Social Media and GEO: How to Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT
A while ago, I posted a short video on Instagram with a caption I still love: "Google finding your website? Cute. ChatGPT recommending your website? Kinda chic."
It got a laugh, but behind the joke is one of the questions I'm asked most at events, on panels and in client meetings: "How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?"
Most people expect the answer to be all about their website, and that's part of it. What surprises them is how much their social media matters too. This article explains why a consistent social presence is now a key part of your AI visibility.
First, what is GEO?
GEO stands for generative engine optimisation. SEO helps you rank in Google's list of links. GEO helps you appear in the answers that AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews write for people.
When someone types "best social media agency in Glasgow" or "good accountant near me" into ChatGPT, it doesn't show ten blue links. It writes a short answer and names a few businesses. GEO is about making sure yours is one of them.
Why this matters now?
AI use in the UK has grown very quickly. Ofcom's Adults' Media Use and Attitudes 2026 report found that 54% of UK adults now use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini, up from 31% in 2024.
People are using these tools to choose businesses. Yext's 2026 Consumer Search Behaviours report found that 28% of people globally had tried a new local business in the past six months because an AI tool recommended it. Among UK AI users, 74% rated their trust in AI recommendations for local businesses at four or five out of five.
When I share these numbers at workshops, the room goes quiet. Most owners have never checked what ChatGPT says about them.
Where social media comes in
This is the part most businesses miss. AI tools don't rely only on your website. They pull information from across the web, and social platforms are among their favourite sources.
Peec AI's analysis of 30 million sources, cited across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, and AI Overviews, found Reddit as the most-cited source, with YouTube, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, and Forbes also in the top five. For professional and B2B questions, research by Profound found LinkedIn to be the most-cited website across all major AI platforms.
With YouTube, AI tools can't actually watch your video. They draw on its transcript and description instead, so the words around your videos really matter.
A Yext study of 6.8 million AI citations found that 86% came from sources controlled by brands themselves, and only 2% came from forums. So your own website still matters enormously. Social media doesn't replace it. It backs it up.
People still check before they buy
People don't blindly trust AI answers. UK research commissioned by CloudNine PR found that only 4% of AI users would buy from an AI-recommended brand without checking elsewhere. Six in ten said they're more likely to trust a recommendation backed by several sources, such as articles, reviews, and influencer content.
Yext found something similar: after getting an AI recommendation, about half of UK consumers go to Google or Bing to check it.
So even when ChatGPT recommends you, the next thing a potential client does is look you up. They check your Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and reviews. A quiet feed at that moment can lose you a customer that AI has already sent your way. That is why I keep saying social media, SEO, and GEO are no longer separate jobs.
Social media matters on its own too. When Yext asked UK consumers what led them to try a new local business, they ranked social media second, behind only recommendations from friends and family, and ahead of both online reviews and Google search results.
8 ways to use social media to get recommended by ChatGPT
You can start most of these this week.
1. Make your business details identical everywhere
Your business name, what you do, where you're based and how to contact you should match exactly across your website, Google Business Profile and every social profile. AI tools build their picture of you by cross-checking sources, and mixed messages make you harder to recommend.
2. Write bios that say exactly what you do and where
"Helping businesses shine" tells AI nothing. "Social media management and SEO agency in Glasgow, serving businesses across the UK" tells it a lot. Say what you do, who you serve and where, in plain language.
3. Answer real customer questions in your posts
AI tools are built to answer questions, so give them good answers to work with. Turn your most-asked customer questions into posts, carousels and short videos, and use the question itself as the hook.
4. Use YouTube properly, even if it's simple
Upload short, helpful videos with clear titles, detailed descriptions and accurate captions. Because AI tools read transcripts and descriptions, the words matter as much as the video itself.
5. Show up on LinkedIn, especially if you're B2B
Because LinkedIn is cited so often for professional questions, posting regularly from your company page and personal profile is one of the strongest GEO moves a B2B business can make. Share real expertise, opinions and results, not just announcements.
6. Earn genuine mentions and reviews
Encourage happy clients to leave reviews and tag you. Join relevant community conversations, including Reddit threads in your industry, as a helpful expert, never a salesperson. AI tools reward real third-party signals, and fake reviews can seriously damage your reputation.
7. Connect your socials to your website
Link every social profile from your website, and ask your web developer to add your social profiles to your site's structured data (schema). This helps search engines and AI tools confirm that all these profiles belong to the same business.
8. Stay consistent
Everything in this series comes back to consistency. A steady flow of fresh, accurate content gives AI tools current information about you. A feed that stopped in March tells them, and your potential customers, very little.
Try this today: ask ChatGPT about yourself
Here's a quick exercise I recommend to every business owner. Open ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity and ask:
"Who are the best [your service] providers in [your town or city]?"
"What do you know about [your business name]?"
"Is [your business name] a good choice for [your service]?"
Note whether you appear, what's said about you, and which sources are cited. If you're missing, or the information is out of date, that's your starting point.
Where we can help
This is why we don't treat social media and SEO as separate services at Pinnacle Business Hub. We check what AI tools say about your business, strengthen your website for SEO, AEO and GEO, and build a consistent social presence that backs it all up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SEO and GEO?
SEO helps your website rank in traditional search results. GEO helps your business appear in answers written by AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. The two overlap a lot, and a strong SEO foundation supports GEO.
Does social media help you get recommended by ChatGPT?
Yes, indirectly. AI tools regularly cite platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn and Reddit, and they rely on consistent information across several sources. A consistent social presence strengthens the signals they use to decide which businesses to mention.
How long does GEO take to work?
It varies. Some fixes, like making your business details consistent, can help quickly. Building authority through content, reviews and mentions takes months of steady effort, much like SEO.
Can a small business compete with big brands in AI search?
Yes, especially for local and specialist searches. AI tools often recommend businesses that are clearly described, consistently presented and well reviewed for a specific service and location.
How do I find out what ChatGPT says about my business?
Ask it directly. Search for your service and location, then ask what it knows about your business by name. Check the sources it cites, and fix anything missing or outdated.
The bottom line
AI tools are becoming the new word of mouth, and they're listening to what the internet says about you. Your website makes the case. Your social media, reviews and mentions back it up. Show up consistently across all of them, and you give AI tools and the people using them every reason to choose you.
Want to know what ChatGPT says about your business? Book a free consultation, and we'll check your AI visibility together and show you what to fix first.
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