Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of shaping content so AI-powered search and assistant tools, which write answers instead of listing links, find, understand and cite it.
Also called: GEO, AI search optimization, answer engine optimization, AEO
Why it matters
Buyers can now ask AI assistants and AI search features to explain a category or compare options. Those tools write a summary and may cite a handful of sources. GEO aims to make a brand's content one of them, through clear definitions, direct answers near the top of a page, structured data, crawlable pages and consistent mentions of the brand across the web.
GEO overlaps with search engine optimization, since many AI tools draw on search indexes, but the goal differs. SEO targets ranking positions and clicks. GEO targets being quoted or mentioned inside a generated answer, which may not produce a click at all. Teams measure it by checking how often and how accurately AI tools mention the brand for relevant questions.
Example
A company that sells expense software notices AI assistants describe its category without naming it. It rewrites its key pages to open with a one-sentence definition, adds a plain comparison table, publishes a glossary, and makes sure its pages are not blocked to AI crawlers. Each month it asks the same set of buyer questions in several AI tools and logs the mentions.
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