GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

The practice of optimising content to be cited and featured in AI-generated search answers from tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the emerging discipline of optimising for AI-powered search answers rather than (or alongside) traditional blue-link results. As Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, ChatGPT, and other AI engines increasingly answer queries directly, appearing as a cited source in those answers becomes a traffic driver in its own right.

Core GEO signals: factual accuracy (AI engines prefer citable, verifiable facts), structured content (clear headings, lists, FAQ schema make content machine-parseable), author expertise (named authors with verifiable credentials), entity clarity (clearly naming entities — organisations, products, people — helps AI connect your content to knowledge graphs), and llms.txt (a new emerging standard for telling AI crawlers about your site).

GEO is still evolving rapidly. The most defensible position: create genuinely authoritative content that answers real questions comprehensively — this satisfies both traditional SEO and AI citation algorithms. Thin, vague, or keyword-stuffed content is unlikely to appear in either traditional or AI search.