GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of structuring a website so generative AI engines — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews — retrieve and cite its pages when composing answers. The optimised unit is the citation, not the click: GEO targets inclusion in a generated answer rather than a ranked position on a results page.
Why GEO matters for an existing site
GEO shares about 80% of its inputs with SEO. Crawlable pages, clear structure, real content, internal links — same work, same audit, same you. So when a vendor pitches GEO as a separate retainer, they’re invoicing you twice for one job. The 20% that’s genuinely new is small and cheap to bolt on: entity clarity, chunk-level answers, and caring about citations over clicks. Here’s the number that should get your attention: our audit of 50 established sites put the median citation share at 8% before anyone touched GEO. Not zero. Not fifty. Eight. You don’t buy that back with a second invoice. You measure, then fix the pages you already have.
| Shared with SEO (the 80%) | GEO-specific (the 20%) | Vendor theatre |
|---|---|---|
| Crawlable pages, quality content, clear structure | Entity clarity across the site | A “GEO strategy workshop” that re-teaches SEO |
| Internal links, fast rendering, schema | Self-contained, chunk-level answers | A second retainer for the same audit |
| Topical coverage and depth | Optimising to be cited, not clicked | A “ChatGPT rankings” dashboard with no method |
Related: AEO · Query fan-out Read up: GEO for Established Websites · How to Market a Website in 2026