Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
The practice of optimizing content and brand presence so generative AI engines mention and cite you in their answers.
Generative Engine Optimization is the work of shaping how generative AI engines describe, mention and cite your brand. The engines in question are the ones that answer questions with synthesised prose: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and the AI overviews inside traditional search.
GEO overlaps with SEO because the models often pull from the open web, so authoritative, well-structured content still matters. It diverges because the target is no longer a ranked position. The target is being one of the few brands the model names when it composes an answer, and being one of the sources it cites to back that answer up.
In practice GEO means understanding which prompts matter in your category, seeing which brands the models currently favour, and finding the sources those answers lean on. That last part matters most, because influencing the sources an engine trusts is how you influence the answer.
Frequently asked questions
- Is GEO the same as SEO?
- No. SEO targets rankings in a list of links. GEO targets being named and cited inside a generated answer. They share tactics like authoritative content, but the outcome you optimise for is different.
- How do you do GEO?
- Track the prompts buyers ask in your category, measure which brands the models mention today, identify the sources those answers cite, then earn presence in those sources and close gaps in how models describe you.
Related terms
Whaily turns this from theory into measurement: which brands AI names in your category, and which sources shape those answers, tracked across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity.