What is GEO? Generative engine optimization explained

What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?

GEO is the practice of shaping content so generative AI systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews include and cite it in their answers. In practice it means the same thing as AEO and is also called LLM SEO or AI SEO.

Where does the term GEO come from?

It was popularised by a 2023 research paper, "GEO: Generative Engine Optimization", by researchers at Princeton and partner institutions. They tested content changes against AI answer engines and found that adding citations to sources, quotations and statistics made content noticeably more visible in the generated answers.

What GEO tactics work?

The tactics with the best support are about making content easy to verify and quote.

• State facts plainly and back them with numbers, dates and named sources.
• Answer the question in the first sentence under each heading.
• Use lists and tables for comparisons, prices and steps.
• Keep business facts consistent across your site, Google Business Profile and directories.
• Earn mentions on sites AI tools already trust: reviews, press, industry lists and forums.
• Don't block the AI search crawlers that fetch pages on demand.

What is the difference between GEO and AEO?

Very little in practice. AEO is the older term and also covers featured snippets and voice assistants; GEO focuses specifically on generative AI answers. Most agencies now use the two interchangeably.