Generative engine optimization (GEO)
GEO is the practice of increasing how often AI answer engines mention and cite a brand or page, by shaping content, structure and off-site presence.
The term comes from a 2023 research paper that tested which content changes raised a page's visibility in generative answers. In practice it covers everything from page structure and structured data to earning coverage on the review sites and forums that engines cite.
GEO differs from SEO in what is optimized for: not a ranking on a results page but inclusion in a written answer. Many SEO fundamentals still apply, because engines retrieve candidate pages with search before they write, but the page then has to be quotable: direct, well structured and attributable.
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is used almost interchangeably; GEO tends to emphasize the generative models, AEO the answer format.
Related terms
Measure generative engine optimization (geo) for your brand
LeapScope tracks the prompts your buyers ask on the AI engines every day and reports mentions, citations and share of voice against your competitors.