The short answer
GEO, generative engine optimization, is the work of getting your brand named and your pages cited in AI-generated answers, in tools such as ChatGPT and in Google’s AI features. SEO gets pages found and clicked in search results. GEO depends on SEO: AI search tools lean on pages they can reach and trust.
What is the difference between GEO and SEO?
SEO is measured in clicks from a list of results. GEO is measured in mentions and citations inside an answer the tool writes.
The work overlaps far more than the names suggest. Pages need to be reachable, clear and worth quoting either way.
| Question | GEO | SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Be named or cited when an AI tool answers a buyer’s question. | Rank pages in the results, so people click through. |
| Where the answer shows | AI answers in ChatGPT search, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude and Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode. | The list of results in Google, Bing and other search engines. |
| What you optimise | Access for AI search crawlers, first-hand content, clear facts about your business, sources, and profiles on other sites. | Crawling and indexing, pages that match real searches, internal links, links from other sites and speed. |
| How it is measured | Tracked buyer questions with dated answers: who gets named, which pages get cited. | Impressions, clicks and positions in Search Console, then leads and sales. |
What does GEO need that SEO does not?
Less than most people think. Google’s guide to generative AI search treats it as SEO, and says pages must be indexed and allowed a snippet to show in its AI features.
Other tools have their own crawlers. OpenAI says sites that block its search crawler, OAI-SearchBot, will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers. So check your robots.txt.
The rest is about content worth citing. Google’s guide asks for a unique point of view, and warns against recycling what others already said.
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Get a free auditWhat to do first for GEO
- Check crawler access. Make sure robots.txt lets in the search crawlers you want, such as OAI-SearchBot.
- Keep key pages indexed. With a snippet allowed, so Google’s AI features can use them.
- Publish what only you know. Your own data, prices, method and dated examples.
- Say the same thing everywhere. One name and one description on your site and your profiles.
- Track buyer questions. Ask them in the AI tools your buyers use and save the dated answers.
How do you measure GEO?
Keep a list of the questions your buyers ask. Run them in the AI tools they use, on a set day, and save the answers.
Compare each run with the last one. You see whether your brand appears, and which pages get cited.
Our SEO plans track buyer questions this way: 25 on Starter, 50 on Growth and 100 on Scale.
Checklist: AI search basics
- Crawler access. The search crawlers you want can reach your pages.
- Clear facts. One name and one description on every page and profile.
- First-hand content. Pages carry what only you can show.
- A dated baseline. Buyer questions and today’s answers, saved with the date.
Where GEO fits in our work
For us, GEO and SEO are one job. It runs inside every SEO plan. Read how we work on AI search for ChatGPT and Perplexity.
For the practical side, see how to show up in ChatGPT answers.
Find out where you stand
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Sources
- Google Search Central: Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search, last updated 10 July 2026. Checked 22 October 2026.
- Google Search Central: AI features and your website, last updated 10 December 2025. Checked 22 October 2026.
- OpenAI: Overview of OpenAI crawlers. Checked 22 October 2026.
GEO vs SEO: questions
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. AI search tools lean on pages they can reach and trust, which is what SEO builds. Google’s own guide treats optimizing for its AI features as SEO.
What is the difference between GEO and AEO?
AEO, answer engine optimization, is the older term, from featured snippets and voice answers. GEO focuses on answers that AI tools write. The work overlaps. See AEO vs SEO.
Does llms.txt help with GEO?
Not in Google. Its guide says Google Search ignores llms.txt files. Some other AI services may read the file, so keeping one is a choice, not a ranking factor.
Can anyone promise a place in AI answers?
No. AI answers change from day to day and from person to person. What you can do is make your pages easy to reach, trust and quote, then track the results with dates.