In short: generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the practice of making your brand easy for AI systems to understand, trust and cite, so you appear in answers from tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. It builds on good SEO rather than replacing it.
What is generative engine optimisation?
GEO focuses on being the source an AI assistant chooses when someone asks a question about your market. Instead of competing only for a position in a list of links, you compete to be named or cited in a written answer.
How is GEO different from SEO?
The foundations are shared: a fast, crawlable, well-structured website and helpful, original content. GEO adds a stronger emphasis on clear entities (who you are and what you do), structured data, direct answers to real questions, and third-party credibility that AI systems can verify.
What should you do first?
- Fix the basics: make sure your site is fast, crawlable and not blocking legitimate search and AI crawlers.
- Be clear about who you are: use consistent naming, an informative About page, and structured data for your organisation, services and reviews.
- Answer real questions: write pages and FAQs that answer the questions buyers actually ask, with the direct answer first.
- Show expertise: publish original insight, case studies and named expert authors.
- Earn mentions: reviews, press, partnerships and profiles on reputable third-party sites strengthen trust.
How do you measure AI visibility?
Choose a set of questions your buyers ask, check regularly whether and how AI tools cite your brand, and track changes alongside traditional rankings and traffic. Results build over months, and the work compounds as authority grows.
Is GEO worth it for a small business?
Yes, because more buyers now begin research with an AI assistant, and many of the improvements, such as clearer content and better structure, also help ordinary search and conversion.
Want to know how visible your brand is in AI answers? Ask us about a GEO review.