Search and AI visibility

What is the difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO?#

They are three names for one goal: when someone looks for what you sell, they find you. The difference is where the person is looking.

For a small local business these are mostly the same work done well, not three separate products.

What does Total BS actually do?#

I make sure a person or a machine can tell who you are, what you do, where you do it, and how to reach you. In practice that means:

• Clear, direct answers on every page. Question headings, with the answer in the first sentence under each one.
• Structured data. Markup that lets machines read your name, services, area, hours, and prices without guessing.
• Google Business Profile. Set up properly and matched to the website.
• Business listings claimed and corrected. That includes the new business profile in ChatGPT.
• The same name, address, and phone everywhere. Mismatched details are the most common cause of wrong answers.
• Fast pages on phones. Most local searches happen on one.
• A review request link. One short link that makes it easy for a customer to leave a Google review.
• AI crawlers allowed in. Checking that the site is not blocking the assistants you want to be found by.

Can I claim my business in ChatGPT?#

Yes, if your business is eligible. OpenAI lets an owner, or someone authorized to represent the business, claim it through Business Hub, which opens from the sidebar in ChatGPT. Availability depends on where the business is and what kind of business it is. Local stores and restaurants can currently claim only an existing U.S. listing.

What OpenAI's own instructions say:

• How you prove it is yours. ChatGPT offers one or more verification methods: a code sent to your business phone, a code sent to your business email, a TXT record added to your website domain's DNS, or a Shopify login.
• Then OpenAI reviews the claim. You get the decision by email. Review time varies.
• Claiming does not add a blue check. The verified badge appears only after a separate identity verification through a company called Persona is approved. You may need a government ID, business registration details, and proof that you are authorized to represent the business.
• What you need and do not need. You do not need an Ads account or a ChatGPT Enterprise agreement. OpenAI's setup instructions do not list a fee.
• It is not a ranking tool. OpenAI says claiming does not guarantee increased visibility or give you control over what ChatGPT recommends.

Where I help: the DNS record is the step where most owners get stuck, and I can add it for you and walk you through the rest. The identity verification is yours to do. Nobody else should hold your ID.

Start from OpenAI's own page, not from a link in an ad or a message.

Is this included with a Total BS website?#

The basics are. Every website I build comes with clear page titles, your service area, structured data, and a Google Business Profile that matches the site.

Three things are separate: work on a website someone else built, cleaning up listings across the web, and ongoing content. Reviews, listing cleanup, and help claiming profiles are billed at the consulting rate, from $75 per hour. Changes to a website are $125 per hour. Every rate is on the pricing page.

Can you guarantee I will show up in ChatGPT or rank first in Google?#

No, and nobody honestly can. Google and the AI assistants decide what they show, and they do not sell placement in their regular answers.

What can be controlled is the input: accurate information, clear pages, real reviews, and a site that crawlers are allowed to read. What cannot be controlled is the outcome on any one search or question. Be careful with anyone who promises otherwise.

How do I know what AI assistants say about my business today?#

Ask them. Open ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity and type the questions a customer would:

• "Who does [your service] in [your town], NY?"
• "What do you know about [your business name]?"
• "What are the hours and phone number for [your business name]?"
• "Is [your business name] any good?"

Write down what is wrong or missing. Wrong answers usually trace back to something you can fix, such as an old directory listing or details that do not match from one site to the next. The first conversation is free, and I am glad to go through the results with you.