Customers may ask an AI assistant questions such as “Who are good accountants in Doha?” or “Which logistics companies serve Saudi and Qatar?” The answer may include business names or links, but responses vary by tool, query and context. Clear public information is a sensible foundation; it cannot guarantee a mention.
Optimising for this is often called GEO (generative engine optimisation). It builds on good SEO rather than replacing it.
Build information customers and search tools can understand
There is no single published recommendation formula shared by all AI assistants. Focus on business information you can verify and maintain:
- Clearly described: what you do, for whom and where, in plain text.
- Consistent: the same name, services and location across your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and directories.
- Referenced by others: mentioned in reputable local sources, associations, partners or press.
- Helpful: publishing content that directly answers customer questions.
If your website is mostly images, slogans and a contact form, there is very little for an AI tool to understand or quote.
Seven practical steps
1. Write a factual “about” summary. One or two paragraphs covering who you are, what you offer, which markets you serve (for example Qatar and the wider GCC) and how to contact you.
2. Give each core service its own page. One page per service, explaining the problem, the approach and who it suits, is easier to understand than one long list.
3. Answer real questions. Collect the questions customers ask on calls and WhatsApp, and answer them on your site in FAQs and articles like this one.
4. Use appropriate structured data. Markup should accurately reflect visible content and the actual business. Google says its AI search features need no special schema or AI text file. Its AI features guidance explains that supporting pages must be indexed and eligible for a Search snippet, without guaranteeing inclusion. FAQs can help readers, but Google limits FAQ rich results to well-known authoritative government and health sites; ordinary commercial FAQs should not be sold as a rich-result opportunity.
5. Keep details consistent everywhere. Review your eligible Google Business Profile, social profiles and genuine directory listings. See our Google Business Profile guide.
6. Earn genuine mentions. Chamber memberships, partner pages, industry associations, speaking and local media all create trustworthy references.
7. Keep the website technically healthy. Pages must load, be indexable and work on mobile. The Website Audit Beta provides an initial screen of one public webpage, with available checks and limitations. It does not assess AI recommendation likelihood or the whole site.
SEO, AEO and GEO work together
Classic SEO helps you rank in Google results. AEO (answer engine optimisation) helps you appear in featured answers. GEO helps AI assistants describe and recommend you. They share one foundation: clear, accurate, well-structured information about your business. That is why we treat them as one piece of work in our SEO & local visibility service.
A realistic expectation
No one can guarantee that an AI assistant will recommend a particular business. What you can control is whether you give these tools accurate, consistent and useful information. Review search and enquiry evidence where available. A mention in one AI response does not establish repeatable visibility or a business result.
Explore our SEO & local visibility service and discuss your search requirements. Start with the services and customers you want to reach, rather than a promise of AI recommendations.
