What is Generative Engine Optimisation? A Complete Guide

You’ve heard of SEO. Maybe even AI SEO. But a new term is quickly gaining traction and becoming a must-know for any digital marketer or business leader: GEO.

A recent Adobe survey found that almost one quarter of all Americans are now using ChatGPT as their primary search engine. And that number’s growing. This doesn’t just change the way people find information. It completely changes the way businesses optimise content.

So what is GEO? And why’s it so important?

We’re going to explain everything you need to know so your business can prepare for the future of searching - and come out on top.

What is GEO?

GEO stands for “Generative Engine Optimisation”. You’ll notice that’s very similar to “Search Engine Optimisation”. There’s a reason for that: it’s a descendant of the same concept.

When we perform GEO, we’re essentially tailoring content so it appears more accurately and favourably not in traditional SERPs, but in AI systems. Think of it as SEO for ChatGPT.

Businesses who can harness GEO effectively are more likely to generate traffic through these AI systems. That’s why it’s so crucial in modern business.

Differences between traditional SEO vs AI SEO vs GEO

SEO has been an important part of digital business for almost 30 years. It's only in recent years that other forms of “engine optimisation” have appeared.

But there are distinct differences between SEO, AI SEO, and GEO:

SEO

Traditional SEO is all about optimising web content for traditional search engines. Think Google, Bing, etc.

• The goal - to rank more highly in SERPs.

• Focus - keywords, backlinks, crawlability, metadata, site performance.

AI SEO

Head to Google and search “how to improve SEO”. What you’ll see ahead of any pages is an AI Overview. Most traditional search engines now use AI systems to enhance traditional searching experiences.

AI SEO is about optimising web content for these AI Overviews.

• The goal - increase visibility in AI-generated summaries within search engines.

• Focus - structured data, factual clarity, authority signals, and content that LLMs can easily summarise.

GEO

GEO cuts out traditional search engines entirely. When users head to an AI system like ChatGPT for direct answers, you want your content to appear.

GEO involves optimising for pure generative engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude).

• The goal - get models to reference and link to your content within conversational outputs.

• Focus - machine-readable content, well-structured explanations, transparent sourcing, and formats that LLMs can safely quote or embed.

How LLMs Retrieve and Rank Information

Here’s a secret every GEOer should know: LLMs - that is, AI systems like ChatGPT - don’t really retrieve and rank information. At least, not the way traditional search engines do.

What’s going on is actually far more complex. LLMs analyse documents. But they don’t output answers based on their SEO relevance. Instead, they combine and synthesize their findings with internalised training patterns.

So how can we influence what LLMs output? There are a few factors that tend to affect what an LLM is likely to cite:

1. Frequency in training data - how widely-engaged with information is.

2. Clarity of source text - how well-structured explanations and definitions are.

3. Authoritativeness - how well-regarded sources are.

4. Alignment with query - how well information answers the question.

5. Safety and policy alignment - how well answers abide by the LLM’s parameters.

What A Top GEO Strategy Looks Like in Practice

GEO requires a whole new set of skills. Even a whole new mindset. Luckily, we know how to make a killer GEO strategy that actually works.

We can use the “LLM ranking factors” from the last section to develop a world-class GEO strategy. Here’s what you should be doing:

1. Focus on LLM-Friendly Structures

LLMs love structure. Try to produce content that gives clear answers. That includes things like:

• Clear definitions

• Numbered steps

• FAQs

• Short sentences

• Strong semantic signals

2. Create Authority

Uncertainty equals avoidance. Make sure you’re offering unambiguous information. For example:

• “What is our product and who is it for?”

• “Clear definitions of industry terms we want to own.”

• “Our pricing, benefits, use cases, and features in explicit language.”

3. Master Machine Discoverability

You need to make sure you’ve got the technical side of GEO down. Like SEO, only focussing more on:

• Correct schema markup

• Structured data for products, FAQs, reviews, docs

• XML sitemaps

• Clean HTML

4. Align With Queries

This requires a shift. Don’t think how users will search on Google, think how they’ll ask ChatGPT. For example:

• “Best CRM tools for freelancers”

• “How do I fix error code XYZ in ProductName?”

• “What is the difference between X platform and Y platform?”

5. Don’t Neglect Other Formats

LLMs don’t just use HTML. They also read:

• PDFs

• Whitepapers

• GitHub repos

• Documentation portals

• Open data

The Future of GEO

Direct AI system searching is already becoming the norm. So every business should be preparing to switch up the way they optimise. Here are the things you should be looking out for in the years to come:

1. “AI-first” content.

2. LLM brand reputation models.

3. LLM-based buyer decision-making.

4. GEO-AI agent blending.

5. Personalisation.

Get ahead of the curve. Partner with a top GEO agency and start optimising for the future today. Reach out to Salt and Fuessel experts now!