GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) makes sure AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews know, trust and mention your franchise brand and your locations. More and more people ask an AI for a recommendation instead of looking at ten blue links. We make your franchise brand citable, using our own 30-minute GEO method as the foundation.
What is GEO and how does it differ from ordinary SEO?
SEO focuses on a position in the search results. GEO focuses on a mention in a generated answer. An AI assistant chooses sources that are clear, consistent and reliable, and that are about a recognisable entity: a brand, person or location with fixed characteristics.
For a franchise brand, that means two levels: the franchise brand as an entity (who you are, what you offer, where you are based) and every location as a local entity with its own address, reviews and opening hours.
| Aspect | Classic SEO | GEO / AI visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Position in search results | Being mentioned in an AI answer |
| Main signal | Relevance and links | Entity, consistency and source citation |
| Content format | One page per keyword | Direct answer, facts, tables, FAQ |
| Measurement | Rankings and clicks | Mentions per question and assistant |
Why does AI visibility matter even more for franchise chains?
Because for a local question an AI assistant often names only a few options. If your location is not among them, it does not exist for that user. On top of that, an AI pulls information from many sources at once: your website, your Google Business Profile, reviews, sector websites and mentions. With a chain, those sources are often inconsistent, and that costs trust.
A strong profile for each location is therefore the foundation. That is why GEO works best in combination with local visibility per location and well-structured local landing pages per location.
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How do we approach GEO for a franchise brand and its locations?
We work from the big picture down to the detail: first the franchise brand as an entity, then the locations, then the content that answers questions.
| Level | Activity | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise brand | Establishing the entity: schema, sameAs, Wikidata where appropriate, a fixed core description | AI recognises the brand unambiguously |
| Franchise brand | llms.txt and AI crawlers allowed in robots.txt | AI search engines can read the site |
| Location | LocalBusiness schema on each location page, consistent NAP | The location as a local entity |
| Location | Encouraging and answering reviews with substance | More citable experiences |
| Content | Answer-first pages, question headings, tables with sources | Higher chance of being cited |
| Measurement | Baseline measurement of 10 core questions in 4 assistants | Insight into mentions |
| Point of attention | Why |
|---|---|
| Results vary per session | AI answers are not stable, so measure more often and with fixed questions |
| No guarantee of a mention | You increase the chance; nobody can force a mention |
| Off-site signals count too | Mentions on other sites carry a lot of weight and take time |
How do you measure whether AI assistants mention your franchise brand?
Together with you, we draw up ten core questions that customers really ask, such as "which physiotherapist in Amersfoort has evening opening hours?". We test those questions in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude, with search enabled. That is the baseline measurement. After four and eight weeks we repeat the measurement and report the difference in marketing reporting per location.
What questions do customers ask AI about local locations?
AI assistants receive different questions from Google. They are longer, more personal and often contain several conditions at once. Precisely those conditions (open on Sunday, wheelchair accessible, parking, specialism) must be stated explicitly in your profiles and location pages. Otherwise an AI cannot select your location, however good your service is.
| Sector | Example question | Information needed |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | Which physiotherapist near us specialises in sports injuries and has evening opening hours? | Specialisms, opening hours, location |
| Hospitality | Where in Utrecht can a group of twelve have lunch with gluten-free options? | Group capacity, menu information, reservations |
| Service businesses | Which estate agent in Zwolle sells a lot of 1930s houses? | Specialism, reviews with substance, service area |
| Non-food retail | Which bicycle shop in Haarlem repairs e-bikes on the same day? | Services, turnaround times, opening hours |
Where can you read more about GEO for franchise chains?
In Local SEO & GEO voor Franchiseketens 2026 (Dutch-language edition), Gijs Bodenstaff and Stanley Leijnse describe how AI-driven local selection works and what role reviews play as a data source. The extended version is in the 2027 handbook for franchise chains. Would you rather get started straight away? Request the free marketing scan.
Frequently asked questions about Generative Engine Optimisation
Can you guarantee that ChatGPT will mention my franchise brand?
Is GEO different from Local SEO?
What is the 30-minute GEO method?
How quickly will I see the effect of GEO?
Does my website need to be rebuilt for this?
What is llms.txt and does a franchise need it?
Which AI assistants do you test in a GEO baseline measurement?
Why doesn't an AI assistant mention my location for a local question?
What does an entity mean in GEO for a franchise?
Why do detailed reviews help the AI visibility of locations?
Gijs Bodenstaff
Franchise marketer, local SEO and GEO specialist, author
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