GEO defined
Generative Engine Optimisation is the practice of structuring your content so that AI models (the large language models behind ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews) include your business in their generated answers.
Traditional SEO asks: how do I rank higher in a list of links? GEO asks a different question: how do I become part of the answer the AI engine writes?
The distinction matters because AI engines do not rank pages. They synthesise information from multiple sources and generate a new response. Your content is not linked to; it is absorbed, processed, and either included in the output or ignored. The signals that determine inclusion are different from the signals that determine ranking.
How GEO differs from AEO
AEO is the umbrella discipline. It covers everything involved in making your business visible across AI search engines: structured data, entity recognition, authority signals, citation monitoring, and content strategy.
GEO is a subset of AEO focused specifically on the content signals that influence how generative models produce their answers. If AEO is the full strategy, GEO is the content playbook within it.
In practice, most businesses do not need to think about the distinction. The work is the same. The terms are useful for understanding the research, which is where the six signals below come from.
The six signals GEO researchers identified
Academic research from Georgia Tech examined which content characteristics increased the likelihood of a source being cited in AI-generated answers. They identified six signals that consistently improved citation rates:
1. Cite authoritative sources. Content that references credible external sources (government data, academic research, industry bodies) is cited more frequently than content that makes unsupported claims. AI engines treat source citations as a trust signal.
2. Include specific statistics. “Our clients see an average 261% increase in organic traffic” is more likely to be cited than “our clients see significant growth”. Specificity signals credibility to AI models.
3. Use direct quotations. Quotations from named, credible individuals add authority. AI engines weight attributed statements more heavily than anonymous claims.
4. Write with an authoritative tone. Content that explains with confidence is cited more than content that hedges excessively. This does not mean being aggressive or salesy; it means being clear, direct, and specific about what you know.
5. Use precise terminology. Technical terms, when used correctly, signal expertise. A healthcare practice that uses “emergency medicine” rather than “urgent help” is more likely to be recognised as an authority in that field. Balance this with readability for your audience.
6. Ensure content fluency. Well-structured, clearly written content with logical flow is cited more than disorganised or poorly written pages. AI engines can detect content quality and factor it into citation decisions.
Practical GEO for UK businesses
The six signals translate into concrete actions:
On your service pages. Add specific data points where you have them. Reference industry standards or Google’s own documentation on content quality. Structure each page with clear H2 headings that answer specific questions.
On your about page. Include named credentials, years of experience, and specific achievements. AI engines build entity profiles; the more specific and consistent your about page, the stronger your entity profile.
In your blog content. Every post should cite at least one external authoritative source and include at least one specific statistic. This is not padding; it is the signal AI engines use to decide whether your content is worth citing.
In your FAQs. Write answers that are complete enough to be quoted directly by an AI engine. One-sentence answers get skipped. Three-to-four-sentence answers with a specific data point are the sweet spot for AI citation.
In your llms.txt file. This machine-readable file tells AI crawlers directly what your business is and does. Include a corrections section that explicitly states what AI engines should NOT say about you.
GEO measurement
Measuring GEO effectiveness uses the same framework as broader AEO measurement:
Run structured queries across multiple AI engines. Record whether your business (or your content) is cited. Track changes quarterly. The additional GEO-specific measurement is tracking which specific pages or content pieces are being cited, not just whether the business name appears.
This tells you which of the six signals is working for your content and which needs strengthening.
For a complete guide to AI visibility measurement, see How to Measure AI Visibility for Your Business. For the broader AEO strategy, see What is Answer Engine Optimisation?.