What is GEO, in plain words?
Generative engine optimization is the work of making your brand show up in answers written by AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews. The term comes from a 2023 research paper by a team at Princeton and elsewhere, which tested ways to make a source more visible in AI-generated answers. They reported that some changes raised visibility by up to 40%.
You'll also hear AEO (answer engine optimization) and LLM SEO. In practice people use these words for roughly the same job. We explain the terms side by side on our GEO and AEO pages.
What stays the same between SEO and GEO?
More than the hype suggests. Google's own guidance for AI Overviews and AI Mode says the same foundational SEO practices apply, and that no special markup or new files are needed. Most AI assistants also fetch pages from the open web through search, so the basics carry over.
- Crawlability. If a crawler can't reach or read your page, neither Google nor an AI assistant can use it.
- Helpful, specific content. Clear answers, real numbers and first-hand experience win in both.
- Site structure. Logical headings, internal links and fast pages help both.
- Authority. Being trusted on a topic still matters. What changes is how that trust is measured.
What's genuinely different about GEO?
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Rank a page and earn the click | Get your brand named or cited in the answer |
| Main metric | Position, clicks, CTR | Mention rate, share of voice, citations |
| Unit of work | The page | The passage, and the brand |
| Off-site focus | Backlinks | Mentions in reviews, lists, forums and press |
| Results stability | Fairly stable rankings | Answers vary from run to run |
| Where the user ends up | Usually on your site | Often stays in the AI tool |
| Measurement tools | Search Console, rank trackers | Prompt tracking across several assistants |
You measure mentions, not positions
There's no "position 3" in a ChatGPT answer that stays put. The same question can produce a different list each time. So GEO is measured as a rate: in how many answers, out of many runs, is your brand named? That's why AI share of voice has become the main metric.
Other people's websites matter more
In SEO, you mostly optimise your own pages and earn links to them. In GEO, what others write about you carries more weight, because AI tools summarise many sources at once. Reddit, Wikipedia, review sites and media are among the most cited domains in ChatGPT answers. A brand that's discussed accurately in those places has a head start.
Passages need to stand on their own
AI tools lift sentences and short sections, not whole pages. The GEO paper found that adding citations, quotations from relevant sources and statistics helped most. In practice that means a clear two-sentence answer under each heading, specific numbers, and named sources, so a passage still makes sense when quoted alone. Our guide on writing content AI assistants quote shows examples.
How should you split your time between SEO and GEO?
It depends on how your buyers search. A rough guide that works for most small teams:
| Local service business | 70% | 30% | Maps and local search still drive most calls |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2B software | 50% | 50% | Buyers ask AI for shortlists and comparisons |
| E-commerce brand | 60% | 40% | Product research is moving to AI, purchases still happen on search and marketplaces |
| Publisher or blog | 60% | 40% | Being cited protects brand, though AI answers reduce clicks |
The good news is that much of the work counts twice. Clearer pages, honest comparison content and genuine reviews help you in Google and in AI answers at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SEO and GEO?
SEO aims to rank pages in search results and earn clicks. GEO aims to get your brand named or cited inside AI-written answers. They share foundations like crawlable, helpful content, but GEO is measured by mentions rather than positions and depends more on what other sites say about you.
Is GEO just SEO with a new name?
Partly. Good SEO covers much of what GEO needs. The genuine differences are the metric (how often you're mentioned), the unit of work (quotable passages and your brand) and the weight given to third-party mentions.
Does Google say you need GEO for AI Overviews?
Google says the same foundational SEO practices apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode, and that no special markup or files are required.
Where did the term GEO come from?
From a research paper titled 'GEO: Generative Engine Optimization' by Aggarwal and colleagues, first published in November 2023, which tested ways to make sources more visible in AI-generated answers.
Should a small business invest in GEO?
If your customers ask AI tools for recommendations in your category, yes, starting with the basics: crawler access, a clear description of what you do, and reviews and mentions on trusted sites.