If you’ve read our breakdown of what AEO, GEO, LLM and Schema actually mean, this is the next step. Not definitions — actions. Here’s what to do on your website, in the order that makes the most sense.
Start with your SEO foundations
None of the newer stuff works well if the basics aren’t in place. Before you think about AI Overviews or schema markup, make sure every page on your site has a proper title tag and meta description, your headings are structured correctly, and your content is written for humans first.
If you haven’t done this yet, the on-page SEO checklist is the place to start. It covers everything that needs to be in order before the rest of this matters.
For AEO: write content that answers real questions directly
The goal is to give Google something it can extract as a direct answer. Here’s how.
Make a list of the 5 to 10 questions your clients actually ask you before they buy. Not keyword research — real questions from real conversations. “How long does it take?” “Do you work with small budgets?” “What’s included in the price?” Those questions.
Write a blog post or a FAQ section for each one. The answer to the question should appear in the first sentence or two, not buried in paragraph four. A post titled “How long does it take to get planning permission in South Africa?” should open with a direct answer to that question. Google can extract it. AI tools can reference it.
Keep your headings question-shaped where it makes sense: “How much does a kitchen renovation cost?” performs better in featured snippets than “Kitchen Renovation Costs.”
For Schema: add it to your key pages
You don’t need to write code for this. If you’re on WordPress, plugins handle it.
The priority order:
LocalBusiness schema on your homepage or contact page. This tells Google and AI tools exactly what your business is, where it operates, what hours you keep, and how to contact you. For a Johannesburg-based bookkeeper, a Cape Town photographer, or a Pretoria florist, this is the single most useful schema to have.
Service schema on each service page. Describes what the service is, who it’s for, and what it costs (if you publish pricing). This is what allows AI tools to describe your offering accurately when someone asks about it.
FAQ schema on any page with a FAQ section. Marks up each question and answer pair so search engines can read them as discrete units. Add this wherever you’ve written question-and-answer content.
Review schema if you have testimonials or reviews on your site. Adds your star rating to search results and gives AI tools a trust signal about your business.
In Yoast SEO (Premium) you can add FAQ and HowTo schema from within the post editor. For LocalBusiness and Service schema, a plugin like Schema Pro or Rank Math handles it without touching code.
For GEO: make your expertise legible
AI tools synthesise information from across the web. To show up in their responses, your content needs to be clear, credible, and consistent.
Write your About page and service descriptions so they state clearly what you do, where you do it, and who you do it for. “We design websites for South African small businesses, based in Johannesburg” is more useful to an AI tool than “We create digital experiences that connect brands with their audiences.”
Make sure your name, address, and phone number are identical across your website, Google Business Profile, social media profiles, and any directories you’re listed in. Inconsistency is a trust signal in the wrong direction.
Get mentioned by credible sources. A local business directory listing, a mention in a trade publication, a backlink from an industry body — these signals travel. An AI tool is more likely to reference a business that other credible sources already reference.
Publish content that demonstrates genuine expertise, not just service descriptions. A structural engineer’s blog post explaining “When do you actually need a soil investigation before building?” does more for GEO than a page that says “We offer structural engineering services.”
For CTA: don’t assume they’ll come back
Someone who sees your answer in a featured snippet or an AI response has already found what they were looking for — from you. If they click through to your site, make the next step obvious and frictionless.
Every page that surfaces in search results should have a clear, visible action for the visitor to take. For a restaurant, that’s a reservation link. For a legal firm, it’s an enquiry form. For a plumber, it’s a phone number. Don’t make someone navigate to find out how to hire you.
What to do first
If you’re working through this from scratch, the order is:
- Fix your on-page SEO basics (titles, headings, meta descriptions, page speed)
- Add LocalBusiness schema to your site
- Identify the top questions your clients ask and write direct answers to them
- Add FAQ schema to those pages
- Tighten up your About page and service descriptions for clarity
- Add Service schema to your key service pages
- Ensure your business information is consistent everywhere it appears online
You don’t need to do all of this at once. Steps 1 and 2 alone will put you ahead of most small business websites in South Africa.
Read next
The third article in this series looks honestly at which of these matters right now for a South African small business versus what’s still mostly hype. Coming soon.
In the meantime: read the full glossary if you want the definitions alongside the actions, or start with how long SEO takes to work if you’re wondering whether any of this is worth the effort.
Need a hand?
We handle all of this for South African small businesses — from the basics through to schema, FAQ content, and the newer AI search stuff. Have a look at our SEO services or get in touch.
