GEO case study: an independent insurance agency ranks #1 in AI answers
Last updated: October 14, 2026
Biltmore Insurance Services, a multi-office independent insurance agency, ranks first of 72 tracked local agencies for visibility in AI answers. WaniWani tracked real buyer questions every day for 10 weeks. The agency is now named in 54% of answers to its main regional question, and its visibility in Google AI Overviews is three times higher than at the start.
What is GEO for an insurance agency?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the work of measuring and improving how AI assistants describe and recommend a business. For an insurance agency, GEO answers one question: when a buyer asks an AI assistant “who is a good independent agent near me?”, is the agency in the answer? An agency that is not named does not get the call.
What results did the agency get?
Biltmore held the #1 visibility rank among tracked local agencies in every three-week window since August 17, 2026, while the tracked set grew from 15 to 72 agencies.
| Metric | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Rank among tracked local agencies | #1 of 15 | #1 of 72 |
| Main regional question ("best independent agency serving [region]") | Below its top five questions | Named in 54% of answers |
| Google AI Overviews visibility (personal-lines questions) | 0.8% | 2.5% (3x) |
Google AI Overviews is the AI summary at the top of a Google search. Buyers see it before any link.
Why was the agency missing from AI answers?
The agency had two problems before the project started:
- No measurement. The agency could not see if AI assistants named it, which competitors they named, or what they said about it.
- A split identity. The agency’s name appeared in different forms across directories and listings. AI engines can count these forms as several smaller agencies, so each mention carries less weight.
What did the agency change?
- Measure real buyer questions. WaniWani built a set of real buyer questions and ran each one every day across the major AI engines. The questions cover city searches (“best independent agent in [city]”), discovery questions and coverage questions.
- Fix the off-site footprint. Every office got a complete listing on a major review site. Directory listings now use one consistent business name, so each mention counts toward the same agency.
- Fill the content gaps. The agency publishes new content each month. Each piece answers one buyer question where the agency was missing from AI answers.
How was AI visibility measured?
Visibility is the share of AI answers that name the agency. Rank compares that share against the other tracked local agencies on the same questions. “Before” is the 30 days to July 26, 2026. “Now” is September 8 to October 8, 2026. Google AI Overviews figures cover the agency’s personal-lines questions. Source: WaniWani AI visibility data.
The approach follows the same principle as our methodology for scoring AI apps: real buyer questions, repeated daily, scored the same way every time. Academic work on GEO, such as the Princeton GEO study (KDD 2024), also measures how visible a source is inside AI answers.
FAQ
Can a local insurance agency show up in AI answers?
Yes. In this case study, Biltmore Insurance Services is named in 54% of AI answers to its main regional question and ranks first of 72 tracked local agencies. Questions that name a city or a region are where AI assistants recommend specific local agencies.
Why does a consistent business name matter for AI visibility?
AI engines count mentions by name. When an agency appears under a legal name, a trade name and an old brand, the engines can treat it as several smaller agencies. One consistent name across every listing lets each mention count toward the same agency.
How do you measure an agency’s AI visibility?
Pick real questions buyers ask, such as “best independent agent in [city]”. Run each question every day on several AI engines. Visibility is the share of answers that name the agency. Rank compares that share against competing local agencies on the same questions.
Does Google AI Overviews recommend local insurance agencies?
Yes. In this case study, Google AI Overviews named the agency three times more often on personal-lines questions after 10 weeks. Google AI Overviews sits at the top of a Google search, so a mention there reaches buyers before they click any link.
What is the difference between GEO and SEO for insurance agencies?
SEO ranks a page in a list of links. GEO gets the agency named inside the AI answer itself. The two overlap, because Google AI Overviews draws on pages that rank well. But AI assistants also read directories, reviews and forums, so off-site consistency matters more in GEO.
See where your agency stands
WaniWani measures what AI assistants say about insurance brands, then helps fix the gaps. To learn how AI assistants are becoming a sales channel, read what AI distribution means for financial services. To see your own numbers, request a demo.