GEO · Term
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of structuring and writing content so that AI answer engines — such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews — understand it, trust it, and cite it in their responses.
Where traditional SEO optimises for ranking in a list of links, GEO optimises for being named inside a single generated answer. The tactics overlap — both reward clear, credible, well-structured content — but GEO adds answer-first writing, machine-readable structure, an llms.txt file, entity consistency, and third-party corroboration.
GEO is measured not by rankings but by citations: whether, and how often, engines mention your brand when asked the questions you want to own.
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