# AI SEO NZ: Get Found Wherever People Search with AI People now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews the questions they used to type into a search box. AI SEO is the work of making sure those tools can find your organisation, understand what you do and trust you enough to mention you. Net Branding Limited has worked in digital marketing since 2008. This page explains how AI search works, what the different disciplines mean and which one fits your situation. Not sure where you stand? We will check how your website and brand currently appear in Google and in AI answers, and tell you plainly what to fix first. [ Book a free SEO and AI visibility audit ](/free-audit/) ## How AI search has changed the way customers find you A customer who once typed “plumber Remuera” and scanned ten blue links may now ask an AI assistant to recommend a reliable plumber who can come this week. The assistant reads the web, weighs what it finds and replies with a short answer that names a handful of businesses, or only one. If your organisation is missing from that answer, the customer may never reach your website at all. This change does not make your website less important. It makes it more important, because AI tools draw heavily on the same pages, listings and reviews that search engines use. What has changed is the standard those sources must meet. AI systems favour information that is clear, consistent and easy to verify. Common signs that your business is not yet ready for AI search include: - AI tools describe your services inaccurately or with out of date details. - Competitors are named when people ask for recommendations in your field. - Your Google Business Profile, website and directory listings tell slightly different stories. - Your pages rank in Google but rarely appear in AI generated summaries. Each of these has a cause that can be found and, in most cases, fixed. ## What AI SEO covers, and how LLM SEO, GEO and AEO differ AI SEO is an umbrella term. It describes everything we do to help AI powered tools find, understand, trust and cite an organisation. The industry uses several overlapping labels, which causes confusion. We use them for three distinct jobs, because each answers a different business question. | Discipline | The question it answers | Where it shows up | | --- | --- | --- | | LLM SEO | How do ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity describe our brand? | Conversations in AI assistants | | Generative engine optimisation (GEO) | Are we included when AI search summarises our topic? | Google AI Overviews, AI Mode and other generated summaries | | Answer engine optimisation (AEO) | Are we chosen as the single direct answer? | Featured snippets, voice assistants and AI direct answers | All three share the foundations of traditional SEO: a technically sound website, useful content and genuine authority. They differ in the outcome being measured. LLM SEO is about accurate representation of your brand. GEO is about being one of the sources a summary draws on. AEO is about being the answer that is selected and read out. Most organisations need a blend, weighted towards whichever gap is costing them the most. ## Which AI search service do you need? The right starting point depends on what you are seeing today. Use the guide below to find the page that answers your question, or book an audit and we will tell you. - If AI assistants get your business wrong or leave you out, start with [LLM SEO for brand representation](/ai-search/llm-seo/). - If competitors appear in AI generated search summaries and you do not, read about [generative engine optimisation](/ai-search/geo/). - If you want to win featured snippets, voice answers and quick AI answers, see [answer engine optimisation](/ai-search/aeo/). - If Google AI Overviews are taking clicks from your key pages, see [optimising for Google AI Overviews](/ai-search/ai-overviews/). - If AI tools confuse you with another business or miss key facts, see [schema and entity optimisation](/ai-search/schema-entity/). - If your content is thin, generic or written for keywords rather than people, see [content for AI search](/ai-search/ai-content/). - If you need a clear baseline before investing, start with an [AI visibility audit](/ai-search/ai-visibility-audit/). - If your website itself is the barrier, look at [AI ready websites](/websites/ai-ready-websites/). Every recommendation we make is tied to evidence from your own site and the AI answers in your market. We will not sell you a service you do not need. ## The foundations every AI search tool relies on AI search is newer than traditional search, but it is built on familiar ground. Google states in its Search Central guidance that its generative AI features are rooted in its core ranking and quality systems. They use retrieval augmented generation, also called grounding, to pull relevant and current pages from the search index. They also use query fan out, running several related searches to cover a question from different angles. A page must be indexed and eligible to show in Google Search with a snippet before it can be considered. Other AI tools differ in detail, but the pattern holds. They reward sources that are easy to access, easy to understand and easy to trust. In practice that means four foundations: - Entity clarity, so AI systems know exactly who you are, what you do and where you operate. - Technical accessibility, so crawlers can reach and read your pages without obstacles. - Useful, original content that answers real questions with first hand knowledge. - Consistent trust signals across your website, Google Business Profile, directories and reviews. Our article on [entity mapping strategies to establish brand authority in AI search](https://seocompanynz.com/entity-mapping-strategies-to-establish-brand-authority-in-ai-search/) explains the first foundation in more depth. > “Easy to communicate with and looking ahead of what happening in the marketplace proactive versus retrospective” > > **Sharon, Google review** Every business is different, and so is every AI search problem. Tell Cathy what you sell, who you sell to and where you want to be found, and she will give you a straight