Executive Summary: Customers are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for product and service recommendations. Growth strategy marketing in this area is called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). This article provides GEO best practices for ChatGPT and Google Gemini, with real-life examples from CPG products and local service businesses.
Your Brand Needs a Plan for Generative Engine Optimization with ChatGPT & Google Gemini
There’s a new marketing acronym in town, GEO. It stands for Generative Engine Optimization, and it has one customer segment: AI chatbots. It’s the top growth strategy marketing approach your brand needs to plan for right now.
Through GEO, companies attempt to bring their brand into the conversation and influence AI chatbots to recommend their products and services. Across markets, the user journey might look something like this:
| Market | User Intent | Example AI Chatbot Prompts |
| Local Services | To find reliable professionals in a confusing marketplace | Who’s the best electrician in my area? |
| B2B | To research possible partners for further investigation | Give me a list of high-performing brand strategy firms that focus on qualitative research. |
| Travel | To get new ideas and itineraries beyond their circle of acquaintance | Based on what you know about me, what are some fun and surprising vacation destinations I would like? |
| Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) | To find products that meet specific needs | Can you recommend a toothpaste without the foaming agent sodium lauryl sulfate? |
Wouldn’t you like your brand to be at the top of a chatbot’s recommendation?
Which AI Chatbots Should My Brand Focus On?
There are more AI chatbots popping up all the time, but the biggest players by market share remain ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. Here’s a chart built by FirstPageSage in August 2025:
Market Share of Top 3 AI Chatbots
As you can see, the lion’s share of chatting goes to these top three players:
- 60.40% Market Share: ChatGPT
- 14.1% Market Share: Microsoft Copilot
- 13.50% Market Share: Google Gemini
For our growth strategy marketing analysis, we’ll focus on ChatGPT and Google Gemini. They are distinct in their style and sources. Microsoft wholly owns Copilot, and it owns a major stake in OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. These two AI chatbots are based on similar large language model (LLM) technology.
ChatGPT Growth Strategy Marketing
Users interact with the ChatGPT app or in a web browser. They come to the service with a goal in mind and time dedicated to finding their answers. Here’s a peek into how some busy moms are streamlining purchase decisions with ChatGPT.
ChatGPT as Personal Shopper
ChatGPT doesn’t just suggest options. It’s moving towards a model of becoming the user’s personal shopper:
“Users come to ChatGPT with all kinds of questions, and one common topic is researching and buying products. Now, when a user query suggests shopping intent (e.g., “I’m looking to buy costumes for my two dogs”), ChatGPT can display relevant product options in visually rich carousels, provide additional product details, and link users to websites where they can learn more or make a purchase. Products are selected by ChatGPT independently and are not ads.”
So, brands can’t overtly buy their way onto ChatGPT, but the recommendations have to come from somewhere. Let’s explore.
GEO Growth Strategy Marketing Tips: How to Get ChatGPT Chatting About Your Brand
These GEO best practices encourage ChatGPT to start talking about your brand. You’ll notice that some of the less-popular marketing platforms are highly influential withChatGPT, like Bing and Quora.
| What to Understand about ChatGPT | |
| Where ChatGPT Sources its Information | Bing search results Bing maps Online reviews from sources such as Yelp, Amazon, BBB, Glassdoor and more Social platforms like Reddit and Quora |
| How ChatGPT Assesses Your Brand | Being mentioned by authoritative lists in your industry Credentials, such as certifications and awards Online reviews Endorsements, partnerships and case studies What social platforms have to say about you |
Keep in mind that ChatGPT controls over 60% of the AI chatbot market share, making it the most valuable target for most brands.
2 Real-Life GEO Growth Strategy Marketing Examples for ChatGPT
These two CPG growth strategy marketing examples highlight how ChatGPT may provide answers that differ from traditional search methods, because its LLM uses different sources.
1. Toothpaste Troubles Solved
My toothpaste query at the beginning of this article wasn’t imaginary. For years, chasing down the latest brand to offer SLS-free toothpaste before it discontinued the product has been a regular irritation of mine. I was incredibly impressed with ChatGPT’s Product Recommendations and bought one of the options right away.
Interestingly, I had never heard of most of these brands before, despite putting my best Google, Amazon and Walmart search efforts towards this problem. These results emphasize that ChatGPT uses different internet sources than most humans do. This example also emphasizes why GEO growth strategy marketing is a distinct field from SEO.
2. Laundry Room Sorted
Taking inspiration from moms of the internet, I shared a picture of my cluttered laundry room and asked ChatGPT for products to help me organize the space. After a thorough analysis, the chatbot helpfully asked,
“Would you like me to put together an Amazon-style shopping list with links for the exact types of bins, racks, and organizers that would fit this space?”
