Generative engine optimization

GEO adapts the goals of search optimization for engines that generate answers instead of returning ranked pages. Rather than optimizing purely for a keyword position, GEO focuses on becoming a source the model retrieves, trusts, and quotes when it composes an answer.

In practice, GEO combines clear entity definition, source-quality signals, structured and extractable content, and presence across the third-party sites that models draw on. It overlaps with traditional SEO but weights different signals, because the output is a citation inside an answer rather than a click on a link.

GEO and AEO are often used interchangeably. GEO tends to emphasize generative, multi-source answer engines, while AEO is the broader umbrella for optimizing to answer a question directly.