Guide · Generative Engine Optimization
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): the practical guide
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of making your business easy for AI answer engines to understand, trust and cite. Where SEO aims for a position in a list of links, GEO aims for a place inside the answer that ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Google AI Overviews write for the user.
Where the term comes from
The term was popularised by a 2023 research paper, "GEO: Generative Engine Optimization" (Aggarwal et al.), which studied how the form of content changes its visibility in generative engine responses.
GEO vs SEO vs AEO
SEO optimises for rankings in search results. AEO (answer engine optimization) focuses on direct answers such as featured snippets and voice results. GEO extends this to generative engines that compose new answers from several sources. All three share the same foundations: crawlable pages, clear structure and trustworthy content.
What AI engines rely on
Google states in its documentation on AI features that the usual SEO best practices apply and no special markup is required. ChatGPT search and Perplexity fetch live web pages and cite sources, so their crawlers (OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot) must be allowed in robots.txt.
A practical GEO checklist
- Access: robots.txt allows search and AI crawlers; content is in the HTML
- Entity: an About page with name, role, location, services and profiles; consistent Organization/Person data
- Services: one page per service stating exactly what you do, for whom and where
- Answers: a short direct answer under each heading, then the details; FAQs from real customer questions
- Proof: real case studies, sourced figures, a named author and visible update dates
- Structured data: Service, Article with author, FAQPage only when the FAQ is visible
- Consistency: the same facts on your Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and directories
How to measure GEO honestly
There is no stable "GEO ranking": the same question can produce different answers. Track a fixed set of 10 to 20 real customer questions every month in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google, note whether you are mentioned or linked, and monitor referral visits from chatgpt.com and perplexity.ai in Google Analytics.
Need help with GEO?
I run GEO audits and implement the fixes as part of my SEO services: technical access, entity clarity, structured data and answer-ready content. No one can guarantee AI citations; what you get is a documented diagnosis, concrete changes and monthly tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. AI engines rely heavily on pages that search engines can crawl and trust. GEO builds on SEO rather than replacing it.
Do I need special markup for Google AI Overviews?
Google says no special markup is required; standard SEO best practices apply. Structured data still helps describe your business clearly.
What is llms.txt?
A text file at the root of a site that summarises its key pages for language models. It can help, but it is not a standard adopted by every engine and does not replace technical SEO or clear content.
Can anyone guarantee that ChatGPT will cite my business?
No. Nobody controls AI answers. GEO improves the conditions for being understood and cited, and monthly tracking shows what actually changes.
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