What is generative engine optimisation (GEO)?
Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the discipline of earning visibility in AI-generated answers – making your content the source an AI system draws on and cites when it responds to a query. It is the AI-search counterpart to SEO, and the industry has not yet settled on one name for it.
One discipline, several names
You will see the same practice called different things, usually by different vendors:
- GEO – generative engine optimisation, the term popularised by academic work on the topic.
- AIO – AI optimisation, the generalist's shorthand.
- AEO – answer engine optimisation, framed around answer engines like Perplexity.
- LLMO / LLM optimisation – framed around the models themselves; see LLM optimisation.
The labels differ; the work is the same: content that is definitive, verifiable, structured and accessible to AI crawlers.
How GEO differs from classic SEO
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| The prize | A ranking on a results page | A citation inside the answer |
| The competition | Ten results per page | Often two or three cited sources per answer |
| Key signal | Links, relevance, experience | Quotability, verifiable data, entity clarity |
| Measurement | Rankings, organic sessions | Citation rate, AI-referred traffic |
The overlap is larger than the difference – authority earned through earned links remains one of the strongest signals in both systems. That's why we treat GEO as part of the same engagement as SEO, not a separate product.
Common questions
Are GEO, AIO, AEO and LLMO the same thing?
Yes – they're competing names for the same practice: earning visibility in AI-generated answers. The industry hasn't settled on one term yet.
Does GEO replace SEO?
No. The same content quality, authority and structure that rank in Google are what get cited by AI systems – GEO extends SEO to a second surface rather than replacing it.
How is GEO measured?
Primarily through citation rate – the share of AI answers citing your domain across a tracked query set – alongside AI-referred traffic.