A growing share of Nigerian customers now ask an AI assistant, not a search box, which business to call. They type questions like “Which company can build a website for my business in Lagos?” or “Who are the best property developers in Abuja?” into ChatGPT, Gemini or Google’s AI Overviews. Instead of ten links, they get a short answer that names a handful of businesses.
If your business is not in that answer, the customer may never know you exist. This guide explains how AI tools decide who to recommend, what the latest research shows, and the practical steps Nigerian businesses can take to be named. For the wider picture, see our report on digital marketing trends in Nigeria.
Key takeaways
- AI assistants answer with a short list of names, so being included matters more than ranking on page one.
- Research covering more than 25 million AI citations found that 84% come from earned media, content that someone else published about a business.
- Paid and advertoral content made up just 0.3% of what AI tools cited.
- Recent, credible news coverage, a clear website and consistent business details are the strongest signals you control.
What is GEO, and how is it different from SEO?
Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the work of making your business visible in answers written by AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google’s AI Overviews. It sits alongside search engine optimisation (SEO), which is about ranking in Google’s list of links.
The two overlap, but they reward different things:
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you appear | A ranked list of links | A written answer naming a few businesses |
| What wins | Relevant pages, links to your site, technical health | Being mentioned and described by trusted third-party sources |
| What the customer does | Clicks through and compares | Often acts on the answer without clicking |
The audience is already large. OpenAI said in February 2026 that ChatGPT had around 900 million weekly users, and Google’s chief executive said in July 2025 that AI Overviews had more than 2 billion monthly users. A business that only thinks about page-one rankings is now missing part of the conversation.
How an AI answer is built
When a customer asks a question, the AI draws mostly on what other people have published about the businesses involved, then names a few in its answer. Your own website and posts still matter, but they are the smaller part of the picture.
What the research says AI tools cite
In May 2026, the media research firm Muck Rack published What Is AI Reading?, an analysis of more than 25 million links that ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini cited in their answers across 17 industries. Its main findings:
| Source type | Share of AI citations |
|---|---|
| Earned media (news, research, government, reference and other third-party content) | 84% |
| Journalism alone (news and magazine articles) | 27% |
| Press releases on newswires | 1.1% |
| Paid or advertorial content | 0.3% |
Recency also matters. Of the news articles cited, 57% were published in the previous 12 months, and citations peak in the first month after a story runs.
The study covers AI answers globally, so treat it as a direction rather than a Nigerian measure. Local habits point the same way, though. Semrush figures for July, reported by The Guardian, ranked ChatGPT the fifth most visited website from Nigeria, with 35.3 million visits, ahead of Facebook. That figure counts visits, not people.
Why earned media now counts twice
Earned media is coverage that a third party decides to publish about you: a news report, an interview, a review or a mention in an industry article. AI tools lean on it because it reads as independent evidence, not a company describing itself.
That means a story in a credible national title now works twice. People read it on the day it runs. AI tools read it every time a customer asks a question it helps to answer.
How the story is written decides whether it counts. A story that praises the company and pushes offers is usually treated as an advert and run as sponsored content. A story that reports a fact, a figure or a decision is treated as news, and keeps working long after it is published.
Before and after: the same news, written two ways
| Written as an advert | Written as news |
|---|---|
| “Premier developer launches luxury estate with instant allocation” | “Developer targets Mowe housing demand with 120-unit Phase 2 project” |
| “Nigeria’s most trusted law firm opens new office” | “Law firm opens Abuja office to serve growing energy-sector clients” |
| “Best fintech app now offers amazing savings rates” | “Fintech raises savings rate to 18% as inflation squeezes households” |
The left column would usually be billed and run as sponsored content. The right column gives an editor, a reader and an AI tool something concrete to repeat: who, what, where and a number. (These headlines are illustrations, not real announcements.)
“Editors decide in seconds whether something is news or an advert,” says Collins Oforgu, CEO of Evaluate Media. “The businesses that AI tools now recommend are usually the ones that made that decision easy for the editor, again and again.”
What this means in your sector
The principle is the same everywhere, but the questions customers ask, and the sources that answer them, differ by industry. Here is how we see it playing out for Nigerian businesses.
Real estate. Buyers ask questions like “Which developers in Lekki deliver on time?” or “Is it safe to buy land in Ibeju-Lekki?” Coverage of completed projects, verified titles and delivery milestones carries far more weight than promotional estate launches. Diaspora buyers in the UK, US and Canada are especially likely to research this way before they call.
Finance and fintech. Trust is the whole product. Customers ask whether a platform is licensed and safe, so reporting on regulatory approvals, funding, partnerships and published results matters, along with reviews on app stores and Google.
Legal and professional services. Clients ask for “a good corporate lawyer in Victoria Island” or “tax advisers for SMEs in Abuja”. Partner profiles, commentary in business titles on new laws and policies, directory listings and articles written by your own experts all help an AI tool describe what you are known for.
Healthcare. Patients ask which hospitals or clinics handle a specific service in their area. Clear service pages, accurate opening hours and location details, and coverage of new equipment, specialists or outreach programmes are what an AI can confidently repeat.
Schools and education. Parents compare fees, curriculum, results and safety. News of admissions, awards, results and partnerships, plus a website that answers the questions parents actually ask, gives AI tools the facts they need.
