Generative Engine Optimisation. The discipline of getting cited inside the answer an AI assistant generates.
GEO is the discipline of getting a business, a page, or a brand cited inside the answer that an AI assistant generates. It is the SEO of generative search. The tactics overlap with traditional SEO (entity, schema, content depth, citations) but the success metric is citation inside the answer, not ranking on a results page.
GEO is not a replacement for traditional SEO. It is a parallel layer. A site that ranks #1 in Google but is invisible to ChatGPT is leaving the fastest-growing search channel on the table. I do both layers as a single engagement.
Three layers in a fixed order. The entity layer: clean NAP, ProfessionalService schema, consistent citations across the directories ChatGPT reads. The content layer: question-led content, FAQPage schema, supporting data, and the specific answers your customers ask. The authority layer: reviews, mentions, and links from the high-authority sources ChatGPT leans on (Wikipedia, major publications, established review platforms).
If your entity layer is missing or inconsistent, the content and the authority work do not get cited. I start with the entity layer on every GEO engagement.
Perplexity reads a different source mix than ChatGPT. It leans on the live web, on citations from authoritative sources, and on structured data. To get into Perplexity answers, you need the same entity layer as ChatGPT, plus a citation set that is up to date, plus a content layer that answers questions in the format Perplexity prefers (concise, source-anchored, question-led).
I run a Perplexity-specific report as part of the AI visibility monitoring service, with the queries your customers actually use, and the sources Perplexity cited when it answered.
Google AI Overviews sit on top of the regular Google index. The work overlaps heavily with traditional SEO: schema, content depth, internal links, entity signals. The difference is the answer format. AI Overviews pull a paragraph or a list, not a full page, so the content has to be structured to give them a quotable snippet.
I treat Google AI Overviews as a hybrid of traditional SEO and GEO. The same content that wins the regular organic results wins the AI Overview, but only if the page is structured for the snippet extraction.
No. SEO optimises a page to rank in the ten blue links. GEO optimises a page, a brand, or an entity to be cited inside an answer. The work overlaps (schema, content, internal links) but the success metrics are different. SEO measures ranking position. GEO measures citation frequency inside AI answers.
The two work together. SEO without GEO leaves the AI-search layer on the table. GEO without SEO leaves the regular Google layer on the table. I do both layers as a single engagement.
Entity optimisation is the work of making sure an AI assistant can resolve your business as a single, consistent thing. That means the same name, address, phone (where applicable), and description across every place your business appears online: the GBP, the website schema, the citations, the social profiles, the review platforms, the press mentions. The entity is the thing the assistant cites; the page is just the source it cites from.
If your entity is inconsistent, the assistant cannot resolve it, and the citation goes to a competitor. I do the entity layer as a one-off project at the start of every GEO engagement.
Three rules. First, the content answers the specific questions your customers ask, in the order they ask them, with the supporting data the assistants look for. Second, the content is structured for snippet extraction: short paragraphs, clear lists, a FAQ block at the bottom, and the answer in the first 40-60 words. Third, the content is anchored to the entity (your business, your author, your location) with consistent schema and consistent citations.
Long-form SEO bait is the opposite of what AI tools cite. They cite concise, source-anchored, question-led content. I write the content to that format.
Structured data is how you tell the AI assistants what your page is about, who wrote it, what it is for, and which entity it represents. Without structured data, the assistant has to infer everything from the page content, which is unreliable and easy to get wrong. With structured data, the assistant has an explicit map of the page and can cite it accurately.
The four types that matter for local businesses are ProfessionalService, WebPage, Place, and FAQPage. The other 200+ schema types are mostly noise. I write the four that matter and skip the rest.
The entity layer is a 1-2 week project. The content layer is a 4-8 week cadence. The citation lift is a 30-90 day compound. The first AI citations usually appear within 60-90 days for an established local business with a clean entity layer. After that, the citations compound monthly.
GEO is not an instant-win channel. The work is structural and the results lag the work by weeks. I report the progress in the monthly AI visibility report, with the queries, the citations, and the sources.
Yes, especially in the niche and the long-tail. The Costa del Sol market is competitive on the obvious queries (the high-volume restaurant and real-estate searches) but most local businesses are not doing the GEO work, so the citation layer is open. I have clients winning ChatGPT citations for niche Costa del Sol queries that the big agencies have not touched.
The advantage goes to the businesses that did the entity layer first and the content second. The businesses that did the content first and the entity layer never are still invisible.
I run GEO engagements for established local businesses across the Costa del Sol (Marbella, Estepona, Puerto Banus, San Pedro de Alcantara, Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Malaga) plus international clients. Reply within 24 hours.
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GEO is the discipline of getting a business, a page, or a brand cited inside the answer an AI assistant generates. The tactics overlap with traditional SEO but the success metric is citation inside the answer, not ranking on a results page.
Three layers in a fixed order. Entity layer (clean NAP, ProfessionalService schema, consistent citations). Content layer (question-led content, FAQPage schema, supporting data). Authority layer (reviews, mentions, links from high-authority sources). If the entity layer is missing, the other two do not get cited.
Perplexity reads a different source mix than ChatGPT, leaning on the live web and structured data. The work is the same entity layer as ChatGPT, plus a citation set that is up to date, plus content in the format Perplexity prefers (concise, source-anchored, question-led).
Google AI Overviews sit on top of the regular Google index. The work overlaps heavily with traditional SEO (schema, content depth, internal links, entity signals), with the addition of structuring content for snippet extraction. The first 40-60 words of the page often become the AI Overview citation.
No. SEO optimises a page to rank in the ten blue links. GEO optimises a page, a brand, or an entity to be cited inside an answer. The work overlaps (schema, content, internal links) but the success metrics differ. SEO measures ranking position. GEO measures citation frequency inside AI answers.
Entity optimisation is the work of making sure an AI assistant can resolve your business as a single, consistent thing: the same name, address, phone, and description across every place your business appears online. If the entity is inconsistent, the assistant cannot resolve it, and the citation goes to a competitor.
Three rules. Answer the specific questions your customers ask, in the order they ask them. Structure for snippet extraction: short paragraphs, clear lists, a FAQ block at the bottom, the answer in the first 40-60 words. Anchor to the entity (your business, your author, your location) with consistent schema and consistent citations.
Structured data tells the AI assistants what your page is about, who wrote it, what it is for, and which entity it represents. Without structured data, the assistant has to infer everything from the page content. The four types that matter for local businesses are ProfessionalService, WebPage, Place, and FAQPage.
Entity layer: 1-2 weeks. Content layer: 4-8 weeks. Citation lift: 30-90 days compound. The first AI citations usually appear within 60-90 days for an established local business with a clean entity layer. After that, the citations compound monthly.
Yes, especially in the niche and the long-tail. The Costa del Sol market is competitive on obvious queries but most local businesses are not doing the GEO work, so the citation layer is open. The advantage goes to the businesses that did the entity layer first.