I agreed and was given helpful product information, with pictures, prices and links to buy.
This example shows that we’re all going to use AI chatbots more as we get useful ideas from our peers. Implementing GEO best practices in your growth strategy marketing will only become more important for your brand in the coming months and years.
Google Gemini Growth Strategy Marketing
Unlike ChatGPT, Google Gemini interacts with users during the Google search process. Often, these are quick queries that end the browsing session.
For instance, when my parents’ oven was malfunctioning, I Googled, “What does the oven code F10 mean?” Google Gemini came back with the alarming answer “runaway temperature,” so off we went to switch off the breaker, without opening any web site search results.
Usually, a search user’s needs aren’t so immediate. But Pew research shows that Google users are significantly more likely to end their browsing session quickly when they get that helpful AI summary.
When Does a Google Gemini AI Summary Appear?
Not every search displays an AI summary. Pew’s 2025 research further showed:
“Overall, around one-in-five Google searches in March 2025 produced an AI summary. Some 18% of all the Google searches in our study generated an AI summary as part of the search results. The vast majority of these summaries (88%) cited three or more sources. Only 1% cited a single source.”
It seems that these kinds of queries are more likely to generate a Goole Gemini AI Summary:
- Questions, i.e., What’s the best athletic shoe store around? VS. athletic shoe store near me
- Full sentences, i.e., My car won’t start VS. ignition switch
- Topics, i.e., Employee Burnout or 4 P’s of Marketing VS. Names like Sigmund Freud or Oliver Twist
GEO Growth Strategy Marketing Tips: How to Show Up in Google Gemini AI Summaries
These GEO best practices help your brand show up in Google Gemini AI Summaries. You need to optimize your presence where Gemini sources its information and prioritize giving those sources content that matters to Gemini.
| What to Understand about Google Gemini | |
| Where Gemini Sources its Information | All Google products, such as Google Search, YouTube and Google Maps Social platforms like Reddit and Quora |
| How Gemini Assesses Your Brand | Being mentioned by authoritative lists in your industry Google website authority Credentials, such as certifications and awards Online reviews |
For many brands, the effort they’ve invested into Google search over the years will benefit them with Gemini.
3 Real-Life GEO Growth Strategy Marketing Examples for Google Gemini
Three of my local service business clients are seeing good results with GEO for Google Gemini.
1. LUX Landscape Lighting GEO Growth Strategy Marketing
“What’s the best landscape lighting company in Cincinnati?” is a valuable question for my client LUX Landscape Lighting. Here’s a screenshot of that Google query, taken last month.
Clearly, we’re very pleased with Gemini’s recommendation. These results didn’t happen overnight. Here’s how we did it:
- We advertise with Google Ads, which can’t hurt
- For years, we have published a monthly YouTube video
- Our Google Reviews are stellar, standing at five stars across 149 reviews. We also update our Google Maps profile twice each month.
- We update our website regularly, with an eye towards SEO
Currently, we’re expanding our GEO growth strategy marketing efforts to improve our standing with ChatGPT.
2. TriState Water Works GEO Growth Strategy Marketing
In the world of irrigation repair and maintenance, TriState Water Works is one of Cincinnati’s only providers. That’s a huge competitive advantage on its own. So, I wasn’t surprised at Google Gemini’s answer to the question, “What’s the best irrigation company in Cincinnati?”
It was gratifying that Gemini included a variation of our tagline right in the summary, “Prompt & Proven Sprinkler Service.” These elements of our marketing plan contribute to our success with Gemini:
- Our positioning is based on a complete understanding of our customer segmentation, identified through market research
- We’ve built our service portfolio around pain points in the marketplace, and we market to that search intent
- Our team has certifications that Gemini values
- Our content strategy emphasizes YouTube, SEO and Google Maps optimization
3. Companion Care Animal Hospital GEO Growth Strategy Marketing
Companion Care Animal Hospital in Fairfield, OH is a lovely practice owned by experienced veterinarian Dr. Karen Collins. Our marketing goals are to educate current clients and help new clients get the best veterinary care for their pets. As part of our strategy, we regularly feature pet-friendly events around the Cincinnati area.
Google Gemini features us as a good source for this information, linking to that part of our website:
This result shows that if a brand consistently publishes useful content in a given area, Gemini will give them priority.
GEO growth strategy marketing is a fascinating field, full of opportunity. For many industries, the AI chatbot space isn’t on competitors’ radars yet. Brands who emerge with a strong strategy will dominate. And even making small tweaks in important areas could have an outsized effect. Will your brand be ahead of the crowd?
Insight to Action is LA’s premier market research and business growth consulting firm. Check out our Growth Strategy Resources or contact us to start a conversation about your brand. For more insights, subscribe to our newsletter.