Hospitality and events. Guests ask for “the best hotel for a wedding in Lagos” or “weekend getaways near Abuja”. Here, reviews, Instagram, Google Business Profile and lifestyle coverage carry the most weight, alongside time-bound offers that give editors a reason to write.
Five steps to get your business recommended by AI
- Get written about in credible titles, regularly. Aim for a steady flow of real news: launches, results, appointments, partnerships and data you can share. Because AI leans on the last 12 months, one story a quarter does more than one big feature every two years.
- Write every story as news, not an advert. Lead with who did what, where and when, with a number. Use named people with full titles. Keep sales language and prices out of the reporter’s voice.
- Make your website answer real questions plainly. In our view, a page that clearly states what you do, where you operate, who you serve and roughly what it costs gives AI tools facts they can repeat. Add a short FAQ to each service page, written in the words customers actually use.
- Be the same business everywhere. Use one name, address, phone number and description on your website, Google Business Profile, social pages and business directories. Conflicting details make it harder for any system to be sure who you are.
- Earn reviews and third-party mentions. Ask satisfied clients for Google reviews, and look for industry lists, awards and partner websites that can mention you. Each is another independent source an AI tool can draw on.
How to check whether AI recommends your business
This test takes five minutes and needs no tools beyond a phone.
- Open ChatGPT, Gemini and Google, and ask the same question in each: “Who are the best [your service] companies in [your city]?”
- Note which businesses are named, and in what order.
- Look at the sources each answer links to. These are the websites the AI trusts on your topic.
- Repeat with two or three other ways a customer might ask, such as “affordable” or a specific area like Lekki or Wuse.
- Do it again every month and keep a simple record.
If you are missing, the sources it cites are your to-do list: those are the publications, directories and review sites where you need to be seen.
Frequently asked questions
1. Do I still need SEO if customers are using AI?
Yes. Many AI answers draw on pages that already rank well in search, and plenty of customers still use Google’s list of links. GEO builds on good SEO rather than replacing it.
2. Can I pay to appear in ChatGPT or Gemini answers?
Not in the way you buy an advert. The research above found that paid and advertorial content made up just 0.3% of what AI tools cited. What gets you named is credible coverage and clear information about your business.
3. Does a press release on its own help?
Only a little. Press releases on newswires made up 1.1% of citations. What counts is the article a journalist writes and a publication carries, so the release has to be newsworthy enough for editors to run.
4. How long does it take to start appearing?
There is no fixed timeline, and no one can guarantee placement. Because recent coverage is cited most, a steady programme of news over several months gives you the best chance.
5. Is this only for big companies?
No. AI tools answer local questions too, such as the best caterer in Ikeja or a reliable law firm in Abuja. A smaller business with clear details, good reviews and some credible coverage can be named alongside much bigger names.
6. Do AI tools understand Nigerian businesses and places?
They answer questions about Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt every day, but they can only repeat what has been published. The less that is written about your business online, the less they have to work with.
7. What is the difference between GEO, AEO and AI SEO?
They are names for overlapping ideas. Answer engine optimisation (AEO) and AI SEO both describe being the source an AI or search feature quotes. GEO is the broadest term. In practice the work is the same: credible coverage, clear content and consistent details.
8. Do social media posts count?
They help people find and trust you, and some AI tools do read public posts and reviews. But your own posts are still you describing yourself. Independent coverage and reviews carry more weight.
9. Can bad press hurt my AI visibility?
Yes. AI tools repeat what has been published, good or bad. A steady flow of accurate, positive coverage, and quick, factual responses to criticism, give them a fuller picture to draw on.
10. Which Nigerian publications count most?
The research does not rank Nigerian titles. In our experience, established national titles such as The Guardian, ThisDay, BusinessDay, Vanguard and Punch, plus respected trade and sector publications, are the sources customers and editors already trust. The “check” above will show you which ones AI tools cite for your topic.
11. Does my website need to change?
Often, a little. Make sure each service has its own page that says what you do, where and for whom, add a short FAQ, keep your contact details current, and remove vague slogans that say nothing an AI could repeat.
The bottom line
When customers ask AI, the businesses that get named are the ones others have written about, recently and credibly, and whose own details are clear and consistent. That is now as much a part of being found as ranking on Google.
“Being found used to mean ranking on Google,” says Oforgu. “Now it also means being the name an AI gives when a customer asks who to trust. The way to get there has not changed: do newsworthy things, and make sure credible people write about them.”
Evaluate Media helps Nigerian businesses earn coverage in national titles and build websites and content that both search engines and AI tools can understand. To see where your business stands today, book a free 30-minute review or call us on 09163437247
About the author
Collins Oforgu is the CEO of Evaluate Media, a marketing and media communications agency in Lagos. He has more than ten years of experience in sales, marketing and media in Nigeria. Evaluate Media has worked with over 400 businesses and brands and placed more than 8,000 stories and press releases in national titles. He also founded the Collins Oforgu Mentorship Initiative, which has mentored more than 100 young professionals and founders.
Sources
- Muck Rack, What Is AI Reading?, May 2026.
- The Guardian, AI, betting, adult websites dominate Nigerian web traffic in July (Semrush data).
- eWEEK, ChatGPT nears 1 billion weekly users, February 2026.
- Digiday, Google’s AI Overviews reach over 2 billion monthly users, July 2025.