Real Results: How GEO Transformed This Women-Owned Wellness Practice in 8 Weeks

“Can you help me understand why my ideal clients can’t find me online, even though I have a professional website and good Google rankings?”

This question came from Dr Michelle C during our first consultation call in early May 2025. As a licensed acupuncturist specialising in stress management for professional women, Michelle had everything going for her – except visibility where it actually mattered in AI search.

And she’s not alone. Women now own 14 million businesses in the US alone, making up 39.1% of all US businesses – yet many will struggle with the same visibility challenge Michelle faced. Traditional SEO strategies often fall short because they don’t account for how AI search systems evaluate and recommend women-owned businesses – so let’s put that right!

Why Female Entrepreneurs Need Different AI Optimisation Strategies

I’ve been working in search optimisation for over a decade, but I only started specialising in GEO this year as AI search became mainstream. What I’ve discovered is fascinating – AI systems evaluate female entrepreneur service-based businesses using different signals than traditional search engines prioritised – and it’s fantastic news for those of us who are in early on the game. 🏆

Michelle’s story perfectly illustrates this. She had solid traditional SEO rankings for general wellness terms, but when stressed professional women asked ChatGPT or used AI overviews for specific stress management solutions, her practice never appeared in recommendations despite the fact she had a a stream of happy clients and an excellent reputation in her niche.

The problem wasn’t her expertise – it was that AI systems couldn’t understand her specific niche or connect her qualifications to the problems her ideal clients were describing.

Women-owned businesses receive just 32.6% of loan approvals and face unique challenges in gaining visibility. That’s exactly why we need a different approach than traditional SEO when optimising for AI search systems.

The Challenge: When Traditional SEO Falls Short for AI Discovery

When Michelle contacted me in early May her numbers told a frustrating story:

• 3-5 new client inquiries monthly (mostly wrong fit)
• 650 website visitors per month with poor conversion
• Zero presence in AI overviews or voice search results
• 12+ hours weekly on social media with minimal ROI

“I have women calling other practitioners in my area because they can’t find information about my specific expertise,” Michelle explained. “I know I’m the right fit for what they need, but somehow the connection isn’t happening in AI search.”

This is where traditional SEO wasn’t cutting it. Michelle’s website described her as a “wellness practitioner” and “acupuncturist” which were terms just too generic for AI systems to make specific recommendations when her ideal clients asked questions like “How can I manage work stress without medication?”

AI search operates as an action engine. When someone asks ChatGPT or uses AI overviews, they’re typically further along in their buyer’s journey. They want specific solutions, not general information. Michelle’s generic positioning meant AI systems couldn’t confidently recommend her practice for specific stress management needs.

My GEO Strategy That Changed Everything for Michelle

Instead of competing for broad wellness terms, we repositioned Michelle around the specific intersection of professional stress and integrative wellness. We transformed her from a generic “acupuncturist” into a “stress management specialist helping professional women prevent burnout through integrative approaches.” This sounds a bit of a mouthful, but it’s exactly what the AI systems are looking for when deciding what information to be giving out during conversations with users.

This shift allowed AI systems to understand exactly when to recommend Michelle’s services. When someone asked, “What are natural stress management options for working women?” AI could now confidently suggest her practice because her positioning was crystal clear.

We focused on four key areas:

Conversational Query Optimisation: We created comprehensive FAQ sections that directly answered questions her ideal clients were asking AI assistants. Instead of generic wellness content, we addressed specific scenarios like “Managing executive stress during company transitions.”

Authority Positioning: We documented Michelle’s credentials and unique methodology in ways AI systems could verify and reference. This included detailed practitioner pages, case studies, and methodology explanations.

Local Specialty Combination: We positioned Michelle as the go-to expert for professional stress management in her specific area – a rocket-fuelled combination AI systems could easily understand and recommend.

Client-Centric Language: We used the exact words Michelle’s clients used to describe their problems rather than clinical terminology. “Work stress” and “professional burnout” resonated better with AI systems than “occupational stress disorder.”

