In short
GEO (generative engine optimization) is the practice of optimising your content and online presence so that generative AI tools - ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity and others - cite, mention or recommend your brand when people ask them questions. Where classic SEO aims to rank a blue link in a search results page, GEO aims to be part of the AI-generated answer itself. As more people get answers from AI instead of clicking through to websites, GEO has become the way to stay visible in that new, answer-first surface.
How GEO differs from SEO
SEO and GEO share a foundation (good, trustworthy content) but target different surfaces. SEO optimises to rank links in a traditional search engine. GEO optimises to be included and cited inside an AI-generated response, where there may be no list of links at all, just a synthesised answer that mentions a few sources.
- SEO: rank a clickable link in a search results page.
- GEO: be cited, named or recommended inside an AI-generated answer.
- Both reward clear, accurate, authoritative content; GEO adds machine readability.
How GEO and AEO relate
GEO and AEO (answer engine optimization) overlap heavily and are often used interchangeably, but there is a useful distinction. AEO focuses on being returned as the direct, factual answer to a specific question. GEO is broader: it focuses on influencing the narratives and recommendations AI builds around a topic, so your brand is woven into how the AI talks about your space, not just quoted for one fact.
What GEO looks like in practice
Practical GEO means writing content an AI can confidently quote: clear definitions up front, structured headings and FAQs, accurate and current facts, and citable claims. It also means strong, trustworthy signals (a real author, consistent mentions across the web) and making your site machine-readable, including structured data and an llms.txt file. The goal is to be the source an AI reaches for, and feels safe citing, when it answers a question in your field.