AI · Strategy

What is GEO and why it matters more than SEO in 2025

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the discipline of optimising your digital presence to appear in the responses of AI models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude. This guide explains what it is, how it works and how to get started.

From SEO to GEO: how online search has changed

For 25 years, SEO meant optimising to appear in Google results. Today, a growing number of users bypass Google entirely and ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini directly for recommendations. These AI tools generate responses citing specific brands, products and services — and if yours is not mentioned, those potential customers never reach your website.

GEO is the set of strategies that optimises your presence specifically to be cited by these AI models. It combines elements of SEO, content authority, structured data and brand signals to make your business recognisable and citable by AI.

How generative search engines work

AI models like GPT-4, Claude and Gemini are trained on large datasets of web content. When a user asks a question, the model synthesises information from its training data — weighted by authority, recency and relevance signals. Brands cited in high-authority sources, with consistent and accurate information across the web, are more likely to appear in AI responses.

Perplexity and Bing Copilot also perform real-time web searches, pulling content from current pages. For these models, technical SEO factors matter more directly — they index and cite pages that rank well, load fast and have clear structured data.

Differences between SEO and GEO

SEO optimises for ranked links in a list. GEO optimises to be cited in a synthesised answer. SEO measures rankings and organic clicks. GEO measures brand mentions in AI responses. SEO focuses on keyword density and backlinks. GEO focuses on factual accuracy, authority signals and entity consistency across the web.

The good news: the foundations overlap. A website with strong SEO — high authority, quality content, good structured data — is also better positioned for GEO. You do not have to choose between them.

How to optimise your website to appear in AI responses

Key GEO tactics include: adding advanced JSON-LD structured data (Organization, LocalBusiness, FAQPage), publishing authoritative content that answers specific questions in your sector, creating an llms.txt file that tells AI crawlers what your site is about, ensuring consistent NAP data (Name, Address, Phone) across all directories, and earning citations in high-authority media and industry publications.

Also important: claim and optimise your Wikipedia entry if eligible, your Wikidata entity and your Google Knowledge Panel. These structured sources are heavily weighted in AI model training data.

The future of search: SEO + GEO together

Within five years, AI-mediated search will account for a significant share of how people discover businesses. Companies that invest in GEO now will have a head start that compounds over time — just as early SEO investors had a decade-long advantage over late movers.

At Mkt Web 360 we have developed our own GEO protocols integrated into every service — from structured data to content strategy, authority building and AI crawler signals. We help you be visible where your customers are already looking.