What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of making your content more likely to be found, quoted and recommended in answers from AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.
Last updated 6 October 2026
Why it matters
Many buyers now ask an AI assistant for recommendations before they search. If the assistant names three competitors and not you, you've lost that buyer before they reach your website, and nothing in your search analytics shows it.
The term comes from a 2023 research paper, "GEO: Generative Engine Optimization", which found that adding sources, quotations and statistics made content noticeably more visible in AI answers.
What helps you get mentioned
- Direct answers near the top of a page that can be quoted as they are.
- Comparison pages and "best tools" lists with honest, factual tables.
- Specific facts with sources, rather than vague marketing claims.
- Being discussed in places assistants read, such as communities and reviews.
- Pages search engines and AI crawlers can reach: a sitemap and a robots.txt that allows them.
How to measure it
Write down the questions your buyers ask, ask each assistant regularly, and record whether you're mentioned, in what position, which competitors appear and which pages are cited. Answers vary between runs and between the API and the app, so treat the results as an estimate and watch the trend.
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Is GEO different from SEO?
They overlap. SEO is about ranking in search results; GEO is about being named and cited in AI answers. Clear, factual, well-structured pages help both.
Can I see AI answers in Google Search Console?
No. You have to ask the assistants directly and record the answers.
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