More people are asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews instead of scrolling through search results. Generative engine optimization (GEO) — sometimes called AI SEO — is the practice of making your content the source those answers pull from. The good news: it builds on solid SEO, not against it.

Answer real questions clearly

AI models favor content that answers a question directly and concisely, then expands. Lead each section with a clear answer, use plain language, and structure content around the questions your customers actually ask.

Use structured data and clean formatting

Schema markup (FAQ, Article, Organization, LocalBusiness) helps AI systems understand and trust your content. Clear headings, short paragraphs, and lists make your pages easy to parse and quote.

Build entity and brand authority

  • Be consistent about who you are across your site, LinkedIn, and directories.
  • Earn mentions and links from credible sources — AI engines weigh authority heavily.
  • Publish genuinely helpful, original content that demonstrates first-hand experience.

Don't block the AI crawlers

If you want to appear in AI answers, allow the bots that feed them — GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, and Google-Extended — in your robots.txt. Blocking them removes you from those results entirely.

Keep facts accurate and current

AI systems reward accuracy and freshness. Keep key facts — hours, services, pricing, statistics — up to date, and cite sources where relevant. Content that's trustworthy today is what gets quoted tomorrow.

Measure differently

AI referrals don't always show as traditional clicks. Watch for brand searches, direct traffic, and referrals from AI tools, and track whether your brand appears when you query the engines directly.