What is AI search optimisation actually called?
AI search optimisation is the work of getting your business named in answers from tools such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity, and it goes by four names: AEO, GEO, LLM SEO and AI SEO. They describe the same job, and the work overlaps heavily with ordinary SEO. FlyRank, a two-person agency in Manchester, includes it in both SEO retainers at no extra cost.
What do AEO, GEO, LLM SEO and AI SEO each mean?
Each name describes the same aim from a different angle. AEO stands for answer engine optimisation, GEO for generative engine optimisation, LLM SEO for large language model SEO and AI SEO for AI search engine optimisation.
Key takeaway: Four labels, one job: be the business the AI names.
| Name | Stands for | Emphasis |
|---|---|---|
| AEO | Answer engine optimisation | Being the direct answer a search or AI tool gives |
| GEO | Generative engine optimisation | Being named in text an AI tool writes |
| LLM SEO | Large language model SEO | Named after the technology behind ChatGPT-style tools |
| AI SEO | AI search engine optimisation | The general label for all of them |
Which name should you use?
Use AI search optimisation in plain English, and expect to meet the other names in agency pitches. The labels are used loosely, and different agencies use different ones for the same service. FlyRank uses AI search optimisation on its AI search page because it is the clearest to a business owner.
Key takeaway: The label matters less than what the agency actually does.
Is AI search optimisation different from SEO?
For a local business it overlaps heavily. Google states there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, beyond being indexed and eligible to show a snippet.
Where the work differs is emphasis. AI tools lean on pages that answer a question in the first sentence, and on mentions of your business on other sites.
Key takeaway: Treat AI search as an extension of good SEO, not a separate subject.
How do ChatGPT and Perplexity decide who to recommend?
They draw on pages they can read, so the first requirement is access. OpenAI documents its search crawler and other bots, and Perplexity documents PerplexityBot and recommends allowing it so your site can appear in its results.
After access, they favour businesses described clearly and consistently across the web: the same name, address and services on your site, your Google profile and directories.
Key takeaway: Open crawler access plus consistent facts is the foundation.
How can a Manchester business check what AI says about it?
You can check in ten minutes by asking the questions your customers would ask. Run each in ChatGPT, Google and Perplexity, and repeat on another day, because answers change between runs.
- Ask for a recommendation: “best electrician in Salford for a rewire”.
- Ask an urgent question: “emergency plumber open now near Stockport”.
- Ask about cost: “how much does a boiler service cost in Manchester?”.
- Ask about your own business by name, and note what is wrong.
- Record who is named instead of you, and which sources are cited.
Key takeaway: Five prompts, run twice, give you a baseline you can trust.
What should you not pay for?
Do not pay for an AI visibility score, because no scoring system in this field is independently verified. Do not pay for a promise that a particular tool will recommend you either, because nobody controls what an AI tool says.
Be wary of a separate monthly fee on top of your SEO. FlyRank includes the work in both retainers, lists every price on its pricing page, and sells a one-off Sprint only for a defined job.
Key takeaway: Pay for work you can see, not for a score or a promise.
Does AI search optimisation matter for local businesses in Greater Manchester?
Yes, because customers now ask AI tools local questions and get a short list of names back. A question about an electrician in Trafford or a physio in Bolton is answered with specific businesses, and the towns you name on your pages and listings decide whether you are among them.
That is why FlyRank tests prompts by town, not just for Manchester as a whole.
Key takeaway: Local AI answers are decided town by town, so name your towns clearly.
What should you do first?
Start with the fixes that help every tool: allow search crawlers, correct your business details everywhere, and write service pages that answer a customer question in the first sentence. Then earn genuine mentions on trade bodies, directories and local sites.
If you would rather have it done, the free visibility check shows what the tools say today, and the SEO agency service covers the Google side.
- Allow search crawlers in robots.txt and check security plugins are not blocking them
- Make your name, address, phone number and hours identical everywhere
- Open each service page with a direct answer to a customer question
- Keep pages current, and update them in place
Key takeaway: Fix access and facts first, then build answers and mentions.
What else do people ask about AI search optimisation?
What does AEO stand for?
AEO stands for answer engine optimisation. It means making your business easy for search and AI tools to quote in a direct answer. The practice relies on clear pages that answer a question in the first sentence, consistent business details and mentions on other trusted sites. FlyRank includes it in both retainers. However, you cannot control which sources an answer quotes.
Is GEO the same as AEO?
In practice, yes. GEO means generative engine optimisation and is framed around AI tools that write an answer instead of listing links, while AEO is framed around the direct answer itself. Agencies use both labels for overlapping work. Judge the service by its tasks, not its label. However, some providers use GEO for narrower or more technical services, so ask.
Do I need a separate agency for AI search?
Usually not. For a local business the work overlaps heavily with SEO, so one agency can cover both and report on both. Google states ordinary SEO best practice still applies to AI features. A separate provider adds cost and coordination. FlyRank includes AI search in both retainers. However, a very technical or international business might want specialist help.
Can blocking AI crawlers hurt my business?
It can. If robots.txt or a security rule blocks a search crawler, that tool cannot read your pages and may not name you. OpenAI and Perplexity both publish their crawler names so owners can allow them. Blocking model-training crawlers is a separate choice from allowing search crawlers. However, allow only what you are comfortable with, and check with your developer.
How long does it take to appear in AI answers?
Fixes to crawler access and business facts can show within weeks, while new citations take longer, often three to six months for an established local business. A new business with no history can take much longer. Answers change between runs, so judge progress over several checks. FlyRank reports monthly. However, nobody can promise a date for a recommendation.
Does FlyRank guarantee ChatGPT will name my business?
No. ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google decide what they say, and their answers vary from run to run. FlyRank can show you what the tools say today, fix the sources they rely on and report each month. We do not sell a score or a guarantee. Our free visibility check shows your starting point. However, doing the work raises the odds.
Want to see where your own business stands? Get your free visibility check or call +44 7495 335550.