GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the work that turns a website into a source cited by AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. It does not replace SEO: it builds on it, because many searches now end with a generated answer rather than a list of links.
More and more people ask an AI assistant which supplier to choose, how much a service costs or how to solve a problem. In that answer, the AI cites only a handful of sources. If your business is not among them, for that user it simply does not exist.
In this article we look at what GEO is, how it differs from SEO and which concrete actions you can take on your company website starting today.
What GEO is and why it matters for your business
The term Generative Engine Optimization comes from a 2023 study by researchers at Princeton, Georgia Tech, the Allen Institute for AI and IIT Delhi. The study measured how a piece of content’s visibility changes inside the answers of generative engines: systems that do not just list links but write an answer.
The most interesting finding concerns how content is written. Content enriched with statistics, expert quotes and verifiable sources gained up to 40% more visibility in generated answers. By contrast, the old trick of repeating a keyword many times brought no benefit.
For a business, this means one simple thing: ranking on Google is no longer enough. You need to become the source that AI considers reliable, clear and easy to cite. That applies to a B2B manufacturer selling abroad, but also to a winery, a professional firm or a local restaurant.
SEO and GEO: what changes and what stays the same
SEO and GEO are not competing. AI assistants that search the web almost always start from search engine results: a site that Google and Bing cannot find is unlikely to be cited by an AI. What changes is the goal and how you measure it.
The goal. SEO aims to get users to click on a result. GEO aims to get your brand and content into the answer itself, often with a link to the source.
The unit of content. Google evaluates the whole page. An AI extracts single passages: a definition, a figure, a list of steps. Every paragraph must stand on its own.
The weight of the brand. In SEO, links matter a lot. In GEO, it also matters how much and where people talk about you: reviews, industry articles, directories, interviews.
Measurement. SEO is measured in rankings and clicks. GEO is measured in citations, brand mentions and traffic coming from AI assistants.
What stays the same. Useful content, a fast website, a clear structure and authority remain the foundation of both.
How ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity choose their sources
Each assistant works differently, but the basic mechanism is similar. When a question needs up-to-date or specific information, the AI runs a web search, reads a few pages and builds its answer, citing the most useful sources.
ChatGPT uses its own crawler (OAI-SearchBot) and also relies on external search engines such as Bing. That is why a presence on Bing, often overlooked by businesses, now has new value.
Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews are based on Google’s index. Here traditional SEO carries a lot of weight: most of the pages cited are pages that already rank well.
Perplexity displays its sources very prominently, numbered next to each sentence. It rewards recent, precise and well-structured content.
In every case, the AI tends to pick pages that answer the question directly, contain verifiable information and belong to a brand that is recognisable and consistent across several sources.
7 practical steps to get cited by AI
1. Answer the question straight away. Under each heading, write two or three lines that give the complete answer, then go into detail. This is the format AI finds easiest to extract and cite.
2. Use headings phrased as questions. “How much does a business website cost?” works better than “Our prices”. These are the same questions people ask AI assistants.
3. Add data, examples and sources. Figures, timeframes, real cases and references to authoritative sources make content credible. A generic statement is unlikely to be cited.
4. Show who is behind the content. An author with a name and expertise, a visible update date, a complete “About us” page. This is the E-E-A-T principle (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) that Google has applied for years and that also applies to AI.
5. Take care of structured data. Schema markup for your organisation, articles, products and reviews helps search engines understand with certainty who you are, what you do and where you are.
6. Get people talking about you beyond your website. An up-to-date Google Business Profile, reviews, listings on industry portals, articles in local media. The more consistent sources mention your brand, the more reliable AI considers it.
7. Let the right crawlers in. Check that your robots.txt file does not accidentally block AI search bots such as OAI-SearchBot or PerplexityBot. If they are blocked, your site cannot be read or cited.
How to measure your visibility in AI answers
GEO is a young discipline and measurement tools are still evolving. Some checks, however, are already within reach of any business.
Traffic from AI assistants. In Google Analytics 4 you can isolate visits coming from chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai and gemini.google.com. This traffic is still small but often highly qualified: people arriving from an AI answer already know what they are looking for.
Regular manual tests. Prepare a list of 10–20 questions your customers might ask, for example “best HVAC installer in Treviso”. Ask them every month to ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity and note whether and how your brand appears.
Bing Webmaster Tools. Alongside Google Search Console, verify your site on Bing too. It is free and shows you how your site is seen by one of the engines AI assistants rely on.
Brand mentions. Monitor where and how your business is talked about online. Consistent, positive mentions strengthen your brand’s reliability in the eyes of AI.
Frequently asked questions about GEO
Does GEO replace SEO? No. GEO is built on SEO: AI assistants that search the web start from search engine results. Without a well-ranked website, it is very hard to be cited.
How long does it take to see results from GEO? It depends on the industry and the starting point of the website. The first signals, such as new citations or visits from ChatGPT and Perplexity, usually come within a few months of consistent work on content.
Can a small local business be cited by AI? Yes, and it is often easier than for a big brand. Competition on local searches is low: a well-kept Google Business Profile, good reviews and content specific to your area already make a difference.
Can I stop AI from using my website’s content? Yes, you can block individual bots through your robots.txt file. It is worth making a distinction, though: blocking search bots such as OAI-SearchBot or PerplexityBot means giving up on being cited.
How can I tell whether ChatGPT already cites my business? The simplest way is to ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the questions your customers would ask and check the sources they list. In Google Analytics 4 you can then check visits coming from chatgpt.com.
The real challenge: becoming the go-to source in your industry
Online search is changing, but the underlying rule is the same: the winners are those who are useful, clear and credible. GEO does not require you to start from scratch. It starts from good SEO and adds a new way of writing and of being present across the web.
Businesses that move now have a real advantage. In many industries, especially at a local level, competition in AI answers is still low: whoever becomes the go-to source first is hard to displace.
Want to know how your business currently appears in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity answers?
Contact us for a free consultation. We’ll analyse your website together and suggest the SEO and GEO actions best suited to your goals.
