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Forget Google Search: AI LLMs now the ‘front door’ for business discovery
9 November 2026
With Google-search referrals reportedly dropping off by as much as 50%, AI large language models (LLMs), like Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google Gemini are fast becoming the primary vehicle that customers are using to find the best Print Service Provider for their needs. GEO Rank, a new platform from Smart Elephant and Digital Ink has been specifically designed to help businesses be found, cited and chosen by AI LLMs.
Chris Minn, founder of technical marketing collective Digital Ink, says: “The easier it becomes to use AI software, the quicker businesses need to transition to being cited by Large Language Models. We are already planning for the next phase, when e-commerce moves further into platforms like Shopify and advertising opportunities open up directly inside tools like ChatGPT – where a user should be able to purchase print products without ever leaving the LLM they are using. We believe GEO Rank is the foundation of that new world, and we are building for where it is going, not just where it is today.”
As AI becomes the new front door for business discovery, GEO Rank claims to offer companies the intelligence and tools to stay visible, competitive, and recommended in that environment.
According to Smart Elephant, the software development house who provided the AI engineering and optimisation technology behind GEO Rank, the platform:
- scores AI visibility i.e. shows how well a business is being found and cited in AI LLM results ;
- benchmarks against competitors, highlighting where rivals are positioned and even offering insights into why they may be outranking you;
- provides a prioritised roadmap, with actionable steps to improve AI search presence; and
- supports multiple print verticals, including wide format, packaging, labels, commercial print, and apparel
Once ranked, the platform essentially offers three paths forward to help users better optimise their AI discoverability: self‑guided fixes, professional services, or in‑house training on the system itself.
Harrison Bailey, founder of Smart Elephant and co-founder of GEO Rank, adds: “What is genuinely exciting is that this is not just about telling a print business where they stand in AI visibility: it shows them where their competitors are positioned, too. Sometimes a competitor with a far lesser product is outranking a business simply because they are better optimised for AI. We give businesses the awareness and the roadmap to change that, whether they want to act themselves or have us do it with them. This is the first step in a long software roadmap, and we will continue to evolve the platform as the way people research and buy print products and services online continues to shift.”
