GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the work of getting AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity) to mention and recommend your brand inside its answers. SEO ranks you in Google’s list of links; GEO works to get you inside the answer the person reads and uses to decide.
For years, digital marketing revolved around one question: how to show up first on Google. Today there is another one that changes the rules: how to get AI to recommend you when someone asks for advice. We call that work GEO, and in this guide you will see what it is, how it differs from SEO, why it matters now, and how to start.
What GEO means
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. It is the set of actions that get models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity to mention, recommend and describe your brand well inside their answers. It is not a one-off trick, but ongoing work on your content, your signals and your digital reputation.
Think of the difference between a search engine showing you as one of ten links, and an assistant saying outright “I recommend these three brands.” GEO works to put your name in that sentence, and to make sure what AI says about you is correct and favorable.
GEO versus SEO: the difference in one line
SEO ranks you in a list of links; GEO works to get you inside the answer the person reads. They are complementary, but the point of contact with the customer is different.
With SEO you compete for a click: the user sees several results and chooses. With GEO you compete for a mention: AI summarizes, filters and names a handful of brands, and often the user never sees a list of links at all. If your brand is not in that answer, for that person it does not exist.
You will also see a third term, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), focused on appearing in direct answers. In practice, GEO and AEO overlap: both aim to be inside the answer, not below it.
Why it matters right now
More and more people begin a buying decision by asking AI, not by typing into a search box. They ask for recommendations, compare options and resolve doubts inside the conversation. For many categories, the AI answer is the new storefront.
That changes two things. First, visibility is no longer measured only by Google positions, but by how often and how AI names you. Second, the margin for fixing things is tighter, because if AI learns something inaccurate about you, it will repeat it across thousands of answers until you work to change it.
An example to make it clear
Imagine you run a dental clinic in Madrid. Before, a patient searched for “dentist in Madrid” and compared a few websites. Today many ask directly “which dental clinic do you recommend in Madrid for braces?” AI answers with two or three names. If your clinic is not there, it does not matter how good your website is: for that patient, you did not show up. GEO works precisely so that you are in that shortlist, and so that what AI says about you is correct.
How AI engines pick brands
Models do not “see” your website the way a search engine does. They build their answer from what they have read about you across many sources: your own site, but also reviews, media, directories, forums and anywhere your brand is mentioned. When someone asks, the model gathers those signals and names what looks most relevant and best supported.
That is why GEO is not limited to your website. It works on three fronts at once:
- Clear, citable content that answers real questions in language AI understands and can reuse.
- Technical signals, such as structured data and an llms.txt file, that help models read you well.
- Reputation and mentions in the sources AI consults, so what is said about you is consistent and favorable.
What GEO work includes
Serious GEO work starts by measuring before touching anything: seeing what your customers ask AI, what it answers today, and which brands show up in your place. From there, the work usually covers four areas:
- Measurement and share of voice: how often you appear against your competition, in which questions, and with what tone.
- Content: creating and structuring the pages AI needs to understand and cite you.
- Structured data: marking up your information so models read it without ambiguity.
- Reputation: spotting inaccurate or negative mentions and correcting the narrative.
How to start with GEO
You do not need to redo all of your marketing. A good first step is to choose five or ten questions your customer would ask AI in your category, and check what it answers today. That exercise usually makes the gap between where you are and where you want to be very clear.
From there, prioritize by impact: first the questions with the most buying intent where you do not yet appear. Create content that answers them better than anyone, make sure your site is easy for AI to read, and watch how your presence evolves month over month. GEO is ongoing work, not a project that closes.
If you want to see how AI names you today and where your gaps are against the competition, we can analyze your brand and show you where to start.