The practice of structuring content and site information so that AI systems, such as chat assistants and AI-generated search summaries, can accurately find, understand, and reference it.
Definition of “Generative Engine Optimization”
Traditional SEO focuses on ranking a page in a list of links. Generative engine optimization focuses on a different outcome: being the source an AI system pulls from, summarizes, or cites when answering a question, even if the person never clicks through to the site.
This means writing content that directly and clearly answers specific questions, using structured data that states facts plainly, and building a site architecture where related information is easy for a system to connect together.
“Generative Engine Optimization” In Practice
Instead of burying the answer to 'how much does this service cost' inside a long page of marketing copy, a business states pricing ranges and what affects them in a clear, direct format near the top of the relevant page, making it easy for an AI assistant to extract and summarize accurately.
Worth Knowing
GEO is not a replacement for traditional SEO, it is layered on top of it. A site with a confusing structure and vague content will not become more AI-visible just by adding structured data. Clarity at the content level has to come first.