AI search optimization · GEO & AEO
AI Search Optimization Services That Get Your Business Recommended
Harris & Ward is an AI search optimization agency based in Lexington, Kentucky. We help dental practices, orthodontists, chiropractors, financial advisors, home service companies, and other professional service businesses get named when customers ask ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity, and Copilot who to call. We track it daily and report it monthly. Programs start at $950 per month, month-to-month.
- AI visibility tracked daily across 6 AI platforms
- Monthly reports on how often you're named, and who's named instead
- Month-to-month, Lexington team since 2011
Who is a good orthodontist near Lexington, KY?
Here are well-reviewed options in the Lexington area:
- Your practice, with clear treatment pages, consistent listings, and recent reviews that mention Invisalign
- Competitor A
- Competitor B
Sources: your website · Google reviews · comparison articles
Harris & Ward AI Search Optimization at a Glance
- What it is
- Getting your business named and cited in AI-generated answers, also called GEO (generative engine optimization) or AEO (answer engine optimization)
- Platforms tracked
- ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot, daily
- Best for
- Professional service businesses, from single-location practices to small multi-location groups
- Pricing
- Monthly AI SEO from $950/month, month-to-month; one-time AI Readiness package $3,000
- Reporting
- Share of AI answers that name you, how often you're named first, competitors named, and the sources AI cites
- Industries
- Dental, orthodontic, chiropractic, optometry, financial advisory, home services, veterinary, and other professional services
Understanding AI search optimization
What Is AI Search Optimization?
AI search optimization is the work of making sure AI tools name and cite your business when someone asks them for a recommendation. When a patient asks ChatGPT for a dentist, or a homeowner asks Google AI Mode for a plumber, the AI builds a short list from sources it trusts: your website, your Google Business Profile, your reviews, directories, and comparison articles. AI search optimization makes those sources clear, consistent, and easy for AI to quote.
It's also called GEO (generative engine optimization), AEO (answer engine optimization), AI SEO, or LLM SEO. It doesn't replace SEO. Most of what AI tools cite also ranks on Google, so the two work together.
| Traditional SEO | AI search optimization | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank your pages on Google | Get your business named inside the answer |
| Where it shows | Blue links and the Map Pack | ChatGPT, AI Mode, AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot |
| What it measures | Rankings, clicks, traffic | Share of answers, named-first rate, sources cited |
| What moves it | Pages, links, technical health | Clear facts, schema, reviews, consistent listings, third-party mentions |
What we do
AI Search Optimization Services
AI tools recommend businesses they can verify across more than one source. Our AI search optimization services cover each source AI checks, in the order that moves visibility fastest.
AI visibility audit & prompt tracking
We track the real questions your customers ask AI, daily, across six platforms, and show who gets named today. Start with a free AI visibility audit.
Schema & entity setup
Organization, service, FAQ, and review schema, plus an llms.txt file, so AI tools can read who you are, what you offer, and where, without guessing.
Listings, citations & Google Business Profile
Name, address, and phone cleaned up across directories and data aggregators, plus a full Google Business Profile build. Inconsistent listings are one of the most common reasons AI leaves a business out.
Content built to be cited
Service pages, FAQs, and comparison content written to answer the exact questions AI gets asked, with the facts up front: who you serve, what it costs, and what makes you different.
Third-party mentions
Placements on the comparison articles, directories, and industry sites AI tools already cite for your category, plus a monthly link-building program.
Monthly AI visibility reporting
A monthly report on how often you're named, how often you're named first, which competitors show up, and which sources AI pulled from, alongside rankings and calls.
Results
AI Search Results for Practices We Work With
We measure every client in AI answers for the questions their customers actually ask, in their own market. These are results from that tracking.
2% → 12%
Our own dental visibility. Within 30 days of rebuilding our dental comparison and service pages, the share of tracked dental AI answers naming Harris & Ward went from about 2% to 11 to 12% within a week. We use the same methods for clients.
See more client work on our Our Work page.
Hubbard Dental
Went from the third most-named dentist in Pinehurst AI answers to the first within 90 days, and was named first in 16% of answers, up from 7%.
White, Greer & Maggard Orthodontics
The most-named orthodontist in its tracked AI answers. Within 90 days it was named first in 22% of answers and held 58% of all mentions among tracked practices.
Central Virginia Orthodontics
Reached 63% or more of tracked Lynchburg orthodontic AI answers within 60 days.
Built for your industry
AI Search Optimization by Industry
Every industry gets asked different questions. We build prompt tracking and content around the questions your customers ask AI, not a generic list.
| Industry | Questions customers ask AI | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Dentists | "Best dentist near me for implants," "dentist that takes my insurance" | GEO for dentists |
| Orthodontists | "Best orthodontist for Invisalign near me," "orthodontist for adults" | Orthodontic SEO |
| Chiropractors | "Chiropractor for sciatica near me," "chiropractor after a car accident" | GEO for chiropractors |
| Financial advisors | "Fee-only financial advisor near me," "retirement planner I can trust" | GEO for financial advisors |
| Optometrists | "Eye doctor near me that takes my insurance," "best place for an eye exam" | SEO for optometrists |
| Home services | "Who should I call for AC repair today," "best roofer near me" | Home services marketing |
How it works
Our AI Search Optimization Process
AI tools weigh consistency and depth over time. The first three months fix the foundation; after that, we alternate work on your own site with work on the sites AI cites, and re-audit as we go.
