marketing ai search optimization
GlobeNewswire
Published on : Nov 3, 2026
Australian SEO specialist SEOOnly has introduced AI search visibility assessments designed to show businesses how platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude describe their services, which competitors they recommend and what may be preventing a business from appearing in AI-generated answers. The Melbourne-based firm is targeting small and medium-sized businesses adapting to a search landscape in which consumers increasingly use AI assistants to compare providers and request recommendations. The service combines AI visibility analysis with traditional search engine optimization, reflecting the growing overlap between conventional SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO).
For businesses that have spent years competing for positions on Google's search results pages, AI-generated recommendations introduce a different visibility challenge. Instead of presenting a long list of links, an AI assistant may identify only a few providers in response to a question. Businesses that are not mentioned can lose an opportunity to be considered before a potential customer visits a website.
SEOOnly's new assessment service is designed to help companies understand that exposure. Founded by marketing entrepreneur Preeti Kennedy, the specialist firm examines how AI platforms represent a business, whether the information is accurate and which competitors appear in responses to commercially relevant customer queries.
The assessment covers four main areas: what AI systems know about a business, the accuracy of that information, the competitors surfaced for important searches, and whether the company's digital presence communicates its expertise and relevance clearly.
Rather than treating AI visibility as a standalone technical problem, SEOOnly reviews the broader information signals that influence how a business is understood online. These include website structure, content, structured data, Google Business Profile information, customer reviews, directory listings and mentions across third-party websites.
Consistency is a central part of the approach. A business may describe its services differently across its website and directory profiles, maintain conflicting location details or provide limited explanations of its core offerings. While people may be able to resolve those inconsistencies through context, automated systems depend on clear and verifiable information to interpret an organization's identity and services.
The assessment also considers traditional SEO. AI assistants draw on information from the wider web, while Google's own search experience increasingly incorporates AI-generated answers. Technical website quality, useful content, authority and a consistent online reputation therefore remain relevant to both conventional search visibility and AI discovery.
This is an important distinction in a market where GEO services are emerging rapidly. SEOOnly says its objective is not to manipulate AI recommendations, but to make businesses easier for search engines and AI systems to understand, verify and trust.
The launch also reflects growing adoption of AI tools in Australia. Roy Morgan data for the March quarter of 2026, cited in the announcement, found that 13.6 million Australians aged 14 and over, equivalent to 58% of that population, used AI tools in an average four-week period. ChatGPT alone reached 10.5 million Australians. Usage was highest among people aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 49, at 74% and 72%, respectively.
Those figures provide context for why AI visibility is becoming a business concern, particularly for professional services, home services and consumer-facing companies whose customers use online recommendations to shortlist providers. However, AI tool adoption does not necessarily mean every user relies on AI for purchasing decisions.
SEOOnly is positioning the assessments as an initial diagnostic for small and medium-sized businesses before they invest in changes to their websites, content or digital presence. The service is intended to replace assumptions about AI visibility with a clearer picture of how businesses and competitors appear across AI-assisted discovery.
The broader implication is that search optimization is expanding beyond rankings and website traffic. Businesses increasingly need to consider whether their digital information is sufficiently consistent, authoritative and specific to be represented accurately in both search results and AI-generated recommendations.
SEOOnly's launch enters a growing market for AI search visibility, answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO). These services focus on how brands, products and businesses are represented in responses generated by AI assistants, rather than measuring visibility only through conventional search rankings.
The shift is creating new requirements for local and service-based businesses. Accurate business listings, consistent contact details, detailed service descriptions, credible reviews and authoritative third-party references can all help establish a clearer digital identity.
Established SEO platforms such as Semrush and Ahrefs provide capabilities for analyzing search performance, content and competitors. AI visibility assessment services extend the conversation toward how businesses appear in conversational search and generated answers.
However, AI recommendations can vary depending on the platform, query wording, location and information available at the time of a search. A single assessment should therefore be treated as a diagnostic snapshot, not a guarantee of future recommendations or customer acquisition.
SEOOnly's assessment addresses an important gap for smaller businesses: many can track Google rankings and website traffic, but have limited insight into how AI assistants describe their services or which alternatives they recommend.
The next challenge will be translating assessment findings into measurable improvements. Businesses will need to strengthen their website content, correct inconsistent business information, explain their services in greater depth and build credible third-party references.
They will also need to monitor visibility across multiple AI platforms rather than assuming that performance in one assistant reflects performance elsewhere. Changes in AI models, data sources and search interfaces can affect which businesses appear in generated answers.
For SEOOnly, the opportunity lies in turning AI visibility into an ongoing business discipline rather than a one-time audit. For Australian SMEs, the service highlights a broader change in digital marketing: being discoverable is no longer only about ranking on a search results page. It is also about being accurately understood and considered when customers ask AI systems for recommendations.
AI search visibility: SEOOnly's assessments show how ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude describe businesses and which competitors appear in commercially relevant recommendations.
Four assessment areas: The service examines business representation, information accuracy, competitor visibility and the strength of a company's digital presence.
Traditional SEO remains relevant: Website quality, useful content, structured information and online reputation continue to influence discovery across search and AI experiences.
Australian AI adoption: Roy Morgan data cited in the announcement reports that 58% of Australians aged 14 and over used AI tools in an average four-week period.
SME-focused positioning: SEOOnly is targeting smaller businesses that want to understand their AI and search visibility before investing in optimization changes.
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