What Is GEO? How Generative Engine Optimization Helps Businesses Get Found by AI
Search is changing fast. More people now ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google’s AI Overviews for answers instead of scrolling through ten blue links. As a result, a new skill has emerged for businesses: generative engine optimization, or GEO. Put simply, GEO is how you make sure AI tools know about your business, trust it and mention it.
What is generative engine optimization?
Generative engine optimization is the practice of shaping your website and content so AI-powered search tools can find, understand and cite you. These tools are called generative engines because they write an answer instead of only listing links.
The term comes from a 2023 research paper, GEO: Generative Engine Optimization, by researchers from Princeton University and IIT Delhi. They found that the right content changes could boost a source’s visibility in AI-generated answers by up to 40%.
GEO vs. SEO: what is the difference?
Traditional search engine optimization (SEO) aims to rank your page on a results list. GEO, on the other hand, aims to get your business included inside the answer itself.
| Factor | SEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank high in search results | Be cited or recommended in AI answers |
| Where it shows up | Google and Bing result pages | AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, voice assistants |
| What wins | Keywords, links, speed | Clear facts, structured data, trusted sources, statistics |
| How users act | Click a link | Often read the answer without clicking |
The two work together. A strong SEO foundation still matters, because many AI tools pull from pages that search engines already trust.
Why generative engine optimization matters now
The numbers show how quickly behavior is shifting:
- Fewer clicks. In a 2025 Pew Research Center study, Google users clicked a regular result on just 8% of visits that showed an AI summary, compared with 15% when no summary appeared, The Register reported. Only about 1% clicked a link inside the summary itself.
- More searches end early. In that same study, 26% of sessions with an AI summary ended right there, versus 16% without one.
- Less traditional search. Back in 2024, research firm Gartner predicted that search engine volume would drop 25% by 2026 as people turn to AI chatbots.
In other words, if an AI tool answers a customer’s question and never mentions you, that customer may never see your website at all.
What actually works in GEO
The Princeton-led study tested several tactics. Notably, three stood out:
- Add statistics. Specific numbers make content more useful to AI answers.
- Cite sources. Linking to credible references builds trust.
- Include quotations. Relevant quotes from reliable sources improved visibility too.
Meanwhile, old-school keyword stuffing did not help. Beyond content, a few technical pieces help AI tools read your site:
- Schema markup: labels that tell machines your business name, services, hours, reviews and location.
- An llms.txt file: a plain-language guide to your site written for AI systems.
- A crawler-friendly robots.txt: settings that let legitimate AI and search bots read your pages.
- Fast, clean pages: content that loads quickly and is easy to parse.
- Submitted sitemaps and indexed pages: so search engines, and the AI tools that draw on them, can find every page.
- Consistent business details: the same name, phone and address everywhere online.
How Plopjoy handles GEO for businesses nationwide
Plopjoy is a web design and digital agency that serves businesses across the United States, with city pages in 129 locations. Rather than treating AI search as an add-on, Plopjoy builds the foundations into every site it launches.
According to Plopjoy, every website ships with:
- Local SEO and AI search foundations, including schema, metadata, speed work and an llms.txt file
- Sitemap submission and page indexing, so new pages can be found quickly
- Mobile-first, custom builds on WordPress, not templates
For businesses that want to go further, Plopjoy’s AI SEO (AISO) and local SEO service focuses on getting found on Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Siri and Alexa, along with classic local search. Its content team can also produce articles built around the facts, statistics and sources that the GEO research found most effective.
Plopjoy posts its prices up front. Websites start at $149 plus $59 a month, and many sites go live within one to three days. You can compare plans on the Plopjoy pricing page.
A quick GEO checklist for your business
Not ready for a full rebuild? Start here:
- Ask AI about yourself. Search your business type and city in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google. Do you show up?
- Answer real questions on your site. Add clear FAQ sections that use your customers’ own words.
- Add numbers and proof. Years in business, jobs completed, ratings and specific results all help.
- Keep your details consistent. Your name, address and phone should match everywhere.
- Earn reviews. Fresh, detailed reviews give AI tools more trusted signals.
- Check your technical basics. Make sure you have schema, a sitemap, a sensible robots.txt and an llms.txt file.
For more ways to strengthen your business online, read our guide to the AI receptionist for small business and our look at how to build business credit.
The bottom line
Generative engine optimization is quickly becoming as important as traditional SEO. As more customers get answers straight from AI tools, businesses need to be clear, trusted and easy for machines to read. Plopjoy builds those foundations into every website it launches, so businesses anywhere in the country can be found wherever their customers search.
Results from GEO and SEO vary, and no agency can guarantee placement in AI answers or search results.
