- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 21/Aug 07:49

Optimising your digital presence

The customer journey has changed. For years, Caribbean businesses were told to focus on search engine optimisation (SEO). The logic was simple: if you ranked well on Google, customers would find you, click on your site and eventually reach out. But that journey has shifted. Inside AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, people can now ask dozens of follow-up questions, refine their search and explore multiple content types – articles, videos and podcasts – before deciding who to trust. These AI platforms have quietly become the best sales reps for companies because they qualify customers, answer objections and recommend solutions in real time. The challenge is that most Caribbean businesses aren’t showing up here, leaving global competitors to own the conversation. In other words, the buying journey is happening inside AI tools. If your business isn’t being cited there, you’re not part of the decision-making process. What is GEO and why does it matter? This is where generative engine optimisation (GEO) comes in. GEO is the practice of optimising your digital presence so that AI assistants can find, trust and recommend your content when answering questions. The principles build on SEO, but the goal has shifted: · SEO success was measured in clicks and traffic. · GEO success is measured in citations, mentions and inclusion inside AI responses. This shift matters because AI is becoming the front door to the customer journey. Research shows that early adopters of GEO gain a "distinct competitive advantage," since once AI models start citing you, it becomes "hard to dethrone" later. The Caribbean problem: No websites, no content Here’s the truth we don’t like to face. Many Caribbean businesses still believe they don’t need websites. The ones who do have them often leave them static – just a homepage, about page and contact details. That may have been fine ten years ago, but it’s not enough now. AI doesn’t prioritise social media flyers or ads. It prioritises structured, trustworthy and answer-ready content. Google itself calls this EEAT – experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Without content that demonstrates these signals, your business will not show up in AI search. The consequence? Customers in the Caribbean search for local answers, but instead get international results. That costs them time, money and relevance. Why small businesses can win Here’s the good news – GEO actually levels the playing field. Small and medium businesses – even solopreneurs – have the advantage because they can publish fast and consistently without red tape. [caption id="attachment_1173363" align="alignnone" width="1024"] -[/caption] A local-first GEO strategy doesn’t require massive budgets. Research shows SMEs can focus on Google business profiles, local citations and partnerships with trusted local influencers to build presence and authority in ways that AI tools recognise. That means a boutique artisan, a small cafe or a local consultancy can dominate citations in GEO, while larger companies with static websites struggle to adapt. First steps: Build the infrastructure If you want to show up in AI search, the first step is non-negotiable – build your digital infrastructure. At a minimum, you need: · A website that you own. · A blog that produces consistent, answer-oriented content. · A YouTube channel for evergreen, searchable video. And here’s why it’s urgent. Shopify recently announced that customers will soon be able to complete purchases directly inside ChatGPT for Shopify-powered stores. That functionality will spread to other platforms like WordPress and Wix. Imagine this: A customer asks ChatGPT, "Where can I buy organic soap from a Caribbean business?" – and if you’ve set up your infrastructure, AI can cite your store and let them check out instantly. If you haven’t? You don’t even show up. The opportunity and risk Here’s the reality: GEO is already shaping how customers move through their buying journey. If you’re not producing content, you’re invisible. But if you are, you gain something far more valuable than clicks – authority. AI tools will guide customers through their research, answer their follow-up questions, qualify them and then present your content as the trusted solution. That makes your business the default choice when they’re ready to buy. This isn’t just a trend; it’s a permanent shift. The opportunity is massive because GEO allows Caribbean businesses to compete on a global stage with nothing more than smart, consistent content. The risk is just as big, because those who delay will not only lose visibility at home but also surrender customers to businesses abroad that are already building their GEO advantage. Final word The customer journey has already moved. AI is the new search engine and GEO is the way to show up. Caribbean businesses can no longer rely only on social media or outdated websites. The businesses that act now – building infrastructure, creating content and earning citations – will own the future. Because in the AI era, if you don’t show up in GEO, you don’t show up at all. Keron Rose is a Caribbean-based digital strategist and digital nomad currently living in Thailand. He helps entrepreneurs across the region build their digital presence, monetise their platforms and tap into global opportunities. Through his content and experiences in Asia, Rose shares real-world insights to help the Caribbean think bigger and move smarter in the digital age. Listen to the Digipreneur FM podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.   The post Optimising your digital presence appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.