What is GEO?
The key difference between GEO and SEO is that Google ranks pages. AI cites sources.
Think of GEO as SEO, but for AI search instead of traditional search engines.
Where Google ranks pages, AI generates answers. Generative engine optimisation is about making sure your business appears in those answers.
What is the difference between GEO and SEO?
GEO and SEO are closely related but not the same thing.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the practice of optimising your content to rank in traditional search engines like Google. The goal is to appear on the first page of results when someone searches a keyword.
Generative engine optimisation is the practice of optimising your content to be cited by AI systems. The goal is to appear in the answer an AI generates when someone asks a relevant question.
The key difference: Google ranks pages. AI cites sources.
The good news is that most of what makes your site good for SEO — clear structure, authoritative content, strong technical foundations — also helps with GEO. But generative engine optimisation requires some additional, specific work on top.
What are the most commonly used terms for GEO?
This is a space where terminology hasn't settled yet. You'll encounter several terms that refer to overlapping concepts:
GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation. The most widely used term in 2026. Refers specifically to optimising for generative AI systems that produce answers rather than lists of links.
AEO — Answer Engine Optimisation. An older term that predates the current wave of AI search tools. Originally referred to optimising for voice search and featured snippets. Now often used interchangeably with GEO, though some practitioners distinguish between the two.
LLM SEO. Used to describe SEO practices specifically targeting Large Language Models like ChatGPT and Claude. Essentially the same as generative engine optimisation but with a more technical framing.
AI Search Optimisation. A plain-English umbrella term covering all of the above. Useful when talking to audiences unfamiliar with the acronyms.
AI Visibility. Refers to how prominently and accurately a brand appears across AI-generated answers. Often used in the context of measuring and tracking GEO performance rather than the optimisation practices themselves.
For the purposes of this site, we use GEO as the primary term — but you'll encounter all of these in the wild.
What AI tools does GEO apply to?
Generative engine optimisation is relevant to any AI system that generates answers using web content. The main ones to know in 2026:
ChatGPT (OpenAI) — the most widely used AI tool for B2B software research, according to G2. ChatGPT with browsing enabled actively searches the web and cites sources in its answers.
Perplexity — an AI search engine that explicitly shows citations for every answer it generates. Being cited by Perplexity is one of the clearest signals your GEO is working.
Google AI Overviews — Google's AI-generated summaries that appear above traditional search results. Increasingly prominent for informational queries.
Claude (Anthropic) — growing in B2B usage, particularly among technical audiences.
Gemini (Google) — Google's AI assistant, integrated across Google Workspace and Search.
Each of these systems works slightly differently, but the same underlying generative engine optimisation principles apply across all of them.
Most-used AI tool for B2B software research (OpenAI).
AI search engine that shows citations on every answer.
AI summaries shown above traditional Google results.
Growing in B2B use, especially with technical audiences (Anthropic).
Google's AI assistant across Search and Workspace.
xAI's assistant, integrated with X for real-time web context.
How does AI decide what to cite?
This is the core question GEO is trying to answer. AI systems don't rank pages the way Google does — they generate answers and pull in sources they consider credible and relevant.
The signals that influence whether AI cites your content include:
Entity clarity — is it obvious who you are and what you're an authority on? Clear author information, a well-structured About page and consistent brand presence across the web all help.
Content structure — AI systems prefer content that's easy to extract and summarise. Clear headings, direct answers to questions, and concise factual statements are more likely to be cited than dense, discursive prose. This is one of the most actionable aspects of generative engine optimisation.
Source credibility — backlinks, domain authority and mentions in other reputable sources all influence how AI systems assess your credibility. The same signals that matter for Google matter for GEO too.
Structured data — schema markup helps AI systems parse and attribute your content correctly.
Freshness — AI tools with web access prioritise recent content. Regular publishing matters for generative engine optimisation just as it does for traditional SEO.
Is GEO only relevant for large companies?
No — and this is one of the most important things to understand about generative engine optimisation.
Traditional SEO heavily favours established brands with large content teams and high domain authority. GEO is more of a level playing field. A well-structured, credible, specific piece of content from a small company can get cited just as readily as content from a large one — sometimes more so, if it answers a specific question more directly.
The four pillars of GEO
Understanding what GEO is only gets you so far. To actually implement generative engine optimisation you need a framework. This is how we structure everything on be citable — four pillars that cover every aspect of GEO, from technical foundations to ongoing measurement.
Crawlable, fast, structured for AI to read.
Question-led headings and extractable answers.
Reviews, PR and third-party coverage.
Track AI visibility over time.
Pillar 1: Technical Foundation. Is your site crawlable, fast and structured for AI to read? Before any content optimisation can work, the infrastructure needs to be right. This means ensuring AI crawlers can access your site, your structured data is correctly implemented, and your site loads fast enough to pass Core Web Vitals.
Pillar 2: On-Site Optimisation. The content you own. Question-led headings, FAQs and extractable answers that AI can cite directly. This is where most companies have the biggest opportunity — rewriting existing content so it directly answers the questions your buyers are asking AI.
Pillar 3: Off-Site Authority. What others say about you online. Reviews on G2 and Capterra, PR mentions, listicles, YouTube videos and third-party coverage all build the credibility signals that AI systems use to decide whether to cite you.
Pillar 4: Monitor & Iterate. Track your AI search visibility over time. Tools, frameworks and metrics to know what's working — and what isn't. Generative engine optimisation is not a one-time fix; it requires ongoing measurement and iteration.
Every guide on be citable sits within one of these four pillars. If you're new to GEO, start with the technical foundation — it's the infrastructure that makes everything else possible.
What is the fastest way to start with GEO?
If you're new to generative engine optimisation and want to make an immediate impact, start here:
- Run an AI audit — search for your product category in ChatGPT and Perplexity. See which brands come up and whether yours is among them. This takes 30 minutes and tells you exactly where you stand.
- Structure your content for questions — rewrite your key pages so they directly answer the questions your buyers are asking. Question-led headings and concise answers are the single biggest content change you can make for GEO.
- Check your technical foundations — make sure AI crawlers can access your site. This means checking your robots.txt file and ensuring your site isn't blocking the major AI crawlers.
- Build your off-site presence — get listed, reviewed and mentioned. Reviews, PR coverage and third-party mentions are all signals AI systems use to assess credibility for generative engine optimisation purposes.