What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
Last updated 2026-06-19
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of shaping how AI assistants describe and recommend your brand. The goal is simple. When a buyer asks an AI a question in your category, your brand shows up, sounds right, and gets recommended.
Why GEO is different from SEO
Classic SEO earns a ranking on a results page. The user still clicks and decides. GEO earns a mention inside the answer itself. The AI does the summarizing, the comparing, and often the recommending.
That changes the work. You are no longer optimizing for a blue link. You are optimizing for how a model talks about you when nobody is watching.
What GEO actually involves
- Tracking how AI assistants describe your category and your brand
- Fixing wrong claims about pricing, features, and positioning
- Earning citations from the sources models trust
- Publishing clear, structured, crawlable facts about your brand