AI search for local businesses in Hampshire & Berkshire
AI search is changing how people find businesses.
More people now ask ChatGPT or Google's AI a question, like "who's a good electrician near Basingstoke?", and get one straight answer instead of a page of links. If your business isn't in that answer, you don't get a look-in.
Getting named there takes a slightly different kind of work. The industry calls it AEO and GEO. I call it making sure AI tools understand what you do, where you do it and why people trust you.
I help businesses across Hampshire and Berkshire show up in AI answers as well as in normal Google search.
Start with a free digital audit and I'll show you how your business shows up in AI search today.
Be the business ChatGPT and Google recommend.
What are AEO and GEO, in plain English?
AEO (answer engine optimisation) is about making your website easy for AI tools to quote, for example by answering common customer questions clearly. GEO (generative engine optimisation) is about your wider reputation online: your reviews, your Google profile and what other websites say about you, so AI tools trust you enough to recommend you. One is your website; the other is everything around it.
Why does it matter for a local business?
When someone asks an AI tool for a recommendation, it usually names a handful of businesses at most. Big national brands don't automatically win: a local business with clear information and genuine reviews has a real chance of being named. And a customer who's been recommended you arrives already half-convinced.
What does that look like on your website?
FAQs written as real customer questions, with the answer in the first sentence
Service pages with clear headings and plain-English descriptions of what you do and where
Practical details that are easy to find: your service area, opening hours and how pricing works
Behind-the-scenes code that labels your content clearly for search engines and AI tools
And beyond your website?
Your business name, address and phone number exactly the same everywhere online
A steady flow of recent, genuine reviews on Google and the sites your customers use
Content that clearly shows who's behind the business and what they know
Mentions from other trusted local and industry websites
What is FAQ schema, and does it help?
It's a small piece of code that labels which text on a page is a question and which is its answer. Visitors never see it. It no longer earns a special listing on Google for most businesses, but it gives search engines and AI tools a clear, unambiguous version of your answers, so I include it as standard. It's not a magic switch, though: clear content and genuine reviews do most of the work.
Want to go deeper? Read Does ChatGPT Recommend Local Businesses?
Your questions about AI search
-
When an AI tool names your business in its answer, you're often one of only a few options a customer sees, rather than one of ten links. People also tend to trust a direct recommendation, so the enquiries that come from it are often warmer.
-
Yes. AI tools look for clear, specific information and signs of trust, like genuine reviews. A local business that's clear about what it does and where, and that's well reviewed, can be named ahead of a much bigger competitor with a vaguer online presence.
-
Not entirely. Most of what helps you in AI answers, like a clear website, a complete Google profile and genuine reviews, also helps in normal Google search. That's why I treat them together rather than selling them as separate jobs.
-
Honestly, it varies, and AI tools change fast. Fixes to your website and Google profile can be picked up within a few weeks to a few months, while reviews and mentions build over time. I check how AI tools describe your business before we start and track it as we go, so you can see the change for yourself.
-
No, and nobody can. AI tools decide their own answers, and they change often. What I can do is give them every reason to understand and trust your business, and show you honestly how you're showing up.
Not sure how AI tools describe your business?
Get a free digital audit and I'll show you how you show up in ChatGPT and Google's AI today.
Who it's for
Showing up on Google, but nowhere when someone asks ChatGPT the same question? That's exactly the gap this closes.
It also suits businesses that want to get ahead before their competitors catch on, and those with great reviews and real expertise that AI tools simply can't see yet.
Whether this is all brand new to you or you've already started experimenting, I build the plan around where you're starting from.
What to expect, and when
AI search is new and changes fast, so I won't promise exact timings. Here's what typically happens:
First month: I check how ChatGPT and Google's AI currently describe your business, then fix the gaps on your website and Google profile.
Months 2–3: AI tools start picking up the clearer information, and your listings and reviews become more consistent across the web.
Months 3–6: Your business has a better chance of being named for the questions that matter, and I show you exactly where it is.
Ongoing: I keep checking, adjust as the tools change, and keep building the reviews and mentions that earn trust.
And I'll always show you what AI tools actually say about your business, not just tell you.
How I work
1. Your free audit
I check what ChatGPT and Google's AI say about your business today, and review your website, Google profile and reviews to find the gaps.
2. Fix and build
I make your website and FAQs clear and easy to quote, add the behind-the-scenes code, and strengthen the reviews and listings that build trust.
3. Report and grow
I track how AI tools describe your business, adjust as they change, and give you a clear plan for what's next.
I handle the strategy, the technical work and the ongoing checks myself. Nothing gets handed off partway through.
Let's find out what AI says about you
Your free digital audit shows how ChatGPT and Google's AI describe your business today, and the three things to fix first. No pressure, no lock-in.
