Everything you need to understand
AI search visibility.
Reference material, plain-English definitions, checklists, and a curated reading list. All free, no signup. Bookmark this page.
GEO & AI search glossary.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
The practice of making a business findable and citable by AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Gemini.
AI Overview
Google's AI-generated summary that appears above the traditional blue-link results on commercial searches.
Schema Markup
Structured data embedded in a webpage (in JSON-LD or microdata format) that tells search engines and AI models what kind of entity the page represents.
LocalBusiness Schema
A specific schema type that declares a business's name, address, phone, hours, categories, and service area. The foundational local AI signal.
FAQPage Schema
Schema that wraps a question-and-answer structure, which AI models preferentially cite because it matches their output format.
llms.txt
A new convention (similar to robots.txt) that tells AI crawlers how to parse and cite your site. Adoption is early but growing.
Entity
In AI search, a canonical concept the model recognizes: a specific person, place, or business. Your goal is for your business to be a high-confidence entity.
Citation
A mention of your business in a trusted source (news, directory, Wikipedia). Citations are the "references" AI engines use to confirm you exist and are credible.
NAP Consistency
Name, Address, and Phone appearing identically across your website, GBP, and every directory. Inconsistency is the single most common low-confidence signal.
Google Business Profile (GBP)
Formerly Google My Business. The free listing that controls how your business appears in Google Maps, Google Search, and most AI local recommendations.
AI Visibility Score
A measure of how often your business appears in AI-generated answers for queries your customers use. Prompting Logic's core metric.
Generative Answer Engine
Any AI product that returns a synthesized answer rather than a list of links. ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini are all examples.
25-point AI visibility checklist.
Run this against your own business. Every item is a discrete, verifiable fix. If you can tick 20+ of these, you are ahead of 95% of your local competitors.
- LocalBusiness schema on home page
- Service schema on each service page
- FAQPage schema on a dedicated FAQ page
- Review/AggregateRating schema on testimonials
- Breadcrumb schema on all nested pages
- XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
- llms.txt file at site root
- All pages load in under 3 seconds on mobile
- FAQ page with 10+ real customer questions
- Dedicated page per service you offer
- Dedicated page per city/region you serve
- Testimonials page with 10+ reviews and schema
- Clear pricing or "starting at" on service pages
- Primary category correct and specific
- All relevant secondary categories added
- Hours, phone, website verified
- 20+ photos, refreshed monthly
- Q&A section populated with owner answers
- Weekly GBP posts (or every 2 weeks minimum)
- 50+ Google reviews, averaging 4.5+ stars
- NAP identical across website, GBP, Yelp, Houzz, Bing Places
- Listed on 5+ industry-specific directories
- Backlinks from 3+ local news or industry publications
- One published blog post per month minimum
- Appears in ChatGPT answer for at least one core query
Schema cheatsheet.
The three schema types every home, design, and decor business should install. Paste these into your site’s <head> (or have your developer do it), edit the values for your business, and validate with Google’s Rich Results Test.
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Your Business Name",
"image": "https://yourdomain.com/logo.jpg",
"telephone": "+1-919-555-0100",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "Raleigh",
"addressRegion": "NC",
"postalCode": "27601",
"addressCountry": "US"
},
"url": "https://yourdomain.com",
"priceRange": "$$",
"openingHours": "Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00"
}
</script><script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How long does a typical project take?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Most engagements run 6 to 12 weeks..."
}
}]
}
</script><script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Service",
"serviceType": "Kitchen Remodeling",
"provider": { "@type": "LocalBusiness", "name": "Your Business" },
"areaServed": { "@type": "City", "name": "Raleigh" }
}
</script>Always validate at Google’s Rich Results Test before deploying.
Google Business Profile optimization guide.
GBP is the strongest free local AI signal you can control. Ten concrete steps, in order. Most can be done in an afternoon.
- 01Claim and verify your profile if you haven’t already (search your business on Google Maps).
- 02Set your primary category as the most specific match (e.g. "Interior Designer" not "Design Agency").
- 03Add every relevant secondary category. Three to five is ideal.
- 04Complete every service in the Services section with a short description and price when possible.
- 05Upload at least 20 high-quality photos: exterior, interior, team, finished work, process shots.
- 06Fill out the Q&A section yourself. Seed it with the 5 questions customers most often ask.
- 07Post weekly (or every 2 weeks). Projects, behind-the-scenes, seasonal tips, offers.
- 08Respond to every review within 48 hours. Polite, specific, thanking them by name.
- 09Request reviews from recent happy clients. Aim for 2–4 new reviews per month.
- 10Check your Insights monthly. Note which queries are finding you and double down on them.
Industry reading list.
The external sources I actually trust and check regularly. Everything on this list is free and authoritative.
Want all of this done for you?
Start with the free audit.
The Full Audit ships every item on this page, implemented and deployed, in 48 hours for $799.