What Is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Q: What Is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of optimizing your content so AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini cite you when people ask for recommendations. It's SEO for the AI era. Instead of ranking on Google's first page, you're getting mentioned in AI-generated answers. The techniques are different—AI cares about structured proof, clear language, and credible sources more than backlinks and keywords.

Last updated: 2025-11-10

Short answer: SEO's replacement for getting cited by ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.

The shift: For 25 years, SEO meant ranking on Google. You optimized for keywords. You built backlinks. You chased algorithm updates. The goal was simple: appear on page one when someone searches.

That game is ending. People aren't searching anymore. They're asking. And they're asking AI, not Google.

What GEO does: Generative Engine Optimization is the practice of making AI assistants cite you when people ask for recommendations. Instead of ranking #3 in Google search results, you're the answer ChatGPT gives when someone asks "What's the best solution for X?"

Why the techniques are different: Google's algorithm cares about backlinks, keywords, domain authority. AI models care about proof, structure, and credibility. You can't trick AI with keyword stuffing. You can't buy your way to the top with paid links. AI reads your content and decides if it's trustworthy enough to cite.

What AI actually looks for:

Clear, structured proof (case studies, data, testimonials)
Simple language without marketing jargon
Credible sources and verifiable claims
Specific results and outcomes
Current, up-to-date information

The brutal reality: Your SEO skills don't transfer to GEO. The playbook is different. The ranking factors are different. The timeline is different. With SEO, you might wait 6 months for results. With GEO, you see citations within 7 days if you do it right.

Want to see how your competitors are winning at GEO? Email [email protected] for a free competitive analysis in 24 hours.

Bottom line: GEO is about making your proof AI-readable. If you have customer wins and case studies, GEO makes AI cite them. If you don't have proof, no amount of GEO will help—just like no amount of SEO can rank empty pages.