There was a time when getting found online was all about SEO, search engine optimization. But now there’s a new player: GEO, generative engine optimization.
Instead of trying to be discovered by Google, we also now have to think about being recommended by AI search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and others. The agents who understand how to control what AI “knows” about them and how it interprets their authority will own the next generation of online visibility.
7 tips for getting AI’s attention with generative engine optimization
Let’s break down the seven things AI already knows about you and how to make sure it sees you as the go-to local expert in your market.
1. Your identity and reputation
AI starts with what it can gather about who you are, including your bios, your profiles and your reputation across the web.
That means it’s reading:
- Your website bio
- Your social media bios
- Third-party platforms like Zillow, Realtor.com, RateMyAgent and Agent Pronto
What it’s looking for is consistency. To enhance your visibility, ensure that your information is uniform across all platforms. Additionally, engaging with your audience through valuable content and authentic interactions can significantly boost your standing as a trusted authority in your field.
If your bio on one site says you serve one city and another says a different city, AI may not realize those are the same. Ensure that all profiles use the same key phrases about where you work, what you specialize in and what makes you unique.
2. Your reviews (and where they’re posted)
Currently, ChatGPT is unable to read or reference Google reviews directly. But this doesn’t mean they don’t matter. Even though AI may not be able to read reviews on every platform, it can read your words on “About Me” pages that reference reviews. This is where weaving information about your reviews into bios and about me pages can be valuable for AI recognition.
For example, the following sentence is one that AI will love:
“With more than 100 five-star reviews on Google, Zillow and Realtor.com, Jimmy Burgess has become a trusted name in real estate across the Emerald Coast.”
That one sentence gives the algorithm quotable, confidence-building data.
If you have the opportunity, coach your reviewers. For the clients who love you, guide them to mention your city, your niche and the specific result you helped them achieve. Those keywords matter to AI as much as they do to Google.
Another key is to spread your reviews out over multiple platforms. The best strategy for this is to request a client who leaves you a review on one site to copy and paste it to another site.
You can make this easy for your clients by sending them an email after they leave a review on Google (for instance) that says:
“Thank you so much for the kind words on Google! If you don’t mind, it would really help me out if you could copy and paste your review onto Zillow and Realtor.com. For convenience, this is a copy of your review and these are the links to make it easy.”
This multiplies your digital footprint without adding too much friction for the client.
The more places AI finds consistent five-star feedback, the more confident it is recommending you when someone asks, “Who’s the best agent in [your city]?”
3. Your social media and YouTube content
AI now reads your social content, and it can tell who’s creating current, local and authentic posts.
Colby Anderson, an agent in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, had AI recommend him to a prospective builder who asked ChatGPT for an active agent in a specific neighborhood. Because he had just posted about that neighborhood on Instagram a week earlier, ChatGPT recommended him and shared the fact that he had posted about that particular neighborhood within the past seven days.
This highlights the growing importance of maintaining an active online presence, as algorithms increasingly prioritize recent and relevant content. For real estate professionals, leveraging social media by consistently posting local content can lead to valuable connections and opportunities.
So what should you be posting?
- Local lifestyle videos (restaurants, trails, events)
- Market updates with neighborhood names
- Comparison videos between areas or price points
When you post, tag your location, not just your city, but your specific neighborhood or community name. The more precise, the better.
4. Your market activity
If you’re closing deals, share the details. But don’t just post “JUST SOLD!” graphics. Tell the story behind the sale:
- The challenge the client faced
- How you helped them overcome it
- The result
When you share these stories, AI reads them as proof of production and community presence. Even if it’s an older transaction, it still signals that you’re an experienced agent actively working in your market.
An example of language you could use for one of these videos might be:
“After being listed with another agent for six months, this family listed their (neighborhood) home with us, and we got it sold in three weeks. By repositioning the marketing, improving the visuals and executing on our 21-point listing launch strategy, we were able to get their home sold when others were not able to do so, and the sellers were able to move closer to their grandchildren.”
This type of scripting gives the algorithm and potential sellers everything they need to see you as the problem solver in your area.
5. Your expertise trail: What you teach becomes what you’re known for
AI rewards those who share knowledge. Every how-to video, market insight or buyer-tip article you publish becomes part of your expertise trail that proves you know your stuff.
You don’t have to be a content machine; you just need to document what you already know.
- Turn a client question into a quick video Reel for Instagram.
- Turn a pricing conversation into a LinkedIn or Facebook post.
- Turn a showing-day story into a TikTok video about what buyers are looking for right now.
Each small piece of educational content strengthens your signal as the “trusted guide” in your market. Over time, AI recognizes patterns and the more you teach, the more it recommends you when someone asks, “Who’s the expert agent in (your city)?”
6. Your local authority signals
One of the most important things AI measures is whether you’re embedded in your community. It wants to know: Are you an active local voice or just an agent trying to sell homes?
You can show local authority in two ways:
A. Through your content
Post things like:
- “5 Best Restaurants for Date Night in Destin”
- “Where to Watch Fireworks This Fourth of July”
- “Top Family-Friendly Fall Festivals Near Santa Rosa Beach”
These posts make you more than a real estate agent; they make you the local resource.
B. Through your involvement
If you’re sponsoring a Little League team, part of the PTA or volunteering with a local charity, share those stories too. When AI scans your content and sees those posts, it connects you with community activity and trust.
The more the algorithm sees your name tied to your city’s events, causes and highlights, the more confidently it can recommend you as “the local expert.”
7. Your thought leadership
Finally, AI looks for thought leadership, proof that you’re not just part of your community but a voice within it. That can happen locally, regionally or nationally.
Here are some ways to get started:
- Quoted.com and Help a Reporter Out (HARO): Register to answer media questions about real estate, market trends or local developments. Your quotes get indexed online and referenced by AI.
- Local media: Build relationships with your local newspaper editors, radio hosts, podcast producers and local television reporters. Offer to provide housing market updates or comment on new development projects.
- Your own podcast or YouTube interviews: Spotlight local business owners, school principals or community leaders. When you’re the one creating the content, you’re the one the algorithm recognizes as the source.
Remember, the goal isn’t to brag; it’s to own the narrative. The more you share insights about your market, the more likely AI will point back to you when someone asks, “Who’s the most knowledgeable agent in [your area]?”
SEO isn’t dead; it’s just evolving. The next generation of search belongs to those who show up in generative AI results as well. If you do, you’ll not only show up in search, you’ll show up in conversation.
Because the next time someone asks ChatGPT, “Who’s the best real estate agent in [your city]?” You want the answer to be you.
This post was updated Feb. 6, 2026.
