Search is changing faster than it has in twenty years. More and more of your customers aren’t scrolling ten blue links anymore — they’re asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Overviews a question and acting on the synthesized answer they get back. If your business isn’t part of that answer, you’re invisible to a growing slice of buyers. Closing that gap is what Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is about: getting your brand cited inside AI-generated responses.
What actually changed
Google now shows AI Overviews on a large and growing share of searches, and AI assistants like ChatGPT reach hundreds of millions of people every week. The behavior shift is real: people increasingly read the answer instead of clicking through. That means a citation in an AI answer — even without a click — puts your name, your expertise, and your recommendation in front of someone making a decision.
GEO builds on SEO — it doesn’t replace it
Here’s the reassuring part: AI engines pull from indexed web content, so the foundations still matter. A crawlable, fast, authoritative site is what makes you eligible to be cited in the first place — the same groundwork behind a well-built site and strong local SEO.
How to get cited
- Answer real questions directly, with the answer near the top of the page.
- Use clear headings that match how people actually phrase questions, and keep content well-structured and easy to extract.
- Include specifics — original data, numbers, and concrete detail AI can quote.
- Keep your brand details consistent everywhere so engines connect the dots about who you are.
A simple monthly habit: ask ChatGPT and Google the ten questions most important to your business and see whether you’re mentioned. If you’re not, that’s your roadmap. Want help getting there? It’s built into how we approach SEO and content — reach out and we’ll take a look at your visibility.