What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) – And Why It Matters for Hospitality Brands
As digital marketing evolves, so do the tools and platforms your customers use to find restaurants, hotels, and venues. One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing? The rise of Generative Engines like ChatGPT, Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience), Perplexity, and others that go beyond traditional search engines.
Welcome to the age of GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation — and if you're in hospitality, now is the time to start paying attention.
What is Generative Engine Optimisation?
Generative Engine Optimisation is the process of optimising your brand, content, and digital footprint so that AI-driven platforms can discover, understand, and recommend you to users who are asking complex or conversational queries.
Instead of users Googling "best restaurants in Manchester", they’re now asking tools like ChatGPT:
"I’m planning a weekend in Manchester—where should I stay and eat?"
In this context, Generative Engines are acting like digital concierges—curating results and recommendations from the entire internet, and surfacing businesses that are well-optimised, clearly positioned, and contextually relevant.
Why GEO Matters for Hospitality Brands
The hospitality industry is uniquely positioned to benefit from GEO. Here’s why:
1. Discovery Is Changing
Travelers and locals alike are turning to AI-powered engines for recommendations on where to eat, stay, drink, and visit. If your hotel, restaurant, or bar isn’t optimised for these platforms, you’re missing out on traffic that won’t even reach Google’s page one.
2. Zero-Click Experiences Are Rising
Generative engines often provide full answers without the user ever clicking a link. That means your brand needs to be mentioned, quoted, or linked within the content that feeds these engines—whether that’s blog posts, reviews, press coverage, or structured data.
3. Trust and Authority Win
Unlike traditional SEO where keywords dominate, GEO rewards trust, context, and clarity. The more consistent and authoritative your digital presence is, the more likely you are to be recommended.
How to Optimise for Generative Engines as a Hospitality Brand
Here’s how restaurants, hotels, and hospitality venues can start implementing GEO today:
✅ 1. Own Your Brand Narrative
Make sure your website clearly communicates who you are, what makes you different, and who you serve. Think of your homepage and About page like a briefing document for AI.
✅ 2. Leverage Structured Data
Use schema markup to help engines understand your business type, location, hours, menus, reviews, and more. This structured data gives generative engines the context they need to include you in results.
✅ 3. Invest in Quality Content
Blog content like:
“Top 5 Rooftop Bars in London for Summer 2025”
“A Local’s Guide to Boutique Hotels in Dublin”
“Where to Eat in Marbella on a Weekend Break”
These content pieces don’t just help with SEO—they’re highly indexable by generative engines too. Especially when they include your brand, location, and relevant search intent.
✅ 4. Encourage Third-Party Mentions
Get featured in travel blogs, city guides, press lists, and influencer roundups. Generative engines often pull from trusted third-party sources, not just your own site.
✅ 5. Keep Your Listings Up to Date
Platforms like Google Business Profile, TripAdvisor, OpenTable, and Yelp are still high-authority sources for generative tools. Keep your info accurate, and gather high-quality reviews.
Snack Can Help You Get GEO-Ready
At Snack Hospitality, we specialise in helping hospitality brands stay ahead of digital trends. Whether you run a single-location restaurant or a growing hotel group, we can help ensure your brand is:
Discoverable by new AI-powered tools
Properly positioned in curated results
Winning new customers before they even reach Google
Generative search is the future—and the future is already here.
Want to get your hospitality brand GEO-ready?
Contact us to learn how we can help you appear where today’s travellers and diners are searching.