What is GEO?
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the work of making your brand easy for AI assistants to find, understand and recommend. When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini or Google’s AI Mode for “the best” option in your category, the assistant writes one answer and names a handful of brands. GEO is about being one of them.
Think of it as word of mouth at scale. The assistant repeats what it has read about your market on websites, review platforms, media and forums. If the web describes you clearly and consistently, the assistant is more likely to mention you, and to describe you correctly.
How AI assistants choose which brands to recommend
Most assistants combine what they learned during training with a live web search. They then summarise the sources they trust most: pages that answer the question directly, comparison articles, review sites and community threads such as Reddit. Four things weigh in:
- Relevance: does a page clearly say what you do, for whom and where?
- Consensus: do several independent sources say the same thing about you?
- Freshness: are your prices, products and facts up to date?
- Reputation: what do reviews and discussions say about you?
What your score means
Your score answers one simple question: when buyers ask AI about your category, how often and how well are you recommended? Use these ranges as a guide.
- 0 to 24Rarely recommended
- AI seldom names you, so buyers who rely on it are unlikely to discover you. Start with the basics: a clear category page and accurate facts about your brand.
- 25 to 49Sometimes recommended
- You appear, but competitors appear more often or earlier. Look at the question types where you are missing: that is usually your quickest win.
- 50 to 74Often recommended
- You are a regular answer. Work on position, tone and sources to move from “one of the options” to “the first choice”.
- 75 to 100A leading recommendation
- AI names you often, early and positively. Protect it: answers change every week, and your competitors are working on the same questions.
A score is a snapshot of the questions and the AI you tested. A low score on one assistant and a high score on another is common: each one reads different sources.
Why AI answers change, and how often to test
The same question can get a different answer tomorrow, from another account or in another country. Assistants update their models, search results move and new content is published every day. That is why one check is a starting point, not a verdict.
Test the same questions once a month on at least two assistants, and after any important change: a new product, a price update or a press story. To follow hundreds of questions automatically, use a platform like VizibAI.
GEO and SEO: what changes
SEO helps your pages rank in a list of links. GEO helps your brand appear inside the answer itself. The two work together, because AI assistants often draw on pages that already rank well. GEO adds new questions: are you named at all, in which position, with which facts, and is your own site cited as a source?
Good SEO habits still count: clear pages, fast loading and structured data. GEO adds a stronger focus on facts, comparisons, reviews and the communities AI reads.
Five first steps to improve your AI visibility
- Write a clear page for each category you sell, in the words your buyers use.
- Keep your key facts (prices, locations, services) accurate and identical everywhere.
- Publish honest comparison and “alternatives” pages, with facts and dates.
- Collect recent, detailed reviews on the platforms that matter in your market.
- Join the forums and threads AI cites for your category, with useful answers.
