GEO: getting cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overview

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the set of techniques that get your site cited in answers generated by AI like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overview. Where SEO aims to appear in the list of Google results, GEO aims to have your brand mentioned directly in the answer the AI produces.

According to the Stanford Web Credibility Project, 75% of users judge a company's credibility by the quality of its website: being cited by an answer engine becomes a credibility signal comparable to Google ranking (source: Stanford Web Credibility Project). Companies optimizing their GEO presence now are gaining a structural head start on competitors.

SEO and GEO are complementary, not opposed. SEO optimizes for traditional search engines (ranking, position, clicks). GEO optimizes for language models (being cited, being recommended, being perceived as an authoritative reference in your field).

Concretely: good SEO puts you at position 1 on Google when someone types 'divorce lawyer Paris'. Good GEO makes ChatGPT answer 'firm X is recognized for divorce cases in Paris' when asked directly.

Generative AI aggregates its answers from sources indexed during training and, for recent models, via real-time web searches. They favor: structured content (clear headings, short paragraphs, lists), sources perceived as authorities (backlinks, mentions, schema.org), precise content that directly answers a question.

Perplexity and Google AI Overview perform real-time searches and cite their sources. ChatGPT (depending on the model and web browsing activation) can rely on training data or live searches. In all cases, the quality and clarity of your content is decisive.

Four main levers: (1) Q&A format content: directly answer precise questions on your pages. AI engines love short, factual, well-structured answers. (2) Enriched Schema.org: tag your content with the right Schema types (FAQPage, HowTo, Article, Organization). This helps AI understand and cite your content. (3) llms.txt file: create a /llms.txt file at your site's root summarizing who you are, what you do and your key pages. Some AI crawlers read it first. (4) Topical authority: publish regularly on your area of expertise to be recognized as a reference.

Avoid vague or 'filler' content: AI engines prefer citing pages that provide a precise answer over generalist pages.

Two third-party measurements explain why these levers matter: 70% of SMB sites have no clear call to action (WPBeginner, source) and 46% of Google searches have local intent (GoGulf, source). A citable page answers a precise question and gives an action to follow; for a local business, city pages and the Google Business Profile are the first levers for a citation on local queries.

Measure your GEO visibility by directly asking your target queries to ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. Note whether your brand, site or expertise appears in the answers. Tools like Profound, Otterly.ai or BrightEdge Generative Parser offer automated tracking.

At WebConsulting, we run an initial GEO audit (benchmark of current visibility across 10 to 15 AI answers) before every engagement, then repeat it quarterly to measure progress.