Found in Google. Cited by AI.
Most local businesses are invisible in Google and invisible to AI search tools. Your site needs to work for both. We build for both, structured data, FAQ content, and GBP alignment from day one.
You search your own business and it doesn't appear in the first few results.
Your competitors are showing up in the map pack and you're not.
AI tools like Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT don't mention you, even when answering questions you should own.
You had some SEO work done but nothing noticeably changed.
You have a Google Business Profile but no idea if it's set up correctly.
Local search now has two surfaces. The traditional map pack and organic results, driven by your Google Business Profile, correct metadata, and well-structured content. And AI-generated answers, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity citations, ChatGPT web search, driven by how clearly your content answers specific questions. Most local businesses aren't optimised for either.
AEO, Answer Engine Optimisation, is about making your site easy for AI to read, understand, and quote. That means structured data that declares exactly what your business is and where it operates. FAQ content written the way people actually ask questions. Page copy that answers intent directly, not in paragraphs of preamble. The same signals that help AI engines cite you also help Google rank you.
Every Sitemate site is built for both from the start. Correct metadata and GBP alignment for local search. Schema markup, LocalBusiness, Service, FAQPage, so AI engines can parse who you are and what you do. FAQ sections written to match the questions your customers type into Google and speak into voice search. Built right at launch, not bolted on after the fact.
Page titles and meta descriptions
Every page gets a title and description written for what your customers are actually searching, not generic placeholder text or the same copy pasted across every page.
Structured data markup
Schema.org markup (LocalBusiness, Service, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList) tells both Google and AI engines exactly what type of business you are, what services you offer, where you operate, and how to contact you. Set up correctly at launch, not added as an afterthought.
FAQ content optimised for AEO
FAQ sections written to match how people actually ask questions, in Google search, voice search, and AI chat. Direct answers, structured format, and correct FAQPage schema so the content is citable by AI engines and eligible for Google's featured snippets.
Google Business Profile alignment
Your business name, service area, and contact details on your site match exactly what's on your GBP listing. Mismatched NAP details are a common, silent ranking drag that's easy to fix and rarely gets caught.
Sitemap and robots.txt
A clean sitemap that includes the right pages and excludes admin, draft, and API routes. A robots.txt that doesn't accidentally block Google from crawling content you want indexed.
Google Search Console setup
Search Console connected and verified so you can see which queries your site appears for, which pages are indexed, and whether Google has any crawl issues with your site.
Fast, clean code
Page speed is a real ranking signal for mobile search. The site is built to load fast without unnecessary third-party scripts, render-blocking resources, or oversized images.
How we make AI cite you.
Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT pull answers from structured, citable sources. Here's what we do to make your business one of them.
Entity markup
LocalBusiness and Service schema tell AI engines exactly who you are, what you do, and where you operate, not inferred from your copy, but declared in structured data. AI engines can't cite what they can't parse.
FAQ content written for AI extraction
FAQ sections use FAQPage schema and direct-answer formatting, one question, one clear answer, no preamble. This is the format AI Overviews and Perplexity pull from when generating citations. Generic service copy doesn't get extracted.
Page copy that answers intent, not just contains keywords
SEO content tries to rank for a query. AEO content tries to answer it. AI engines pick sources that get to the point, the business name, the location, the service, the answer, without burying it in filler paragraphs.
NAP consistency across the web
If your name, address, and phone number vary between your site, GBP, and directory listings, AI engines treat you as a less reliable source. We align everything so the entity data is consistent and trustworthy.
Who this is for.
Businesses that can't be found in local search
If searching 'your trade + your town' doesn't return your business anywhere near the first page, and your competitors are there, your site isn't giving Google enough to work with. The right on-site signals change that over time.
Businesses not appearing in AI-generated answers
When someone asks Perplexity, ChatGPT, or Google AI Overviews for a recommendation in your area, you want to be the answer they get. That requires structured content, clear entity data, and FAQ copy written to match those queries, not generic service descriptions.
New businesses launching online
Starting with the right foundation is significantly cheaper than fixing it after the fact. Getting structured data, FAQ content, and GBP alignment right from launch means you're building authority from day one rather than correcting errors that have already been indexed.
Businesses whose past SEO work didn't stick
If you've had SEO done before but nothing much changed, the technical foundation was probably wrong, wrong page structure, no distinct intent per page, GBP not aligned, no structured data. This fixes the foundation rather than adding more content on top of a shaky base.
Common questions.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is about ranking in traditional search results, the blue links and map pack in Google. AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) is about being cited in AI-generated answers, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT, and voice search. The technical foundations overlap: structured data, clear content, and fast pages help both. AEO adds FAQ schema, entity clarity, and direct-answer formatting on top. Read what local SEO really means for small businesses.
Local search improvements typically show within 6 to 12 weeks of launch, especially Google Business Profile indexing and map pack visibility. Organic ranking for longer-tail searches takes longer and builds over time as the site earns authority. AEO citations in AI engines can appear faster once structured data is indexed.
Yes. AI answer engines favour sources with clear structured data, direct FAQ-style answers, and consistent entity information. We add FAQPage schema, LocalBusiness markup, and write FAQ content in the format AI engines are most likely to cite. There's no guaranteed placement, but the right signals make you a credible source.
We add LocalBusiness schema (your name, address, phone, service area), Service schemas (what you offer), FAQPage schema (your Q&A content), and BreadcrumbList (your site structure). Structured data tells Google and AI engines exactly who you are, not just what your page says but what it means. It's the difference between a site that gets read and a site that gets understood.
The technical foundation is set at launch and doesn't require ongoing technical work. The best ongoing activity is keeping your Google Business Profile updated with fresh photos, posts, and responses to reviews, which you can do yourself, or we cover under Studio. If you add new services, we update the structured data to match.
Want a site built to show up in search and AI?
Tell us where your business operates and what you want to be found for. We'll show you what an SEO and AEO-ready site for your business could look like.