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Months 1–3
Audit & foundation
AI visibility baseline across your tracked prompts, schema and llms.txt, listing and citation cleanup, Google Business Profile optimization, and fixes to the pages AI already reads.
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Month 3 on
Content & authority
AI-optimized content every month, one quality backlink a month, and placements on comparison articles and directories AI cites for your category.
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Ongoing
Tracking & re-audits
Daily tracking, a monthly AI visibility report, a re-audit around month 6, and Google Business Profile re-optimization every six months.
Pricing
How Much AI Search Optimization Costs
AI search optimization agencies charge anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand per month. We offer two ways to start: a monthly program that keeps working on your visibility, or a one-time package that gets your foundation in place.
Monthly AI SEO
Starting at $950 per month
Month-to-month, no long-term contract
- Daily tracking across 6 AI platforms and a monthly report
- Schema, llms.txt, and citation cleanup
- Google Business Profile optimization
- AI-optimized content and one backlink every month
- Comparison article and directory placements
AI Readiness
$3,000 one time
90 days, no ongoing retainer
- Month 1: audit, schema, listings, and Google Business Profile
- Month 2: content, FAQ restructuring, editorial placements, and internal linking
- Months 2–3: validation and a closing AI visibility report
- A written plan you can keep running yourself
Buyer's checklist
How to Choose an AI Search Optimization Agency
Many agencies have relabeled standard SEO as "AI SEO." The difference shows up in what they track and how they report it. A good AI search partner can show you, in numbers, how often you're named today and how that changes month to month.
Ask these six questions before you sign with anyone.
- Which AI platforms do you track, and how often? Look for ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and AI Overviews at a minimum, tracked daily.
- Which questions will you track for me? They should be the questions your customers ask, in your market.
- What does the monthly report show? Share of answers, named-first rate, competitors, and sources cited.
- Can I see results for a business like mine? Named clients with numbers beat general claims.
- Who owns the work if I leave? You should keep your content, listings, and accounts.
- Who will I talk to each month? A named strategist who knows your business, not a ticket queue.
Free audit
Get a Free AI Visibility Audit
In a 15-minute call, we'll show you how AI tools see your business today:
- Whether ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and AI Overviews name you for the questions your customers ask
- Which competitors get named instead, and why
- The sources AI pulls from in your market
- The fixes that would move your visibility fastest
Todd BoakPartner, Marketing Strategy
Prefer to talk? Call (859) 214-0004
Request Your Free Audit
Tell us about your business and we'll follow up to schedule your audit.
FAQ
AI Search Optimization Questions, Answered
What is AI search optimization?
AI search optimization is the work of making sure AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, Gemini, and Perplexity name and cite your business when someone asks them for a recommendation. It covers your website content, schema markup, listings, reviews, and mentions on third-party sites AI tools trust.
What is the difference between SEO, GEO, and AEO?
SEO ranks your pages on Google. GEO (generative engine optimization) and AEO (answer engine optimization) are two names for getting your business named inside AI-generated answers. They share a foundation, since AI tools often cite pages that rank well, so the strongest programs run them together.
How do I get my business to show up in ChatGPT?
Give ChatGPT sources it can verify. Keep your name, address, and phone consistent across directories, complete your Google Business Profile, publish pages that answer specific customer questions with clear facts like services, location, and pricing, add schema markup, earn detailed reviews, and get mentioned on comparison articles and industry sites ChatGPT already cites.
How do small businesses appear in AI recommendations?
AI tools build short lists from sources they trust, so small businesses appear when those sources agree about who they are and what they do. A complete Google Business Profile, recent reviews that mention the service, clear service pages, and a few third-party mentions are usually enough to start appearing for local questions.
How do you measure AI search optimization?
We track a defined set of real questions your customers ask, every day, across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity, and Copilot. Each month we report the share of answers that name you, how often you're named first, which competitors appear, and which sources AI cited.
How long does AI search optimization take?
Most clients see initial movement in tracked prompts within 60 to 90 days. Some changes show up faster; in our own case, ChatGPT began naming us more often within days of publishing new comparison pages. Google's AI Mode and AI Overviews usually take longer, since they depend on Google recrawling your pages.
How much does AI search optimization cost?
Harris & Ward's monthly AI SEO program starts at $950 per month, month-to-month. Our one-time AI Readiness package is $3,000 for 90 days of foundation work. Every engagement starts with a free AI visibility audit.
Do you require a long-term contract?
No. The monthly program is month-to-month, and AI Readiness is a one-time 90-day package with no retainer.
Should I choose AI Readiness or the monthly program?
AI Readiness suits businesses that want the foundation fixed once, without a retainer. The monthly program suits businesses that want ongoing content, placements, tracking, and reporting in competitive markets. Many clients start with AI Readiness and move to monthly afterward.
Can you guarantee ChatGPT will recommend my business?
No one can guarantee what an AI tool will say. What we can do is fix the signals AI tools rely on, track the results daily, and show you in a monthly report exactly how your visibility is changing.
Do you work with businesses outside Kentucky?
Yes. Harris & Ward is based in Lexington, Kentucky, and works with professional service businesses nationwide, including dental and orthodontic practices in North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, and California.
Find Out Where You Stand in AI Search
Tell us your business and market, and we'll show you who AI recommends today and what it would take to make it you.