEO grew out of Google's featured snippets. GEO followed as tools like ChatGPT began reading several websites, writing their own summary and sometimes citing sources.
How do AI tools decide which businesses to mention?
They name businesses they can find and then confirm elsewhere. The exact weighting is not public, but the same patterns appear across the sites we test.
Access. ChatGPT search draws on Bing, Gemini and AI Overviews on Google, and Perplexity runs its own crawler. A robots.txt file that blocks these bots removes the site entirely.
A usable answer. A model writing about website cost in Ahmedabad needs a sentence that contains a cost. "Contact us for a quote" gives it nothing.
Consistent details. If the website says Satellite, Google lists Prahlad Nagar and Justdial shows an old number, the model cannot tell which is correct and tends to trust none.
What gets a business cited in AI answers?
Direct answers near the top of the page
Put the answer first. Under "How long does a Shopify store take to build?", the first line should read "Most stores take three to six weeks". AI tools and mobile readers both pick up that opening sentence.
FAQs written the way customers ask
Take questions from your WhatsApp chats and Google's "People also ask" box. Keep answers to 40 to 90 words and open with yes, no or a number.
Schema markup
Schema is hidden code that tells machines what the business is, where it is and which questions a page answers. We normally use LocalBusiness site-wide, Service or Product where relevant, and FAQPage on FAQ sections.
Consistent name, address and phone
Your name, address and phone (NAP) should be identical on the website, Google Business Profile, Justdial, IndiaMART, Facebook and every directory. "B-84, Pruthvi Tower" on one listing and "Pruthvi Twr, Satellite" on another can look like two companies to a crawler.
Third-party profiles and original numbers
AI tools weigh what others say about a business above its own website. A complete Clutch profile, genuine Justdial reviews and a priced IndiaMART catalogue all support your claims. Specific numbers help most: prices, delivery times, minimum orders and cities served.
An example: a Morbi tile exporter
Take a hypothetical Morbi manufacturer exporting porcelain tiles to the Gulf. A buyer in Dubai asks ChatGPT, "Which Morbi tile manufacturers export 600x1200 porcelain slabs with low minimum orders?"
To be named, the company needs a page that states it plainly: 600x1200 porcelain slabs, shipping to the UAE, minimum order of one container. The same wording should appear on IndiaMART and TradeIndia, with an FAQ such as "Which port do you ship from?" A site with a photo slider and a contact form gives the model nothing to quote.
What you do not need to worry about
- SEO is still essential. AI answers are built from pages Google can crawl and trust.
- llms.txt is only a proposal and not worth paying extra for.
- Traffic dips hit "what is" pages first; buyer pages hold up better. Track calls and WhatsApp enquiries, not sessions alone.
- Guaranteed ChatGPT mentions do not exist. The same question on two days can return different names.
- A full rebuild is rarely needed. Start with the ten to fifteen pages that bring in revenue.
How to check whether AI tools mention you
Open ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and an incognito Google tab, and search as a customer would: "physiotherapy clinic near Vastrapur open Sunday", "interior designer Thaltej 2BHK cost". Include Guglish phrasing. Note who is named and which sites the tools link to, since those links show where you need a profile. Repeat the same questions monthly.
10-point AI search optimisation checklist
Work through these roughly in order. The first five cost almost nothing.
| # | Task | Usually done by | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check robots.txt is not blocking Googlebot, Bingbot, OAI-SearchBot or PerplexityBot | Developer | 15 minutes |
| 2 | Verify the site in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools | Developer or SEO | 1 hour |
| 3 | Make name, address and phone identical on the website, Google Business Profile, Justdial, IndiaMART and social profiles | Owner or staff | 1 to 2 days |
| 4 | Complete every Google Business Profile field: categories, services, hours, photos, products | Owner or SEO | Half a day |
| 5 | Run the AI test above and record who is named | Owner | 30 minutes |
| 6 | Rewrite the top of each main page so the first two sentences answer its question | Writer | 1 to 2 weeks |
| 7 | Add 5 to 10 real customer FAQs to each service or product page | Writer | 1 week |
| 8 | Add Organization or LocalBusiness, Service, Product and FAQPage schema | Developer | 2 to 4 days |
| 9 | Publish price ranges, timelines and other real numbers wherever possible | Owner and writer | Ongoing |
| 10 | Complete third-party profiles (Clutch, Justdial, IndiaMART, trade bodies) and ask satisfied customers for reviews | Owner or SEO | Ongoing |
Item 9 meets the most resistance, usually over competitors. They can already get your prices with one phone call, while buyers contact whoever publishes a figure.
How long does AI search optimisation take?
Expect two to four months before results are steady. Search engines need to recrawl, and directory edits can take weeks to appear. Most of the checklist is one-off work.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI search optimisation different from SEO?+
Only slightly. It is SEO with more weight on direct answers, FAQs, schema and consistent listings. Weak SEO should be fixed first.
How do I rank in ChatGPT?+
There is no fixed results list, but the odds can be improved. Allow Bing and OpenAI's search crawler, answer real customer questions plainly, keep your details consistent and get listed on the sites ChatGPT already cites for your sector.
Do Google AI Overviews show up in India?+
Yes, since 2024, in English and Hindi, on many informational and comparison searches. Local searches such as "AC repair near me" still lead with the map pack, so your Google Business Profile remains important.
Does schema markup help with AI search?+
Somewhat. Schema labels what a page is, but a label alone will not earn a citation. Use it alongside clear answers and real prices.
How much does AI search optimisation cost?+
For most businesses it is part of an SEO retainer. Our SEO retainers start from Rs 12,000 a month, and local SEO in Ahmedabad typically costs Rs 15,000 to 40,000 a month with AEO and GEO included. For a small site, a one-off audit can cost less than two or three months of retainer.
Should I block AI bots from my website?+
Usually not. Blocking the crawlers behind ChatGPT search or Perplexity removes you from their answers. Publishers sometimes block GPTBot (training) while allowing OAI-SearchBot (search), but a business site should stay readable.