What GEO is and how to appear in ChatGPT
More and more B2B decision-makers ask an AI model before they ask Google. This guide explains what Generative Engine Optimization is, how it differs from SEO and how to get your company cited in the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the set of techniques that get a company cited in the answers of generative AI engines —ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity— when a prospective customer asks them a question. Unlike SEO, which chases rankings on Google, GEO aims to be the source the model chooses to build its answer. It is also known as generative AI optimization.
What GEO is, in one sentence
GEO means optimising your digital presence so that language models understand you, trust you and cite you. It is the equivalent of SEO, but for AI answers instead of Google's list of blue links.
The term (Generative Engine Optimization) describes a new reality: a growing share of searches no longer ends in a click to a website, but in an answer written by a model. If that model does not know your company, it will not name it, and you disappear from a buying conversation where you at least used to show up on Google.
How it differs from SEO
SEO and GEO share a lot of foundational work —useful content, clear structure, structured data, speed— but they optimise for two different things. Here is the difference in a table:
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank on Google's results page. | Get cited in an AI model's answer. |
| Where you appear | List of links (SERP). | Inside a written answer (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity…). |
| Main signal | Domain authority, links, relevance. | Clarity, structure, a recognisable entity and reliable sources that mention you. |
| Winning format | A full, well-ranked page. | Direct answers, definitions, lists and extractable data. |
| How it is measured | Position, clicks, impressions (Search Console). | Whether the model mentions you and which sources it attributes you to. |
The practical takeaway: it is not GEO or SEO, it is GEO and SEO. Much of what you do for one helps the other.
Why it matters to a B2B company
In B2B, the decision is researched before anyone speaks to a salesperson. The buying committee looks for suppliers, compares approaches and rules out options long before filling in a form. If that research starts by asking a model —"which B2B growth consultancies are there in Spain?", "how do I scale sales without growing the team?"— appearing in that answer means appearing on the shortlist from the very first minute.
It does not replace your website or your sales team: it is a new layer of visibility, further up the funnel, where almost no small or mid-sized company is working today. That is precisely why the cost of getting in is still low.
How to get your company to appear in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity
Allow the AI crawlers
In your robots.txt, authorise GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot and Google-Extended. If you block them, you cannot be cited.
Structure content so it is extractable
A direct answer up front, question-shaped headings, lists and tables, clear definitions. A model cites what it can isolate and understand without ambiguity.
Reinforce your entity with structured data
Mark up your site with schema.org (Organization/ProfessionalService, Article, FAQ) and link your profiles with sameAs. It helps the model know who you are and associate you with your category.
Build presence where models draw from
Models cite reliable sources: industry media, LinkedIn, directories, reviews and communities. Being mentioned off your own site counts as much as what you say on it.
Publish answers to real questions
Content that resolves your buyer's specific doubts, with verifiable data and examples. No inflated promises: models penalise unreliable sources.
Measure and iterate
Ask each model about your category and see whether it names you and with which sources. Repeat every few weeks and adjust whatever is missing.
Mistakes that leave you out of the answers
- Blocking the AI crawlers by default in robots.txt or the firewall. It is the quietest cause of invisibility.
- Content without structure: walls of text with no headings or isolated answers a model can cite.
- Claims without evidence: inflated figures or unsupported promises. Models tend to prefer sources that sound reliable and verifiable.
- A brand with no recognisable entity: without structured data or external mentions, the model does not know who you are or what to associate you with.
- Mistaking GEO for tricks: there is no "keyword stuffing" shortcut for AI. What works is real clarity, authority and usefulness.
What to expect (and what not to)
Let me be clear so as not to sell you smoke: there is no guarantee of being cited. Models decide what they cite and refresh their sources at different rates. What you can do is systematically increase the probability that they choose you, starting with what you already control —your website, your robots.txt, your structure and your structured data— and building authority and mentions over time. It is compounding work, not a switch.
What is worth remembering
- 01GEO is SEO for AI: optimising to be cited in the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity.
- 02It does not replace SEO, it complements it: much of the technical work serves both.
- 03Start with what you control: allowing AI crawlers, structuring your content and marking up your entity with structured data.
- 04Authority is built off your own site: reliable mentions, LinkedIn, media and directories.
- 05There are no guarantees, you work on probability. And in B2B the cost of getting in today is still low.
Common questions about GEO
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