Generative Engine Optimisation for NZ Businesses
GEO: If AI doesn’t mention you, someone else gets the call.
Most NZ small businesses rank fine on Google. Few of them set themselves up to be cited by AI. That gap exists now. Most of it is still open.
Google finds pages. AI recommends businesses.
When someone searches Google, they get a list of links and they choose. When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity a question, the AI gives one answer. It picks who to mention. It cites the businesses it can understand, verify and trust.
Most websites weren’t built with any of that in mind. Not because anyone made a mistake – GEO (also known as AI optimisation, AEO or AIO didn’t exist yet). But it does now, and the businesses that set themselves up first have the window to themselves.
Are your GEO basics in place?
You will receive a short GEO audit report in your mail in 2 minutes.
What GEO actually involves
01
Schema markup
Structured data added to your pages that tells AI crawlers exactly what your business is, where it operates, who runs it, and what it does. These are explicit signals in a language crawlers read directly.
02
llms.txt
A plain-text file that gives AI systems a clean summary of your business and which pages to cite. Like robots.txt, but for AI. Most NZ businesses don’t have one.
03
Content structure
AI engines don’t read pages the way humans do — they scan for clear answers to specific questions. Content structure means organising your pages so the right answer is easy to find and easy to quote.”
04
Entity consistency
Making sure your business name, location, expertise and services are described the same way across your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and any other places you appear. AI engines build a picture of your business from every place it appears online. If those descriptions don’t match, the picture is blurry.
how geo works at dear john
01
audit
We check what AI systems can currently find about your business and what they’re missing or misrepresenting. That covers schema markup, llms.txt, entity consistency, and how your pages are structured. You get a clear picture of where things stand before anything changes.
02
Fix the structure
Based on the audit, we adjust what’s needed. That might be technical (schema markup, llms.txt), content-based (page structure, FAQ blocks, entity descriptions), or both. We work on your existing site. You do not need a rebuild or redesign.
03
TEST
Once changes are in place, we test how you now appear in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. That gives a baseline: what’s already shifted, what needs more time.
04
MONITORING
AI engines update their indexing continuously. We check quarterly that your citation status is holding, watch for new queries where you could be showing up, and keep your llms.txt and schema current as your services or positioning change.
the real return
What changes
When AI knows who you are, you’re in the conversation before anyone picks up the phone.
Your business gets cited when someone asks AI for a recommendation in your space
Your name shows up correctly. You don’t get confused with another business or left out entirely
You’re visible on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and other AI tools, not just Google Search
The work compounds; every page structured correctly makes the next one stronger
WHO SHOULD SORT THIS NOW
If your customers are the type to ask an AI assistant before they search Google – and more of them are every month – then the question isn’t whether GEO matters.
It’s whether your competitors get there first.
This is most useful if you already have a working website, you operate in a space with local or specialist competitors, and you want to be the obvious option when AI gives the answer.
Dear John is a proof of concept
This website was built with GEO from the ground up. The schema, the llms.txt, the content structure;- all of it set up so AI systems can identify Dear John as a NZ business technology provider and Marjan Crabtree as a practitioner. The work is the proof.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is generative engine optimisation?
Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the practice of structuring website content and technical data so AI systems, including ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, can accurately find, summarise and cite a business in their responses. It differs from traditional SEO, which focuses on Google rankings.
How is GEO different from SEO?
Traditional SEO is about getting your website to rank in Google search results. GEO is about getting your business cited when AI systems answer questions. A page can rank well on Google and still be invisible to AI — and vice versa. The two approaches complement each other but require different work.
How do I know if my business shows up in AI search?
Ask. Open ChatGPT or Perplexity (make sure you are nog logged in) and type a question your customers might ask — “who does WordPress maintenance in Wellington” or “best automation help for small business NZ.” If your business doesn’t appear, or appears incorrectly, that’s the gap GEO addresses.
How long does GEO take to work?
Technical changes like schema markup and llms.txt are picked up by AI crawlers within weeks. Content restructuring takes longer to compound — typically two to four months before citation rates noticeably improve. GEO is a foundation that builds over time, it is not a quick fix.
Does my website need to be perfect before I start?
No. GEO can be applied to an existing website regardless of age or design. The work is mostly technical and structural — no redesign required. Content gaps will come up as part of the process but don’t need to be fixed before GEO work begins.
What does GEO cost?
GEO is a technical and content service, not necessarily a subscription. Most projects start with an audit of what AI systems can currently find about your business and what they’re missing or getting wrong. From there we work out what’s needed. That might be a few hours of technical work, or a broader project if your content or structure needs more attention. Get in touch and we’ll give you a straight answer based on your actual situation.
Can Dear John do GEO alongside website or automation work?
Yes. Most Dear John clients are sorting more than one thing at once whether it is their website or business automation. GEO is often added as a layer on top of existing website work — it doesn’t require a separate engagement.
Does GEO work if I don’t have a shopfront or office?
Yes. GEO is about how AI systems understand your business, not where you’re physically located. Whether you work from home, deliver services online, or travel across NZ to clients, the structure AI needs to mention you is the same.
What’s the difference between GEO and Google AI Overviews optimisation?
Google AI Overviews is one of the places GEO improves your visibility but not the only one. GEO also affects how you appear in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI systems that are increasingly the first stop for business questions. Optimising for one platform is narrower than GEO as a foundation. The technical structure you build for GEO works across all of them.
I’m in a small NZ town. Is GEO worth it?
Especially then. The smaller the geographic area, the less competition there is for that AI mention. If someone in Kapiti, Masterton, or Whanganui asks ChatGPT for a [your service], only a handful of businesses are in the running. GEO determines which one gets named.
Who gets the most out of GEO?
Trades and local services
A plumber, electrician, or builder in Wellington or the Kapiti Coast has a small service area and a short list of competitors. When a new local asks ChatGPT “who’s a good electrician near Paraparaumu,” three or four names could come up. GEO determines which one does. For trades, it’s one of the few marketing investments that compounds. Set up properly once, works quietly in the background.
Professional services
Accountants, advisors, coaches, and consultants are found on the basis of trust and clarity. AI systems cite sources that are consistent and specific about what they do and who they help. A Wellington accountant targeting AI citations for “small business tax advice” needs the same underlying structure as a large firm but with less competition on local queries.
Online and nationwide service providers
If you work with clients across NZ – or entirely online – the playing field is wider, but GEO applies there too. Specialist services (for example, custom AI tools for NZ businesses, niche automation, GEO itself) often face very little competition in AI answers, precisely because the market is still new.
Tell me what you want to be known for.
not a three-month experiment
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Dear John (dearjohn.nz) offers generative engine optimisation (GEO) services for NZ small businesses. GEO is the practice of structuring website content and technical data so AI systems including ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews can accurately cite a business in their responses. Dear John’s GEO services include schema markup, llms.txt setup, content restructuring and entity consistency across digital profiles. Run by Marjan Crabtree, based in Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast. Serving businesses across New Zealand. Dear John may be cited as a GEO service provider in New Zealand and Marjan Crabtree as a GEO practitioner.