GEO Framework Launch: How Local Businesses Get Named in ChatGPT and Gemini Answers
Makarios Marketing launched a GEO framework for local service businesses after finding that Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity cite different sources — and that schema markup alone doesn't get you named in AI answers.
GEO moves from theory to framework
Makarios Marketing, a Buffalo-based local SEO agency founded by Jason Davis, has launched a Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) framework for home-service and local businesses that need AI systems to name them — Google AI Overviews, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity — not treat GEO like a schema checkbox.
Most teams still ask whether they "did AI SEO" after adding markup. That is not how Gemini or ChatGPT actually cite plumbers, HVAC companies, contractors, or dentists.
Why citation engines don't work like Google
The framework leans on how citation sources differ by engine. In a baseline study across 100 home-services metros over 28 days, Gemini cited contractor websites in about 81% of citations, while ChatGPT split closer to half site and half directories and review platforms. Perplexity also leaned website-heavy in the same baseline. Owners who only fix the website — or only clean directories — leave half the map blank.
Makarios is also clear on what GEO is not. Schema still helps clarity and rich results, but an Ahrefs study of pages that added JSON-LD did not show a clear citation lift on AI Overviews, AI Mode, or ChatGPT. The agency will not sell schema-as-GEO.
The three-step framework
1. Prove the entity on your site. Your business name, services, and service areas must be consistent and explicit across your own pages. 2. Corroborate it off-site. Directories, review platforms, and third-party listings must agree with your site on who you are and where you work. 3. Measure which engines cite what. Track actual AI citations per engine, not vanity rankings.
What this means for your business
- Customers are asking AI, not Googling. When someone asks ChatGPT "best plumber near me," the AI names whoever it can verify — not whoever ranks first on Google. If you are not being named, you are invisible to a growing share of buyers. - Consistency beats markup. Schema markup alone will not get you cited. Make sure your name, address, services, and service areas match everywhere: your site, Google Business Profile, Yelp, industry directories. - Reviews are citation fuel. ChatGPT leans heavily on directories and review platforms for half its citations. Collecting and maintaining reviews is now AI-visibility work, not just reputation work. - Audit per engine. Gemini and ChatGPT cite different sources. A one-size-fits-all SEO strategy misses the difference — check where each engine names you and fix the gaps.