Generative engine optimization: get recommended in AI answers
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the work that helps ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews find, understand and cite your brand. Rankmetr shows which sources AI relies on in your niche, checks your site for AI readiness and turns the gaps into tasks. GEO is in beta.
What is generative engine optimization?
Generative engines are AI systems that write a reply instead of showing a list of links: ChatGPT with search, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Perplexity. GEO, also called answer engine optimization (AEO), AI SEO or LLM SEO, is about being part of that reply: named as a recommendation and used as a source.
AI models build replies from content they can find and trust. Your brand shows up when the websites the model reads talk about you, when your own pages answer the question clearly, and when AI crawlers are allowed to read them.
This is different from traditional SEO in one important way: a model may recommend a brand without linking to it, based on reviews, directories and articles about it. Building authority across those sources is as important as optimizing your own pages.
GEO vs SEO: what is the difference
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank your page in search results | Get your brand mentioned and cited in AI answers |
| Where users see you | Google results page | ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode |
| Main signals | Relevance, links, technical quality | Mentions on trusted sources, clear facts, structured data, crawler access |
| How you measure it | Positions and traffic | Mentions, place in the list, share of voice, citations |
| Shared ground | Fast crawlable site, useful content, authority | Same, plus content written as direct answers |
GEO does not replace SEO. AI answers often rely on pages that already rank well, so both work best together.
What GEO work includes
Sources AI cites
Which directories, review sites, media and maps AI relies on in your niche, and where your brand is missing.
AI crawler access
A check that AI crawlers are allowed in robots.txt, plus llms.txt and readable page text.
Structured data
Schema.org markup that tells engines what your business, products and services are.
Answer-ready content
Pages and FAQs that answer the questions customers ask AI, with facts in the first lines.
Tasks in every report
3 to 5 tasks with the highest impact, linked to a done-for-you work package.
Tracking the effect
AI visibility monitoring shows whether brand presence and citations grow after the work.
How to optimize for AI search
- 01
Measure
Run the prompts your customers ask and record who AI recommends and which sources it cites.
- 02
Audit
Check AI access, structured data, llms.txt and how easy your pages are to extract.
- 03
Act
Get into the cited sources, add answer-ready content, fix the technical gaps.
- 04
Repeat
Track mentions over time and adjust the plan every month.
GEO tools or GEO done for you
The AI readiness audit and the monitoring are tools you can use yourself in beta. If you prefer to hand off the work, our team does it as a package based on the tasks from your AI visibility report: sources, content, markup and AI crawler access. Classic SEO work is available as SEO services. To get a first look for free, use the AI visibility checker, which is in early access.
Prices are not published yet, and we do not promise a specific place in AI replies: models change, and the honest measure is the trend over time.
FAQ
What is GEO in SEO?
GEO, generative engine optimization, is the part of search optimization that targets AI answers: getting your brand mentioned and cited by ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews.
Will GEO overtake SEO?
No, they grow together. AI answers often rely on pages that already rank in Google, so strong SEO is the base for GEO.
What is answer engine optimization?
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is another name for the same work: making your content easy for AI assistants to use as a direct answer.
How do I optimize my site for AI?
Allow AI crawlers in robots.txt, add structured data, write pages that answer questions directly, and get mentioned on the sources AI cites in your niche.
Can ChatGPT do an SEO audit?
It can comment on a page you paste, but it does not crawl your whole site or see search data. A real audit needs a crawler and ranking data.
Can you promise AI mentions?
No. AI replies change, so we track the trend over time and report it honestly.
Related
AI Visibility
How ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI mention your brand, who they recommend instead and which sources they cite.
In betaAI visibility checker
See if ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI mention your brand.
Early accessSEO services
Keyword research, technical fixes, content, links and monthly reports, done for you.
Start with generative engine optimization
GEO is in beta. Leave your email and website, and we will show you which sources AI cites in your niche.