The short answer
GEO, or generative engine optimization, is the work of making your business easy for AI assistants to understand, trust, and cite. SEO aims to rank a page in Google’s results. GEO aims to get your business named inside the answer when someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, or Google’s AI Overviews who to hire.
Where GEO comes from
The term comes from a 2023 research paper, “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization,” by researchers from Princeton University and other institutions. They tested how different changes to web content affected whether AI-generated answers cited it.
higher visibility in AI-generated answers from changes like adding citations, quotations, and statistics to content.
The lesson is practical. AI assistants favor content that answers a question clearly, backs claims with sources, and is easy to quote.
How AI assistants decide who to recommend
- They look for direct answers. A page that answers one question plainly is easier to quote than one that covers everything.
- They cross-check facts. Consistent business details across your site, listings, and profiles make you easier to trust.
- They read structured data. Schema markup tells AI exactly who you are, what you offer, and where.
- They weigh what others say. Mentions, reviews, and listings on other credible sites act as independent confirmation.
GEO and SEO work together
SEO and GEO aren’t competitors. AI assistants lean on many of the same trust signals that help a site rank in Google: a technically healthy site, clear pages, and a credible footprint across the web. Most businesses build the SEO foundation first and layer GEO on top.
How to fix it, step by step
- See what AI says about you today. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity the questions your buyers ask, and note who gets recommended.
- Add a plain-language summary near the top of your site. One or two sentences on what you do, who you serve, and where, written so it can be quoted as-is.
- Give each service and question its own page. Narrow pages that answer one thing well are easier for AI to cite.
- Add schema markup. Organization, service, FAQ, and article markup make your details machine-readable.
- Keep your business details identical everywhere. Use the same name, phone, email, and address on your site, Google Business Profile, and directories.
- Earn independent mentions. Listings, reviews, partnerships, and press give AI something to confirm you against.
- Check again every month. Re-run the same questions and track whether and how you’re mentioned.
A quick GEO check you can run today
Try it yourself
Open ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity and ask the questions your buyers ask. For example: “Who are the best estate planning attorneys in Provo, Utah?”, “Which mortgage brokers in Utah County help self-employed borrowers?”, or “What assisted living communities near Orem have memory care?”
Write down who is recommended, whether you’re mentioned, and whether what the AI says about you is accurate. Then check which websites each answer cites. Those sources show you what the AI trusts in your market.
Repeat the same questions every month. Over time you’ll see whether you’re being named more often and which changes made a difference.
The numbers to track
- How often you’re named across a fixed set of buyer questions
- Which competitors are recommended instead
- Whether AI describes your business accurately
- Visits from AI tools in your website analytics
- Which of your pages AI answers cite
Do it responsibly
No one can guarantee that an AI assistant will recommend a specific business. Answers vary by model, wording, and location. GEO improves your odds by making you easier to understand, trust, and cite, and it builds over months rather than days.
Frequently asked questions
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. GEO builds on SEO. AI assistants use many of the same trust signals, so a strong SEO foundation makes GEO work better.
How long does GEO take to work?
It builds over months. AI systems need time to find, trust, and repeatedly see your content and your business details across the web.
Can anyone guarantee ChatGPT will recommend my business?
No. AI answers vary by model, prompt, and location. GEO improves your chances; it can’t promise a specific recommendation.