SEO & GEO · 8 min
Getting found by LLMs: a guide to GEO and AI search
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the set of practices that make a website understandable and citable by AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. While SEO aims to rank in search results, GEO aims to be the source the model cites when answering a question. The two disciplines reinforce each other.
Key points
- GEO aims to be the source cited by AI assistants, not just to rank.
- Direct answers, FAQs and semantic structure make content citable.
- Entity consistency and accuracy increase perceived reliability.
- Technically: a robots.txt that allows AI crawlers + structured data + sitemap.
Why GEO matters (beyond SEO)
More and more people get answers directly from AI assistants, without clicking ten links. In this context, visibility depends not only on ranking but on being the source the model selects and cites. For a company, this means appearing in the generative answers of its industry, by name.
How to make content «citable» by LLMs
LLMs favour clear, factual and well-structured content. The most effective practices are: answering questions directly (explicit definitions «X is…»), using semantic headings and lists, including FAQs, citing entities and places consistently, and keeping information accurate and up to date.
- Direct answer up front, before the details.
- Semantic structure: headings, lists, FAQs, structured data (schema.org).
- Entity consistency: brand name, industry, location.
- Accuracy and freshness: models reward reliability.
The technical side: letting AI crawlers in
If AI assistant crawlers cannot access the site, the content will never be cited. This is why the robots.txt file should explicitly allow the relevant bots (for example GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended) and the site should expose structured data and an up-to-date sitemap.
Structured data such as Article, FAQPage and Organization helps engines — both traditional and generative — understand what the page is about, who publishes it and which questions it answers. This is exactly the technical foundation that makes content understandable to machines.
FAQ
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)? +
It is the optimisation of content to be understood and cited by AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, complementing traditional SEO.
Does GEO replace SEO? +
No, it complements it. A good SEO foundation (useful content, structure, performance) is also the foundation of GEO; on top of that, GEO focuses on direct answers, structured data and AI crawler access.
How do I let AI assistants know they can use my site? +
By allowing their crawlers in the robots.txt file and exposing structured data (schema.org) and an up-to-date sitemap, so the content is accessible and understandable.
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