# What is GEO (generative engine optimisation)?

> GEO is the work of making your pages easy for AI answer tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity to find and cite. What it is, what is proven and what to do.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-02
- **Category**: AI
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/geo-generative-engine-optimization

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GEO (generative engine optimization) is the work of getting your brand or pages named and cited in answers from AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews. The term comes from a 2023 research paper. It is not an agreed standard yet.

## Where the term comes from

Researchers named it in [GEO: Generative Engine Optimization](https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.09735), first submitted on 16 November 2023. They report that their methods could raise visibility in generated answers by up to 40% in their tests (checked 2026-10-20). That is a lab result, not a promise for your site.

## GEO and SEO

| | SEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank a page in a list of links | Get named or cited inside an AI answer |
| You track | Rankings, clicks | Whether answers mention you |
| Starts with | Crawlable, useful pages | The same, plus clear facts worth quoting |

Google says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and no other special optimizations are necessary. It points to standard practice: pages that can be crawled, internal links, and text content ([Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features), last updated 2025-12-10, checked 2026-10-20).

## A worked example

Say you sell project software for small agencies in India. You write 20 buyer questions, such as "best project tools for a 10-person agency", and run each one three times.

**Mention rate = answers that name you / answers checked x 100**

Week 0: 6 of 60 answers name you (10%). You rewrite your pricing and comparison pages with direct answers and dated facts. Week 6: 15 of 60 (25%). Answers change from run to run, so repeat the check before you trust it.

## What to do

1. Put the direct answer in the first two sentences of a page.
2. Print prices and dates with the day you checked them. See [best free ad spy tools](/best/best-free-ad-spy-tools) for how we do it.
3. Use the same name for your brand and products everywhere.
4. Link to your sources.
5. Keep pages open to crawlers.

## What nobody can promise

No tool or agency can guarantee a mention. Distrust anyone selling guaranteed GEO results.

AI assistants also read live data through connectors. See [what MCP is](/glossary/mcp) and how to [connect Google Ads to Claude](/guides/how-to-connect-google-ads-to-claude).

## FAQ

### Is GEO the same as AEO?

People use "answer engine optimization" and GEO for the same goal. GEO is the name from the 2023 paper.

### Does GEO replace SEO?

No. Google's guidance for its AI features points to the same basics as SEO: pages that can be crawled and indexed, with useful text.

### Can I measure GEO?

Roughly. Ask the same questions on a schedule, record who is named, and compare. Results vary from run to run.

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