What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?

GEO vs SEO vs AEO

Search is splitting into three overlapping disciplines. Traditional SEO optimises to rank in a list of blue links. GEO optimises to be cited by generative AI engines. AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) optimises content so answer engines can extract a single, direct answer. Good structure, schema and clear writing help all three - but AI search adds new signals like llms.txt, entity clarity and answer-first formatting.

GEO SEO: generative vs geographic

“GEO SEO” is searched by two different groups, and it’s worth separating them. Generative GEO - the subject of this page - is about being cited by AI answer engines. Geographicor local SEO is about ranking in a specific place: Google Business Profile, local citations, “near me” queries. They share an acronym and nothing else. If you landed here wanting to rank in a city or region, that’s local SEO, not this. Everything below is the generative sense - and for how it relates to classic ranking, see GEO vs SEO.

How AI engines choose what to cite

Generative engines prefer sources they can parse confidently and trust. In practice that means machine-readable structured data, unambiguous entities (a consistent business name, description and location), content that answers the question directly, and demonstrable expertise. Sites that are hard to parse - thin content, conflicting signals, no schema - are far less likely to be cited, even when they rank well in classic search.

GEO checklist: how to get cited by AI

• Add Organisation and FAQ structured data (schema.org / JSON-LD).
• Write answer-first content: lead each section with a direct, quotable answer.
• Use clean semantic HTML - one clear H1, logical headings, real landmarks.
• Keep entities consistent: the same business name, description and location everywhere.
• Publish an llms.txt that summarises your site and links to key pages.
• Cover topics comprehensively and demonstrate first-hand expertise (E-E-A-T).
• Keep facts unambiguous so AI doesn't misinterpret your business.

Two of these are worth checking directly: validate your structured data with the schema markup validator, and make sure AI crawlers are actually allowed in using the robots.txt generator.

How to measure your GEO readiness

You can measure GEO readiness with a free AI readiness checker. It analyses your site for structured data, entities, answer-first content, llms.txt and citation potential, then returns an AI readiness score, an AI Confusion score and a prioritised, plain-English action list - so you know exactly what to fix to get cited by AI.

For a focused check, run a free GEO audit. To see it per engine, the AI Visibility Checker shows which AI engines can reach you and whether you exist in Wikipedia and Wikidata. For how GEO relates to classic search, see GEO vs SEO, or the umbrella guide to AI search optimisation.

GEO frequently asked questions