The 2026 GEO guide: what is Generative Engine Optimization?

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

GEO is about optimizing and achieving high rankings in AI search engines:

• Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), also known as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) or LLM SEO, is the process of optimizing your content, brand, and authority to be cited, recommended, or used in the answers provided by AI search engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Bing Chat.

• The term was coined by researchers in 2023/2024 as people began increasingly using AI tools to look up information. The concept? Just as SEO exists to improve visibility in search engines, GEO is a similar branch, but tailored to the new wave of AI tools people are using to search.

• The goal of SEO differs from that of GEO. Traditional SEO aims to appear high in Google’s results (blue links). In GEO, the goal is for AI to name you as an authority when answering a question, often without the user ever clicking on the actual URL.

An example? Someone asks ChatGPT, “What are the best growth marketing agencies in the Netherlands?” In traditional SEO, you’d want to be the #1 Google ranking for that search query. In GEO, you aim for ChatGPT to name your agency as one of the authorities, preferably with a cited link.

Why GEO matters now

We’re seeing five shifts in user behavior that will make GEO indispensable by 2026.

1. Zero-click answers

People are clicking on pages less often. Google provides its own AI Overviews and answer boxes that answer questions immediately. ChatGPT and Perplexity are increasingly providing answers in the form of a conversational exchange. As a result, search queries are increasingly being answered without the user clicking through. The user gets the answer without ever visiting a website.

2. People are increasingly using AI for searches

ChatGPT has over 300 million weekly active users. Perplexity has gone from zero to 10+ million users in two years. The number of people using Claude doubles every year. According to Founder Reports 2026, 89% of employees use AI, with 23% using it weekly and 38% daily.

3. B2B buyers behave differently

B2B buyers were early adopters. 40% of B2B buyers now start their “research” in an AI search engine before even going to Google. They ask AI to recommend vendors, compare categories, and identify pain points. If you don’t appear in these AI responses, you’re missing out on an increasingly large portion of the top of the funnel.

4. Traditional SEO traffic is declining

For many informational search terms, websites have seen a 20% to 40% drop in traffic over the past two years. And that’s not because their SEO is poor, but because Google is answering more and more questions directly and people are switching to AI. SEO traffic isn’t dead, but search behavior is changing.

5. Authority in AI = authority in the market

When ChatGPT or Perplexity uses your brand as an answer to a question, this is a form of third-party endorsement. It’s a kind of PR, but on a larger scale. Brands that are consistently cited in AI responses see an increase in branded search, direct traffic, and a rise in deals.

How AI search engines work (and why it’s important to understand this)

To excel at GEO, you need to understand how AI search engines retrieve, process, and cite content. The underlying technology is called RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation):

• Step 1: Query. When you ask an AI search engine a question, your query is interpreted using natural language understanding. “Best growth marketing agency in the Netherlands” isn’t treated merely as keywords, but as an intent to recommend vendors or options.

• Step 2: Retrieval. The AI searches the knowledge base (a combination of training data, real-time web scrapes, and/or search API integrations such as Bing Search) for relevant sources. This retrieval step is crucial: only content that is indexed and matches the query can be retrieved.

• Step 3: Synthesis. AI uses the sources to generate an answer. It often cites specific sources (as Perplexity explicitly does) or incorporates the insights into the answer without citation (as some versions of ChatGPT do).

• Step 4: Generation. The answer is formulated in natural language, usually with a mix of facts, citations, and, where possible, recommendations.

GEO focuses primarily on steps two and three: ensuring your content is retrieved when relevant and cited in the synthesis. This requires different skills than those required by traditional SEO.

10 practical GEO strategies for 2026

1. Write answer-first content

Start every article with a direct, quotable summary of the answer to the main question. AI search engines often pull the first one or two paragraphs as the primary source. Make sure this summary is truly a complete answer, without the reader having to scroll further.

2. Use a semantic structure

AI uses an H1/H2/H3 structure to understand the content. Clear question-and-answer structures (like the FAQ sections in our blog) are extremely useful. Think of each subheader as a standalone, quotable query.

