What is GEO (generative engine optimization)?

GEO (generative engine optimization) responds to the fact that people now ask their questions to AI assistants, not only to a search box. The goal is for these assistants to mention your brand and cite your page as a source when they generate an answer. It doesn't replace classic SEO; it builds on it, because most AI search relies on pages found through web search.

#Why it matters

• The user reads one answer and often doesn't click. If you aren't in the answer, you're invisible, even if you rank on page one.
• When choosing sources, assistants favour pages that answer clearly and are well structured, current and trustworthy.
• An assistant giving wrong or outdated information about your brand costs you sales directly.

The core work of GEO: content that answers questions directly, question headings and lists, structured data, clear author and date information, access for AI crawlers and consistent brand facts.

#Where you see it in SEOAsist

The GEO · AI Visibility page has three tabs:

The AI access tab on the site page also manages AI crawler permissions and llms.txt. More: GEO: AI visibility.

#Example

Prompt: "Which dining table works for a small living room?" If the assistant says "Example Furniture's extendable tables…", the brand was mentioned; if examplefurniture.com is among the sources under the answer, the site was cited.

#Common mistakes

• Treating GEO as separate from classic SEO; a page that can't be crawled or indexed won't show up in AI either.
• Putting your brand name into the prompts; real user questions are unbranded.
• Blocking search-purpose AI bots in robots.txt and still expecting visibility.