What is GEO?
GEO (generative engine optimization) is work on content that aims to raise the chance that AI engines, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews, cite you in their answers. SEO aims to rank high in a list of links. GEO aims to be one of the sources the answer itself relies on.
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Where the term comes from
The term GEO comes from a November 2023 research paper, "GEO: Generative Engine Optimization", by researchers from Princeton, Georgia Tech, the Allen Institute for AI and IIT Delhi. It was accepted to KDD 2024. The authors tested which changes to a text make it more visible in the answers of generative engines.
The result: methods like adding quotations, adding statistics and citing sources raised visibility by up to 40% in their benchmark. Keyword stuffing, on the other hand, barely helped. What works is credible, well-sourced content, not a trick.
How GEO works in practice
An AI engine looks for sources, reads them and composes an answer. To make it into that answer, your content needs to be accessible, clear and well-sourced:
- A direct answer at the top of the page or post
- Numbers with a source, not general claims
- A real author's name and an update date
- Consistency around a small number of topics, so the model links you to them
GEO vs SEO vs AEO
| Term | The goal | Where you see the result |
|---|---|---|
| SEO | Rank high in search results | Google's list of links |
| AEO | Be the direct answer to a question | Direct answers, voice assistants, chatbots |
| GEO | Be a source cited in a model's answer | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, AI Overviews |
Worth knowing: in the guide Google published in May 2026, it says that from Google Search's perspective, optimizing for AI is still SEO. According to Google, you don't need an llms.txt file or special markup to appear in its AI features. So GEO is not a shortcut. It is the same fundamentals of good content, with attention to who cites you.
How it relates to LinkedIn
AI engines don't only cite websites. A Meltwater and LinkedIn study of 9.5 million AI citations found that 75% of LinkedIn citations came from individual members and 25% from company pages. That is why at Velut, AI visibility is part of the work on the CEO's own profile: consistent content, in their voice, around 3 to 4 topics.
Frequently asked questions
Does GEO replace SEO?
No. Google says the AI features in its Search rely on the same core ranking and quality systems, so SEO fundamentals still apply. GEO adds a question: is your content worth citing, not just ranking.
Do I need an llms.txt file for GEO?
For Google, no. Google says its Search doesn't use such files. You can create one for other services, but it doesn't replace good content.
Can anyone guarantee a ChatGPT citation?
No. Nobody controls what a model chooses to cite. You can only raise the odds: clear, well-sourced, consistent content under a real person's name.