Why ChatGPT Recommends Some Websites but Not Others: The 10 Point GEO Optimisation Checks.

You ask ChatGPT to find your company or a keyword related to your business. It confidently names a few. Yours is not one of them. Why? The answer is GEO optimisation. GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation and in 2026 it determines whether AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity can find, understand and recommend your business.

We have been working through this on our own website over the past few months. Nothing dramatic, no overnight transformation. Just steady, deliberate changes: making sure our content is structured for AI to read, updating and adding FAQ sections to key pages, fixing the technical signals that tell search engines and AI tools who we are and what we do. The results in Google Search Console have been encouraging. Our average position has improved from 32.6 to 20.1, clicks are up 37% and impressions have grown by 10%. Our best performing content by a considerable margin is the GEO optimised blog we published. That tells us the approach is working.

We apply this 10-point GEO optimisation checklist to websites where it is a priority. Here is exactly what it covers.

What We Actually Did and What We Found

Before we get into the GEO Optimisation checklist, a quick note. We are not claiming to have cracked AI search overnight. What we can say is that after making a handful of the changes below on our own site, we saw our average search position climb from 32.6 to 20.1, our GEO optimised content became our most clicked page, and queries for our core services started trending upward, including a 300% increase in clicks for web design related searches. Small steps, real results.

The 10 Point GEO Optimisation Checks.

According to llmstxt.org, a growing number of websites are now publishing structured AI context files to help language models understand and cite their content accurately. Here is the full checklist.

1. Add an llms.txt file to your website root — Critical

A plain text file that tells AI language models exactly who you are, what you do, and which pages matter most. Think of it as a CV for your website written specifically for AI. Without it, AI tools have to guess. It takes about an hour to set up and the impact is high.

2. Check your robots.txt is not blocking AI crawlers — Critical

Many websites accidentally block GPTBot, ClaudeBot and PerplexityBot in their robots.txt. If these bots cannot crawl your site, AI tools cannot recommend it. A 30 minute check that is absolutely critical to get right. We checked ours early on and it was one of the first things we fixed.

3. Add Organisation, LocalBusiness and Service schema to your homepage — High

Schema markup is structured code that tells AI and search engines precisely what your business is, where it operates, and what services it offers. For a London web design company, this is one of the highest impact changes you can make.

4. Create a dedicated services page with a clear definition, service list and FAQ — High

AI tools look for pages that directly answer user questions. A well structured services page with a definition block, a clear list of what you offer, and a FAQ section is highly citeable. This is something we are actively building out on our own site right now.

5. Add FAQPage schema and a Q&A section to your top service pages — High

We recently added FAQ sections to several of our key pages and it is already showing in how our content performs. FAQPage schema layers on top of that, telling AI tools your page directly answers specific questions and making it far more likely to be referenced.

6. Retrofit key blog posts with query matched H2s, definition leads and a cited statistic — Medium

Go back to your three to five best performing blog posts and update them. Open with a clear definition of the topic, rewrite H2 headings to match how people actually search, and add at least one referenced statistic. This single change improved our click through rate on updated posts noticeably.

7. Establish E-E-A-T signals — High

AI tools assess the authority behind your content, not just the content itself. Showcase your Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness through author credentials, client reviews, case studies, certifications and clear company information. This is what separates a trusted source from a generic website.

8. Get listed on Clutch and Google Business and request client reviews — High

Third party signals tell AI that your business is real, active and trusted. Consistent listings on Clutch, Google Business and industry directories backed by genuine client reviews matter more than most people realise. Aim for ten or more reviews to start building that signal.

9. Pass Core Web Vitals on your key pages — High

AI tools cross reference what Google trusts. Poor Core Web Vitals signal low quality to both. Fast load times, stable layouts and responsive interactions are non-negotiable for GEO in 2026. We run these checks as standard on every site we manage.

10. Keep your business name, address and phone number consistent everywhere — Medium

AI tools cross reference your website against Google Business, LinkedIn, Clutch and directory listings. Any inconsistency creates doubt about legitimacy and reduces the likelihood of being recommended. A simple audit, but one that catches more issues than you might expect.

Quick Reference: GEO Optimisation Checks

Is your website ready to be recommended by AI?

At Active WebDezign, we are a London web design and development company that builds GEO and SEO optimised websites from day one. Whether you need a full GEO audit, schema implementation, or ongoing content support, we handle it so you get found by both Google and AI.

Get a free GEO and SEO audit: staging.webdezign.co.uk