3. Include statistics, data, and quotes

AI loves verifiable, specific information. “Growth marketing improves ROI” is weak. “Growth marketing increases ROI by an average of 22% according to McKinsey’s 2026 report” is quotable. Specific figures, percentages, source citations, and data significantly boost your chances of being cited!

4. Get citations from external sources

AI search engines rely on external validation. If you’re cited by Forbes, TechCrunch, Marketing Week, or relevant industry articles, you’re more likely to be included by ChatGPT. Traditional PR and online PR are part of GEO. Guest articles, podcasts, and quotes are examples of external sources that AI uses.

5. Create your own research reports

This is one of the most effective GEO strategies. AI values proprietary data. Why? Because it can be cited accurately. Annual benchmark reports, survey research, analyses of public data. Even one or two well-produced original research pieces per year contribute to your GEO visibility.

6. Optimize for Bing, not just for Google

Many AI search engines (including versions of ChatGPT) use Bing’s index. If you rely solely on Google, you’ll miss out on Bing visibility, which is important for GEO. Use Bing Webmaster Tools, check your Bing rankings, and submit content to Bing’s index.

7. Write for LLM training data

AI models are trained on public content on the internet, scientific papers, Wikipedia, and licensed datasets. Content that appears in high-quality, widely indexed sources has a high chance of being included in that training. This makes it relevant to publish on well-known platforms (LinkedIn, Medium, Substack) and aim for a Wikipedia entry.

Key AI search platforms to keep in mind

Google AI Overviews

These are AI summaries that appear right at the top of Google search results. Because Google is so dominant in search, these summaries have a significant impact. Websites that already rank highly in Google are mentioned more often in these summaries.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is used by hundreds of millions of people every week to ask questions and find information. It has grown into the largest AI platform for search-like interactions. OpenAI is now testing ads and shopping features, making it increasingly important for brands to be visible here.

Perplexity

Perplexity is an AI search engine that provides answers alongside live web sources. This means you can always see where the information comes from. Perplexity is also developing features for shopping and checkout, making it increasingly popular for product research and purchase planning.

Google Gemini

Gemini is Google’s own AI agent and is built into Google products. It is widely used on desktop and mobile and can work with text, images, and speech. As a result, visual and well-structured content plays a greater role.

Claude & Copilot

Claude and Microsoft Copilot are primarily used for summarizing and analyzing information. Claude excels at logically structured responses. Copilot is built into Microsoft and Bing, which means it directly influences search results and work tools such as Microsoft 365.

AI search platforms are becoming increasingly important. People no longer search only via Google, but also via AI tools. The most important thing to remember: don’t just optimize for Google, but also for AI platforms where your target audience asks questions. Not every platform is equally important for every business. But if your target audience is there, you need to be visible there.

How do you measure GEO success?

Measuring results is more difficult than with traditional SEO, but not impossible. Here are the primary metrics:

Direct measurement

• Citation frequency. How often does your brand appear in AI responses for your key queries? Tools like Profound, Otterly.ai, and AWR’s LLM tracking can help with this.
• Share of voice in AI responses. If your competitor wins 40% of the queries and you win 10%, you can clearly see your competitive position.
• Sentiment of mentions. Are people talking about you in a positive, neutral, or negative way? Quality is just as important as quantity.

Indirect measurement

• Branded search lift. When AI answers mention you, many brands see an increase in people who then search directly for “[brand name]” on Google.
• Direct traffic increase. When you appear in AI responses, users are more likely to type your URL directly, driving more direct traffic.
• Deal-influence data. Ask your sales team to ask during demos: “How did you find us?” You’ll increasingly hear “ChatGPT mentioned you” or “I asked Perplexity.”

Qualitative measurement

• Manually test queries. Submit your top 10 relevant queries to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude, and note how often you appear. Do this monthly.
• Competitor analysis. Track which competitors consistently appear for queries where you do not. Where have they built authority that you haven’t yet?