Generative Engine Optimization: the set of practices that help a site be picked up and cited in the answers of AI assistants and generative engines. It is also called AI search optimization.

Does GEO replace SEO?

No, it extends it. AI engines rely heavily on pages that rank well. A site invisible in Google has little chance of being cited by an assistant.

How do you know whether an AI cites your site?

By regularly asking assistants your customers’ questions and noting the sources cited, and by tracking in your analytics the traffic coming from those assistants.

GuidesAI search

Generative engine optimization (GEO): getting cited by ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity

By the Banzai Labs teamUpdated on November 11, 20262 min read

What changes with AI engines

A share of searches no longer ends in ten blue links. The user asks a question and gets a written answer, with a few sources. Being among those sources becomes a goal of its own.

The principles are still those of search optimisation. What changes is the unit: the AI does not pick up a page, it picks up a passage.

Being readable by crawlers

Server-rendered HTMLContent that only appears after JavaScript runs is often ignored.
A robots.txt that does not exclude AI crawlersIf you want to be cited. It is a choice to make knowingly.
An up-to-date sitemapAnd fast pages.
Structured dataOrganisation, article, FAQ, product.

Writing citable passages

An assistant looks for the passage that best answers a precise question.

Answer firstEach section starts with the answer, in one or two sentences.
Headings shaped as a questionOr a clear topic.
Self-contained definitionsA paragraph must make sense out of context.
Tables and listsFor what is compared or enumerated.
Figures, dates, namesVagueness does not get cited.

Bringing something unique

A model has no reason to cite a page that repeats what ten others say. What gets cited:

field experience, with real examples;
data only you have;
a method explained step by step;
a reasoned opinion.

Existing beyond your own site

Assistants cross-check. A brand mentioned in several reliable places is picked up more often.

Up-to-date listings: business profile, directories in your sector, LinkedIn.
Press mentions, case studies on clients’ and partners’ sites.
The same information everywhere: name, activity, contact details.

Several languages

An assistant answers in the language of the question, from sources in that language. A translated site, with URLs of its own for each language, multiplies the chances of being cited. Pocabase serves 46 languages, Small Eden six. See our multilingual SEO guide.

What is uncertain

The field is young and moves fast. Some practices circulate without solid evidence, such as llms.txt files, which not all engines read. Setting them up costs nothing. Counting on them would be a mistake. The fundamentals hold: clear content, clean technique, reputation.

Measuring

A list of twenty questions your customers ask, tested every month on several assistants.
The sources cited, and whether you are among them.
Traffic from assistants in your analytics.

The checklist

Pages server-rendered, fast, in the sitemap.
AI crawlers allowed, if that is your choice.
The answer at the top of each section.
Valid structured data.
Author and update date visible.
Consistent company information everywhere.

To produce this content, see SEO content with AI.

Frequently asked questions

What is GEO?: Generative Engine Optimization: the set of practices that help a site be picked up and cited in the answers of AI assistants and generative engines. It is also called AI search optimization.
Does GEO replace SEO?: No, it extends it. AI engines rely heavily on pages that rank well. A site invisible in Google has little chance of being cited by an assistant.
How do you know whether an AI cites your site?: By regularly asking assistants your customers’ questions and noting the sources cited, and by tracking in your analytics the traffic coming from those assistants.