Source analysis
We record which websites each platform cites for your prompts, so you know who you're really competing with for citations.
You getCited-source map by prompt
Generative Engine Optimization · USA
Generative engine optimization, minus the hype
GEO is a real research field and a useful service. It is also mostly SEO done with more care. Here is what that means for your business.
- 6 AI platforms
- 60 buyer prompts
- No obligation
How a generated answer is assembled
What's the best project management software for construction firms in Atlanta?
Passage A
Your page · quoted
Passage C
“The clearest, best-supported passage gets quoted and linked.” 2
In short
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of making your content more likely to be used and cited by AI systems that write answers, such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. The term comes from a Princeton-led research paper. In practice, GEO overlaps almost completely with answer engine optimization, and both rest on SEO fundamentals: crawlable, indexed, clearly written pages.
- Term origin
- Aggarwal et al., arXiv 2311.09735
- Research finding
- Up to 40% visibility lift in a benchmark
- GEO vs AEO
- Overlapping names for similar work
- Our test bed
- 60 real buyer prompts
Why it matters
What the GEO research actually says
ChatGPTAI OverviewsAI ModeGeminiPerplexityCopilot
The paper “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization” by Aggarwal et al. (Princeton and collaborators, arXiv 2311.09735, 2023/2024) tested ways of editing web content and measured how often those sources appeared in generative engine responses. It reported that optimization methods could boost source visibility by up to 40% in their benchmark.
Read that carefully. It is a benchmark result, not a forecast for your website, and the systems it tested are not the exact products your buyers use. What it does show is that the way content is written and supported affects whether AI systems use it. That is the useful takeaway, and it's the one our GEO work builds on.
How it works
How generative engine optimization works for a real business
We turn the research idea into four practical moves.
- 01
Write citable claims
State facts plainly and attribute them: who you are, what you offer, where, and the evidence behind it. Marketing fluff gives a model nothing to cite.
- 02
Add substance
Original explanations, specific process details and named sources make a page worth citing over a near-identical competitor page.
- 03
Keep it reachable
None of this counts if crawlers can't fetch the page or search engines haven't indexed it.
- 04
Measure on real prompts
We test changes against your buyer prompts on the actual platforms, instead of assuming a benchmark result transfers.
What we do
Our GEO services
We package GEO the same way as our AEO work, because in practice it is the same job.
Content rewrites
Key pages revised to lead with direct answers, concrete details and clearly attributed claims.
You getRevised priority pages
Evidence building
Original material such as process explainers, comparison pages and expert commentary that other sites can reference.
You getNew reference content
Entity consistency
One accurate version of your name, services, locations and contact details across your site and profiles.
You getEntity fact sheet
Technical access
Crawler, indexing and structured data checks so your pages are eligible to be retrieved in the first place.
You getTechnical fix list
Prompt tracking
The same prompt set re-run monthly across all six platforms we follow.
You getMonthly AEO scorecard
Side by side
GEO vs AEO: an honest comparison
| GEO | AEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the name comes from | An academic research paper | Industry term for answer-focused SEO |
| Main focus | Being used as a source in generated text | Being the answer a buyer sees |
| Typical tactics | Clear claims, citations, added substance | Direct answers, structured pages, accurate facts |
| Depends on SEO basics | Yes | Yes |
| How we measure it | Citations per prompt | Mentions and citations per prompt |
Different labels, one workload. We'd rather you buy the work than the acronym.
Working with us
Starting a GEO engagement
No lock-in surprises. You see the plan, the work and the results.
Get an AEO quote- Phase 1
Quick read
The free AI visibility check gives you a fast sense of where you appear right now.
- Phase 2
Scope
On a short call we agree on prompts, platforms and competitors, then send a quote.
- Phase 3
Baseline
We audit your prompts, map the cited sources and list every gap we find.
- Phase 4
Improve
Content, technical and reputation fixes go live in priority order, with re-tests each month.
What is generative engine optimization in simple terms?
It's making your content easy for AI systems to find, trust and quote when they write an answer. The basics are clear writing, specific facts, credible sources and pages that search engines can index.
Is GEO the same as AEO?
Close enough that the difference rarely matters to a buyer. GEO came from academic research, while AEO grew out of the SEO industry. We use both terms and do the same work under each.
Does GEO really increase AI visibility by 40%?
The GEO paper reported improvements of up to 40% in source visibility within its own benchmark. That's evidence the approach can work, not a number anyone should promise for your site.
Is generative engine optimization replacing SEO?
No. Generative engines still rely on crawled, indexed web content, so SEO remains the foundation. GEO adds care about how content is written and supported so AI systems choose to use it.
Do I need special files or markup for GEO?
Not for Google. Its guidance says no special markup, llms.txt or AI text files are needed for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Structured data can still help your pages qualify for rich results.
Who needs GEO services?
Any business whose buyers research with AI tools before they call: a software company in Seattle, a wealth advisor in Philadelphia, a med spa in San Diego. If your buyers are asking, you want to be part of the answer.
Put GEO to work on your real buyer questions
Start with a free check, then let us map who AI tools cite instead of you.