GEO (generative engine optimization) is the work of getting your brand mentioned and cited in the answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot and Google's AI Overviews. SEO aims for the top of Google's blue links; GEO aims to get your name inside the answer. Both rest on the same foundation: crawlable, indexed, clear content that other sources confirm.
GEO, AEO, AI SEO, LLM SEO: are they the same thing?
Largely, yes. They describe the same job under different names:
- GEO (generative engine optimization): visibility in AI answers. The term spread through a 2023 academic paper, "GEO: Generative Engine Optimization", which showed that adding sources, quotations and statistics to content noticeably improves its visibility in AI answers.
- AEO (answer engine optimization): optimizing for answer engines. A slightly older term from the era of featured snippets and voice assistants.
- AI SEO, LLM SEO: general marketing labels.
Buyers don't use any of these terms. They say "I want us to show up in ChatGPT" or "ChatGPT never mentions us."
The difference between SEO and GEO
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Top positions in Google results | Being mentioned and cited in AI answers |
| What the user sees | Ten links | A few brand names and short descriptions |
| Measure of success | Position, clicks, impressions | How many questions you're named in, your position, citations |
| What counts | Keywords, page quality, links | A clear answer to the question, mentions on other sites, consistent facts |
| Where the work happens | Mostly your own site | Your site, directories, lists, profiles, news |
| Measurement | Search Console, Analytics | Question-set tracking, AI-referred visits in Analytics |
GEO doesn't replace SEO. Most AI tools search the web when they answer, using search engines' indexes. A page that isn't indexed in Google can't be seen by Gemini or Google's AI Overviews either.
How is GEO done?
- Measurement: Who shows up today for the 20 questions your customer would ask? (How to test)
- Technical foundation: Access for AI crawlers, indexing in Google and Bing, content that doesn't depend on JavaScript, structured data.
- A clear definition: One sentence that says what you do; the same company details everywhere.
- Question-and-answer content: Price, process, comparisons, alternatives; pages that answer in the first paragraph.
- Outside sources: Directories, Google Business Profile, industry lists, news.
- Tracking: Asking the same questions again every month.
The steps are covered in detail in 7 steps to show up in AI answers.
What is llms.txt, and do you need it?
llms.txt is a text file at the root of a site that briefly describes the site to AI models; a standard proposed in 2024. The honest answer: none of the big AI companies has openly confirmed that it uses this file in its answers. It takes an hour to write and does no harm; I use it on my own sites. But it isn't the core of GEO: crawler access, indexing and content come first.
Who needs GEO?
Most of all, businesses whose customers research and ask questions before they decide:
- Companies that sell across borders: health tourism, real estate for foreign buyers, exporters, travel. A foreign buyer doesn't know your company; they often build their first shortlist by asking an AI.
- Software and B2B services: "Which tool is best for X?" now gets asked to AI.
- High-value, considered purchases: legal, consulting, education, private healthcare.
Who needs it less: impulse, low-value, purely local purchases. For the neighborhood bakery, a Google Business Profile still matters far more.
When do results come?
Technical fixes show up in Search Console within a few weeks. Content and outside sources take months to show up in AI answers. On my own product, ChartPilot, Google had indexed only a handful of pages at the end of July; by October it was 58, and ChatGPT had sent 121 visits between July and October. Be wary of any GEO service that guarantees rankings: nobody controls AI answers.
Common questions
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No, it builds on top of SEO. AI tools often use search engines' indexes when they answer; a site that isn't indexed is invisible to AI too. GEO adds question-and-answer content, outside sources and question-set tracking on top of that foundation.
Can I do GEO myself?
The measurement and technical checks, yes, in an afternoon. Content, comparison pages, directories and list work are an ongoing monthly job; if you don't have the time, getting help is more efficient.
How much does a GEO service cost?
It varies a lot, from one-off audits to monthly retainers. My service has a single plan: $1,500 a month, or $1,000 a month with a 12-month commitment. The first step is a free check.
How are GEO results measured?
By tracking, on a fixed set of questions, how many of them your brand is named in, at what position, and which of your pages are cited. On top of that, visits from sources like chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai and gemini.google.com are tracked in Analytics.