Week-by-Week Breakdown: What We Actually Did

Weeks 1-2: Foundation Building

• Restructured all service descriptions to be problem-solution focused
• Created comprehensive FAQ sections addressing real client questions
• Optimised Google Business Profile with specific positioning (luckily she has a treatment room she works out of so it was really easy for us to work with her profile)
• Implemented schema markup for AI discovery

Weeks 3-4: Content Strategy Overhaul

• Developed pillar content around professional stress management
• Created scenario-based guides for different workplace situations
• Added detailed client testimonials with specific results which meant going back through testimonials to pull out specifics – and also contacting recent clients and prompting them to give more specific testimonials about what she did and how it helped them
• Optimised for conversational queries and voice search

Weeks 5-6: Authority Establishment

• Documented credentials and methodology for AI verification
• Built local expert positioning through community content – e.g., writing about local wellness events she participates in and addressing local health trends or seasonal issues
• Created comparison content positioning Michelle’s approach
• Established consistent information across all platforms

Weeks 7-8: AI Discovery Optimisation

• Tested and refined for specific AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews)
• Monitored AI discovery performance and adjusted strategy
• Optimised for voice search queries specific to her niche
• Fine-tuned content based on initial AI recommendation patterns

The brilliant thing about GEO is that it works because it aligns with how people naturally search for solutions using AI. Instead of trying to game algorithms, we made it easier for both AI systems and potential clients to understand exactly what Michelle offered.

The Numbers That Proved GEO Works

After just eight weeks of GEO implementation, Michelle’s transformation was remarkable:

AI Discovery Results:

• Went from zero AI overview appearances to being featured in 8+ stress management responses
• Voice search visibility increased by 250% for local wellness queries
• Started appearing in ChatGPT and Perplexity responses for professional women’s stress management – and we expect these numbers to grow enormously over the next few months as she continues with her AI-first content strategy

Website Performance:

• Monthly visitors increased from 650 to 1,420 (118% increase)
• Consultation requests increased by 280%
• Average time on site increased from 1:45 to 3:20 minutes
• Bounce rate dropped from 72% to 48%

Business Impact:

But the most significant change? The quality of leads. “People are arriving more educated about my services and ready to book,” Michelle told me last week. “They’ve already been recommended my practice by AI, so they trust my expertise before we even speak.”

Replicable Tactics for Your Women-Owned Business

Michelle’s success wasn’t luck – it was strategic positioning that any women-owned business can implement right now:

Define Your Specific Niche: Stop competing for broad terms. Focus on the intersection of your expertise and your ideal client’s specific problems. AI systems need clarity to make confident recommendations. Drop the ‘soulful’ and ‘heart-led’ – these terms mean nothing to the machines – nor the majority of humans!

Use Client Language: Research the exact words your clients use to describe their challenges. AI systems are trained on conversational language, not industry jargon.

Create Question-Based Content: Build comprehensive FAQ sections that directly answer the questions your ideal clients ask AI assistants. This is content gold for AI discovery.

Combine Local + Specialty: Position yourself as the local expert for your specific niche. “Stress management acupuncturist in [city]” beats “acupuncturist” every time.

Document Your Authority: Make it easy for AI systems to verify your credentials and understand your unique approach. Include detailed methodology pages and case studies.

Optimise for Voice Search: Many women use voice search and AI assistants. Ensure your content answers conversational queries naturally.

The businesses thriving in AI search aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets (hurrah!) – they’re the ones making it easiest for AI systems to understand exactly what they offer and why they’re the right choice.

Michelle’s transformation proves that women-owned businesses can dominate AI search with the right GEO strategy. It’s not about competing with everyone – it’s about being the obvious choice for your specific ideal clients.

Ready to see similar results for your business? Start with my 50-point GEO audit checklist to identify exactly what needs optimising for AI search systems. Because every day you delay is another day your ideal clients might find your competitors instead.

Data Source: Wells Fargo 2024 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses Report – https://www.wippeducationinstitute.org/2024-impact-of-women-owned-businesses