What is GEO (generative engine optimization)?
GEO is the work of making your business a source that AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Mode name and cite when they write an answer. The term comes from a 2023 research paper, which found that its methods could raise a source's visibility in AI answers by up to 40%.
Traditional search shows a list of links. A generative engine reads several sources and writes one answer, often naming a few of them. GEO aims to be one of the sources it names.
The term was introduced in a 2023 paper by Aggarwal and colleagues. In their tests, changing how content was written raised its visibility in generative engine answers by up to 40%, and the best approach varied by subject.
In practice, GEO rests on the same base as good SEO. Google says its AI features need no special optimization beyond sound SEO, and a page must be indexed to appear as a link in them.
What helps most is content an AI can trust and quote: a direct answer near the top, original numbers, named and dated sources, a real author, and plain text that AI crawlers are allowed to read.
No one can guarantee an AI tool will cite you. Sovereo Web Works builds for GEO and AEO together and measures citations monthly against a dated baseline.
Sources
- GEO: Generative Engine Optimization · Aggarwal et al., arXiv
- AI features and your website · Google Search Central
- Overview of OpenAI crawlers · OpenAI
Written and reviewed by Todd Allyn, Founder, Sovereo Intelligence Research
Facts checked Oct 8, 2026 · Next review by Jan 8, 2027
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