What is generative engine optimisation (GEO)?
Generative engine optimisation is the work of making a business easy for AI assistants to understand, trust and mention in their answers. This guide explains how these assistants choose sources, how GEO relates to SEO and the first steps to take.
Last updated: October 2026
Generative engine optimisation in one paragraph
Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the practice of improving how often and how accurately AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Gemini mention a business or brand. These tools write answers instead of listing links, so the goal shifts from ranking a page to being named in the answer.
How GEO differs from SEO and AEO
SEO aims to rank pages in search results. Answer engine optimisation aims to be quoted inside Google’s own answers. GEO aims to be mentioned by AI assistants that people use in place of a search engine, often when they ask for a recommendation.
All three share the same base: clear pages, consistent facts and a good reputation on other websites. GEO adds a stronger focus on outside mentions and on testing what the assistants actually say.
How AI assistants choose which businesses to mention
AI assistants build answers from two sources: what they learned during training, and pages they read through a live web search when the question needs current information. Businesses that appear clearly and consistently in both are the most likely to be named.
- Clear statements of what the business does, where and for whom
- The same name, services and details across the website and profiles
- Mentions on trusted sites such as news, directories and industry lists
- Pages that rank in normal search, since assistants often search first
- Content that answers questions in a form that can be quoted alone
Steps to get started with GEO
- Write one plain sentence that defines your business and use it on your key pages
- Make your name, services, areas and contact details identical everywhere
- Write a set of prompts your customers would ask an assistant
- Run them in the main assistants and record who gets mentioned
- Fix gaps on your own site first, then earn mentions on trusted sites
- Check that robots.txt does not block AI crawlers you want to read your site
- Repeat the same prompts every month and track the trend
Common GEO mistakes
The biggest mistake is treating GEO as a trick. There is no hidden setting that makes an assistant recommend a business. What works is the slow work of being clear, consistent and talked about on reliable sites.
Other common errors are blocking AI crawlers by accident, describing the business differently on every profile, and judging results from a single prompt on a single day. Assistant answers vary, so only repeated testing shows real progress.
Questions about GEO
Can’t find your answer? Ask us.
Why does ChatGPT give different answers to the same question?
AI assistants generate each answer fresh, and their web searches can return different pages from one day to the next. That is why GEO is measured with the same set of prompts over several months, not from one answer.
What is an llms.txt file?
llms.txt is a short text file at the root of a website that lists the site’s key pages and facts in plain language for AI tools. It is a proposed standard rather than a rule, but it is cheap to add and keeps your facts in one place.
Do AI assistants use Google results?
Some assistants run their own web search or use a search partner when they need current information. Pages that rank well in normal search are therefore more likely to be read and cited, which is why GEO depends on SEO.
Can I pay to be recommended by an AI assistant?
Not in the normal answers. Some assistants are testing separate ad placements, but the recommendations inside an answer come from what the model reads and learns, not from payment.
If you want help applying this to your own business, see our generative engine optimisation service in Dubai.