view of what is realistic. [ Talk to Cathy about your goals ](/contact/) ## How we work: audit, plan, build and measure Our AI SEO work follows the same steady process we use across all search projects, described in full on [our process page](/about/process/). - Audit. We review your website, listings and authority signals, and run a structured set of questions through the major AI tools to see how your organisation is described today. - Plan. We rank the gaps by likely impact and effort, and agree a scope that suits your budget and timeframe. - Build. We fix technical barriers, clarify your entity information, improve or create content, and strengthen trust signals on and off your site. - Measure. We track progress in Google Search Console, including its generative AI performance report, alongside AI referral traffic in your analytics and repeat checks across AI platforms. AI answers change from one day to the next and from one user to another, so we report trends over time rather than a single snapshot. You will always know what we did, why we did it and what changed as a result. AI SEO sits alongside our [SEO services](/seo/) rather than replacing them, because strong organic foundations support every form of AI visibility. ## Who AI SEO suits in New Zealand AI SEO suits any organisation whose customers research before they buy. It matters most where people ask detailed questions, compare providers or want a recommendation they can act on quickly. We work with organisations across New Zealand from our Auckland office, and with international clients. Most work is delivered remotely with video calls, and we meet in person in Auckland where that is practical. Sectors we support include: - [Trades and home services](/industries/trades/), where people ask AI tools who to call. - [Professional services](/industries/professional-services/) such as [lawyers](/industries/lawyers/) and [accountants](/industries/accountants/), where trust drives the decision. - [Health providers](/industries/health/), where accuracy and clear sourcing are essential. - [Ecommerce businesses](/industries/ecommerce/), where AI tools are often asked to compare products. - [Hospitality and tourism operators](/industries/hospitality-tourism/), where visitors plan trips with AI assistants. - [Property and real estate](/industries/property/), where local knowledge counts. Whether you serve one suburb or several countries, the principles are the same. The detail is where our work is tailored: which questions your customers ask, which sources AI tools trust in your field and which gaps are costing you enquiries. ## What we will and will not promise No one can guarantee rankings, traffic or citations in AI generated answers. The platforms do not publish exactly how they choose sources, and their answers vary between users and over time. Any agency promising a guaranteed position in ChatGPT or a Google AI Overview is promising something it cannot control. What we can promise is honest, well informed work. Net Branding Limited has worked in digital marketing since 2008, with online experience before that, and our director Cathy Mellett oversees every engagement. We follow published guidance from sources such as Google Search Central and schema.org. We avoid shortcuts that could damage your reputation, such as fake reviews, paid mentions disguised as editorial or mass produced pages. We are also open about cost. Every proposal sets out what is included, what is not and how the work is priced before you commit, so there are no surprises. You can see what clients say about working with us on our verified Google Business Profile. [Read our Google reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Net+Branding/@-36.8680339,174.8063412,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x6d0d484f3691e96d:0x7fd6562779199e10!8m2!3d-36.8680339!4d174.8063412!16s%2Fg%2F11b60flh7y?entry=ttu) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is AI SEO? AI SEO is the practice of preparing your website and wider online presence so that AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews can find, understand, trust and mention your organisation. It builds on traditional SEO rather than replacing it. ### Is AI SEO different from normal SEO? They share the same foundations: a sound website, useful content and genuine authority. Traditional SEO measures rankings and clicks. AI SEO also measures whether you are mentioned, cited or chosen as the answer inside AI tools. ### What is the difference between LLM SEO, GEO and AEO? LLM SEO focuses on how AI assistants describe your brand. GEO focuses on being included as a source when AI search summarises a topic. AEO focuses on being selected as the single direct answer, such as a featured snippet or a voice response. ### Do I need AI SEO if my Google rankings are already good? Good rankings help, because many AI tools draw on search results. They do not guarantee that AI tools describe you accurately or include you in summaries. An audit will show whether there is a gap. ### How long does AI SEO take to work? It depends on your starting point, your competition and how quickly changes can be made. Technical and factual fixes can be picked up once pages are recrawled, while authority builds over months. We set expectations in your proposal and report progress regularly. ### Can you guarantee that ChatGPT or Google will recommend us? No. No ethical agency can guarantee rankings or AI citations. We focus on best practice, quality and the factors that support sustainable visibility. ### Do you work with businesses outside Auckland? Yes. We work with organisations throughout New Zealand from our Auckland office, usually remotely by video call, and with international clients. If you want more than a quick check, our AI visibility audit maps how each major AI platform describes your organisation and gives you a prioritised plan you can act on with us or in house. [ Start with an AI visibility audit ](/ai-search/ai-visibility-audit/) Net Branding Limited, 165 Orakei Road, Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand. Phone [09 523 0478](tel:+6495230478). Email [cathy@seocompanynz.com](mailto:cathy@seocompanynz.com).