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What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of getting a brand mentioned and cited inside the answers that AI assistants give — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google’s AI Overviews, and others — rather than only ranking in a list of blue links.

GEO vs SEO

SEO is about ranking a page for a query. GEO is about being the source an assistant nameswhen it answers a question. They overlap — strong, citable content helps both — but they’re measured differently. A page can rank #1 on Google and still be absent from the AI answer a buyer actually reads.

Why it matters now

Buyers increasingly ask an assistant for a recommendation and act on the few names it returns. If your brand isn’t in that short answer, you’re invisible at the exact moment of consideration — no matter how well you rank in classic search.

How to influence GEO

• Publish clear, factual answers to the real questions buyers ask (assistants quote concise, well-structured sources).
• Earn mentions and citations on pages assistants tend to draw from.
• Keep key pages current — search-grounded assistants favor fresh, verifiable sources.

How to measure GEO

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Track, for a fixed set of buyer questions: whether the brand is mentioned across assistants, its share of voice versus competitors, and the month-over-month trend. Because answers vary, sample each question several times and report rates and trends — not a single result.