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GEO Basics

What is GEO? A Beginner's Guide to Generative Engine Optimization

2026-01-15
8 min

What is GEO?

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is a set of content optimization methods for AI search engines. Unlike traditional SEO that optimizes webpage rankings in Google and other search engines, GEO's goal is to get your content cited and recommended by AI systems (like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity).

Why is GEO Important?

1. User Search Habits are Changing

More and more users are using AI assistants to get information and make purchasing decisions. Statistics show that over 30% of search queries were completed through AI search engines in 2025.

2. AI Search Directly Impacts Purchase Decisions

When users ask ChatGPT "what are the best wireless earphones," AI's response directly influences their purchase choice. If your product isn't cited by AI, you lose those potential customers.

3. Traditional SEO Isn't Enough

Traditional SEO optimizes for "being indexed and ranked by search engines," while GEO optimizes for "being understood and cited by AI." This requires different strategies and methods.

GEO vs SEO: What's the Difference?

DimensionSEOGEO
GoalImprove search rankingsGet cited by AI
TargetSearch engines (Google, etc.)AI systems (ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.)
Key SignalsKeywords, backlinks, page authorityContent quality, verifiability, structured data
OptimizationKeyword density, anchor textAnswer-first, evidence citations, Schema markup

Core Principles of GEO

1. Answer First

AI prefers pages that give clear answers at the beginning of content. Ensure your product pages and articles answer the core question in the first paragraph.

2. Citability

Your content needs to include citable facts, data, and opinions. Add statistics, case studies, and authoritative source citations.

3. Structured Data

Properly implement Schema.org markup to help AI better understand your content. For e-commerce sites, Product, Offer, Review, and other Schemas are especially important.

4. Technical Accessibility

Ensure AI crawlers can access your website. Properly configure robots.txt to allow OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, and other crawlers.

How to Start GEO Optimization?

  • Diagnose Current State: Use GeoAction's GEO Audit tool to understand your website's current GEO health
  • Fix Basics: Based on the audit report, prioritize fixing robots.txt, structured data, and other fundamental issues
  • Optimize Content: Improve content structure, add citable data and evidence
  • Monitor Results: Use keyword monitoring to track your visibility changes across AI engines
  • Summary

    GEO is a new field that brands must pay attention to. User search habits are shifting from traditional search engines to AI assistants - seize this opportunity to make AI your free sales representative.

    Start your GEO optimization journey with GeoAction today.