Guide / Generative engine optimization
Generative engine optimization (GEO) and AI search optimization, explained
Generative engine optimization (GEO), also called AI search optimization or AI search engine optimization, is the work of making your brand readable, citable and named in answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Google AI Overviews. It has three parts: let AI crawlers read your site, publish pages that answer your buyers' questions, and track whether assistants actually mention you.
GEO vs SEO
GEO builds on SEO rather than replacing it. The technical basics are shared; what changes is where results appear and what you measure.
| Aspect | SEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank pages in search results | Be named and cited in AI answers |
| Where results show | Google and Bing results pages | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Google AI Overviews |
| What you measure | Positions, clicks and impressions | Mention rate, position in the answer, cited sources and share of voice |
| Crawlers to allow | Googlebot and Bingbot | Also GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot and others, each by name |
| Content that wins | Pages that match a query | Pages that answer a question directly, with facts an assistant can quote |
How to do generative engine optimization
- 01
Let AI crawlers read your site
Allow AI crawlers in robots.txt and your CDN, serve key text in the raw HTML, keep a sitemap and add structured data. The free scan checks this in about a minute.
- 02
Find the questions buyers ask
List category, comparison and brand questions in your buyers' words, and see who assistants name today.
- 03
Publish pages worth citing
Answer each question on one page, in the first two sentences, with prices, limits, comparisons and FAQs. Improve an existing page before creating a new one.
- 04
Track the answers and repeat
Ask the same questions on a schedule, record mentions and cited sources, and fix what you lose. LLM Scan sends this as a weekly report with 3 fixes.
Tools for generative engine optimization
Each GEO job has its own tools. We make LLM Scan; other vendors' prices are only the ones we read on their pricing pages on 7 October 2026.
| Job | What it answers | Example tools | Cost to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI readiness scan | Can AI crawlers read my site? | LLM Scan free scan and llms.txt checker, Google's Rich Results Test | Free |
| AI visibility tracking | Do assistants name and cite us? | LLM Scan, Otterly.AI, Peec AI, Profound, AthenaHQ | LLM Scan $19/month, Otterly.AI €29, Peec AI €85; others: check their pricing page |
| Suite add-ons | How does AI visibility compare with my SEO data? | Semrush AI toolkit, Ahrefs Brand Radar | Check their pricing page |
| Crawler analytics | Which AI bots visit, and which pages? | Server logs, LLM Scan crawler tracking | Free with your logs |
| Content workflow | What should we publish or fix next? | Weekly fix lists, the LLM Scan Playbook and Content Machine briefs, your CMS | Included in LLM Scan paid plans |
Which companies offer generative engine optimization?
Two kinds. Software vendors such as LLM Scan, Otterly.AI, Peec AI, Profound and AthenaHQ sell the tools to measure and improve AI visibility. Agencies and consultants sell GEO as a service and usually run it on one of those tools. LLM Scan's Agency plan tracks up to 5 client domains with white-label reports.
Generative engine optimization: questions and answers
- What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?
- The work of making your brand appear in answers generated by AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude, and in Google AI Overviews: crawler access, pages worth citing, and tracking of the answers.
- Is GEO the same as AI search optimization?
- Yes. GEO, AI search optimization, AI search engine optimization and answer engine optimization (AEO) are used for the same work. The names differ by vendor and audience.
- What are the best tools for generative engine optimization?
- A free AI readiness scanner, an AI visibility tracker and your server logs cover most of it. LLM Scan combines a free scan with weekly tracking from $19 per month; Otterly.AI and Peec AI track daily; Profound and AthenaHQ aim at larger programs.
- Is there a free GEO tool?
- Yes. LLM Scan's technical scan and llms.txt checker are free without an account. Tracking whether assistants mention you is on paid plans, which start with a 14-day trial.
- Does GEO replace SEO?
- No. Crawlable pages, structured data and useful content still matter. GEO adds AI crawlers, answer-first pages and the measurement of AI answers on top.
- Can GEO guarantee that ChatGPT recommends me?
- No. Assistants change their answers and draw on many sources. GEO improves the odds and measures the result; nobody can guarantee mentions or citations.