Is ChatGPT Becoming the New Google? Why GEO Is Changing How Customers Find Businesses

For years, businesses have fought for one thing online: a place at the top of Google. That still matters, but the way people search is changing.

Instead of opening Google and typing “mortgage broker Wigan” or “best estate agent near me”, more people are simply asking an AI assistant:

• “Who is the best mortgage broker in my area?”
• “Find me a good estate agent near me.”
• “Which company should I use to build a new website?”

ChatGPT, Google’s AI search experiences, Alexa and other AI-powered assistants are increasingly becoming part of the discovery process.

Welcome to the world of GEO – Generative Engine Optimisation.

What is GEO?

GEO is about making your business understandable, relevant and authoritative enough that AI-powered search engines can confidently identify and recommend it.

The interesting part is that GEO hasn’t suddenly made traditional SEO irrelevant.

Quite the opposite.

Google itself has confirmed that the fundamental principles of SEO remain relevant to its generative AI search experiences. Good technical structure, crawlable websites, useful original content, authority and clearly communicating what your business does are still fundamental. (Google for Developers)

In other words, good SEO is becoming the foundation of good GEO.

We’re Already Seeing It With Our Clients

At Digital Media Guys, we’ve spent years helping businesses become more visible online through technical SEO, content, website development and digital strategy.

Now we’re seeing that work translate into AI visibility too.

For example, we’ve helped clients achieve strong Google positions for commercially valuable searches including terms such as Mortgage Broker Wigan, Mortgage Advisor Wigan, Mortgage Broker St Helens and Mortgage Broker Ormskirk.

However, increasingly, we’re testing something else.

We ask AI platforms questions in the way a genuine customer might:

• “Who are the best mortgage brokers in Wigan?”

• “Can you recommend a mortgage adviser near me?”

• “Who are the best businesses for [service] in this area?”

And we’re seeing clients we’ve worked with being identified and recommended.

That isn’t an accident.

Why Traditional SEO Techniques Still Matter

AI needs information to formulate answers.

It needs to understand who you are, what you do, where you operate and why you should be considered credible.

That’s why many of the things we’ve always concentrated on at Digital Media Guys remain so important.

Strong website architecture. Technical SEO. Location and service pages. Helpful expert content. Clear internal linking. Structured information. Digital authority. Fast, well-built websites. Consistent business information.

Google’s own guidance specifically says that useful, original content and a clear technical website structure remain foundational to visibility within generative AI search. (Google for Developers)

The difference is that we’re no longer optimising solely for somebody to find your website.

We’re increasingly optimising so that machines can understand your business well enough to recommend it.

Search Is Changing. Is Your Business Ready?

Imagine someone sitting at home saying:

“Alexa, find me the best estate agent in Southport.”

Or opening ChatGPT and asking:

“Who’s the best mortgage broker near Wigan?”

The question businesses now need to ask is simple:

Does AI know enough about your company to include you in the answer?

At Digital Media Guys, we build websites, SEO strategies, content, CRM systems and digital platforms designed to help businesses grow. GEO is becoming another important part of that ecosystem.

If you want to know how visible your business is across traditional search and AI search, speak to Digital Media Guys.

Search is changing. Make sure your business is part of the answer.