More people now ask an AI assistant before they search, and being recommended by ChatGPT is becoming as valuable as ranking on Google. A career changer might ask ChatGPT "which HGV training school near Leeds is best", or a site manager might ask Perplexity "who hires 8 tonne excavators in West Yorkshire". If your business is not in the answer, you are not in the running.
Getting recommended by ChatGPT and other AI tools is part of two newer disciplines. GEO, generative engine optimisation, is about being cited in AI-written answers. AEO, answer engine optimisation, is about being the direct answer in tools like Google AI Overviews and voice search. Both build on good SEO rather than replacing it.
1. Answer the question in the first few lines
AI tools look for pages that answer a question directly. If your course page opens with "Welcome to our family-run business", it gives them nothing to quote.
Start key pages with a short answer of 30 to 70 words. For example: "Our Cat C+E (Class 1) course runs over 5 days, includes the test, and has funded places for eligible employers. Prices are listed below." Then go into detail.
2. Use real figures and cite your sources
AI-generated answers favour content that is specific and checkable. Compare these two lines:
- "There is a big shortage of drivers."
- "The Road Haulage Association says the UK needs to train around 60,000 new HGV drivers a year for the next five years."
The second is far more likely to be quoted. Add your own figures too: pass rates, number of trainees trained, fleet size, years in business. Link to official sources such as GOV.UK, the DVSA and trade bodies.
3. Write questions and answers people actually ask
Think about the questions your phone team hears every week:
- How much does a Class 1 licence cost?
- How long does HGV training take?
- Do you hire plant with an operator?
- Do you cover my area?
Put each one on your site as a clear question with a short answer. Then add FAQ schema, a small piece of code that tells search engines and AI tools "this is a question, and this is its answer". This site's editor adds it to every FAQ and article automatically.
4. Make your business details machine-readable
AI tools cross-check facts about your business. Make them easy to confirm:
- Use identical name, address and phone on your website, Google Business Profile, Yell, trade directories and social profiles.
- Add business schema to your site with your services, area and contact details.
- Keep your Google Business Profile complete, with photos, services and regular reviews.
5. Get mentioned where AI tools look
AI assistants lean on sources they trust. For HGV, plant and logistics businesses, that means:
- Trade bodies and directories: RHA, Logistics UK, CPA, NPORS and CITB listings where you qualify.
- Local news and industry press: a story about a funded training intake or a new fleet investment.
- Review platforms: Google reviews that mention the course or service by name, such as "passed my Class 2 first time".
6. Let AI crawlers in
Some websites block AI crawlers without realising. Check your robots.txt file allows them, and that your key content is in the page itself, not hidden behind scripts that crawlers cannot run. This site serves every article as plain HTML, includes an llms.txt summary for AI tools, and allows all major AI crawlers.
How to check if you are recommended by ChatGPT today
Before changing anything, find out where you stand. Ask each tool the questions your customers would ask, in their words:
- "Best HGV training school near [your town]"
- "How much is a Class 1 licence in [your area]"
- "Who hires telehandlers in [your county]"
Try ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google with AI Overviews and Microsoft Copilot. Note who gets mentioned, which websites are cited as sources, and whether your business appears. Repeat the same questions every month to track progress.
If competitors appear and you do not, look at the pages being cited. They usually answer the question in the first lines, include prices or figures, and are listed on the directories the AI tool trusts.
Where to start
Pick your three most important pages, usually your main course or service pages and your contact page. Add a short answer at the top, three to five real questions and answers, and at least two figures with sources. Then check your business details match everywhere.
Ask us for a GEO and AEO check. We will test what ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google say about your business today and show you how to become the answer.