GEO explained: how to get cited by ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI
Generative Engine Optimization is the new SEO. Learn how AI search engines pick sources and what to do to get cited by them.
People no longer search only on Google. They ask ChatGPT for a recommendation, let Gemini build a comparison and read the AI overview at the top of the results. Those answers sometimes mention your business, and sometimes a competitor. Generative Engine Optimization, GEO for short, is about who gets mentioned.
Why SEO alone is no longer enough
Classic SEO targets positions in a list of blue links. An AI answer is not a list. It is a summary assembled from several sources. The model chooses which information it trusts, cites it and leaves the rest out. You want to be the source that gets cited, not the page that gets skipped.
How a language model picks a source
AI search systems prefer content that:
- Gives a clear answer directly. A definition or conclusion in the first sentences of a section is easy to cite.
- Is factual and specific. Numbers, steps and clear statements get reused more often than vague marketing language.
- Is machine readable. Structured data, clean HTML and a logical heading structure help the model understand your text.
- Signals trust. Authorship, a real address and consistent information about your company all count.
Concretely: what to do today
- Write citable passages. Answer each question in a short, self-contained paragraph at the top of a section.
- Add structured data. Organization, FAQ, Article and Breadcrumb in JSON-LD tell machines who you are and what the page is about.
- Publish an llms.txt. This file points AI crawlers to your most important pages and explanations.
- Keep your facts consistent. Same name, address and description everywhere, so a model can mention you with confidence.
SEO makes people find you. GEO makes machines recommend you. You need both.
The common thread
GEO is not a trick. It is good, clear and well-structured content, built so both people and models understand it. Whoever gets this right now will appear in the answers where the decision is made.