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GEO: what is generative engine optimization?
When ChatGPT, Gemini or AI Overviews write the answer, how does your business end up in it?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is a set of practices meant to make content visible in answers written by generative engines, the tools that pull several sources together and summarize them with a large language model. The term comes from a 2023 research paper, not from a standard body or from Google.
In short
- Aggarwal and co-authors formalized GEO in a paper posted to arXiv on November 16, 2023.
- Generative engines blend several sources, and site owners have little control over when or how they are quoted.
- Google says its AI features need no special optimization.
- What Google does recommend: original content, accessible pages, structured data that matches visible text.
Where does the term GEO come from?
The acronym took off with a paper titled “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization” by Pranjal Aggarwal and five co-authors, posted to arXiv on November 16, 2023 and accepted at KDD 2024 [1]. The authors use “generative engines” for tools that answer a query by gathering several sources and summarizing them with a large language model.
They point out a problem for content creators: these engines are fast-moving black boxes, and sites have little to no control over when and how their content is shown [1]. GEO is their framework for measuring and improving that visibility.
So GEO is neither a Google term nor a standard. It is a research topic that turned into marketing vocabulary.
What does Google say about showing up in its AI answers?
For AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google says there are no additional requirements or special optimizations, and no special schema.org markup is needed [2]. The page just has to be indexed and eligible to appear with a snippet.
In a May 2025 post, Google spelled out what matters for its AI experiences [3]: unique, non-commodity content; a good page experience; pages Googlebot can reach that return an HTTP 200 status; and structured data that matches what is visible on the page.
| Google's recommendation | Step for a service business |
|---|---|
| Unique, non-commodity content | Describe your real lead times, areas served and common cases |
| Good page experience | Readable on a phone, main information easy to spot |
| Technical access (HTTP 200, Googlebot not blocked) | Check robots.txt and indexing after every redesign |
| Structured data that matches visible text | Only mark up what is written on the page |
| Up-to-date Business Profile information | Keep hours, services and photos current |
Source: Google Search Central blog, “Top ways to ensure your content performs well in Google's AI experiences on Search” (May 2025).
How do you assess a page before thinking about GEO?
What mistakes get made in the name of GEO?
- Mass-producing pages in the hope of being cited, when Google asks for original, helpful content instead.
- Sprinkling unsourced statistics to sound authoritative.
- Blocking crawlers by accident and then wondering why the site never appears.
- Promising a client they'll be “recommended by ChatGPT”; nothing allows anyone to guarantee that.
- Skipping structured data, or describing things in it that the page doesn't show.
What does Pilotiko do for GEO?
On the website it builds and hosts, Pilotiko generates structured data, a sitemap, robots.txt and an llms.txt file that introduces your pages to AI tools. Its audit of your current site points out pages too vague to be quoted. Pilotiko does not promise a mention in any AI answer.
Frequently asked questions
Does GEO replace SEO?
No. Google says a page must first be indexed and eligible for a snippet to appear in its AI features. SEO is still the starting point, and GEO builds on it.
Is special markup needed to appear in AI Overviews?
No. Google states that no special schema.org structured data or optimization is required. Structured data is still useful as long as it matches the visible text.
Can I tell whether an AI tool cites my site?
For Google, traffic from its AI features is counted in Search Console's Performance report under the “Web” search type [2]. For other tools, you often have to test the questions yourself.
Is GEO a recognized discipline?
It started as a research topic, described in a 2023 paper accepted at KDD 2024. The word then moved into marketing vocabulary without a shared official definition.
What is the first GEO step for a small business?
Write pages that contain facts specific to your company: services, territories, lead times, indicative prices. A generative engine can't quote information that doesn't exist anywhere.
Sources
- Aggarwal et al., arXiv, GEO: Generative Engine Optimization (arXiv:2311.09735, KDD 2024) (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Google Search Central, AI features and your website (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Google Search Central Blog, Top ways to ensure your content performs well in Google's AI experiences on Search (accessed on October 15, 2026).
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