Search is changing fast. Google isn’t the only way people find answers anymore. AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are now delivering direct, conversational responses, often without linking to traditional websites.
This shift has given rise to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), a new way to make sure your brand still gets seen and credited. If you rely on SEO for traffic and sales, GEO isn’t just another marketing buzzword, it’s the next chapter in search visibility.
What is Generative Engine Optimisation?
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the practice of optimising your content so it appears inside AI-generated answers. Instead of ranking for a blue link on a search results page, you’re optimising to be referenced or cited within an AI’s response.
The key difference?
- SEO targets traditional search engines (Google, Bing).
- GEO targets generative engines/ AI systems that create new answers using large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT.
These engines analyse billions of data points, find relevant sources, and summarise them into natural language responses. Without GEO, your brand may disappear from AI-driven answers, even if you rank #1 in Google.
Why GEO Exists Now
Three years ago, generative search wasn’t a mainstream concern. That changed with the rapid adoption of ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and Gemini (particularly once Google integrated AI Overviews into its search pages). These platforms now answer queries directly, often replacing the need to click through to a website.
This shift matters because:
- User behaviour is changing: People want instant, direct answers.
- Traffic patterns are shifting: AI answers bypass the need for a traditional SERP.
- Brand visibility is at risk: If you’re not in the answer, you’re invisible.
The launch of OpenAI’s SearchGPT in 2024 proved that AI search is here to stay. GEO marketing emerged as the strategy to keep brands relevant in this new environment.
How Does GEO Work?
GEO focuses on how AI engines find, interpret, and present information. While SEO looks at keywords, backlinks, and structured data for ranking in search engines, GEO looks at how LLMs like GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini source and cite content.
A strong GEO search strategy involves:
- Answer engine optimisation (AEO): Structuring your content so it’s answer-friendly.
- LLM content optimisation service: Formatting and framing your content so AI can easily process and reference it.
- Citation targeting: Ensuring AI engines see your site as a reliable, quotable source.
- Testing for AI visibility: Running prompt simulations to see when and how your brand appears.
Done right, this results in your content being quoted or linked inside AI-generated responses, what we call AI search visibility service.
The Difference Between GEO and SEO
While both aim to get your content seen, the approach is different:
| SEO | GEO |
| Targets Google/Bing SERPs | Targets ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini |
| Optimises for keyword rankings | Optimises for AI answer citations |
| Measures clicks and traffic | Measures answer inclusion and citations |
| Uses backlinks as authority signals | Uses data reliability and structure signals |
A future-focused strategy doesn’t replace SEO with GEO, it blends them. GEO agency work typically combines SEO for AI search engines with traditional tactics to maintain visibility across both channels.
Answer Engine vs Generative Engine
An answer engine finds and displays answers, often pulling them directly from a source (e.g., Google’s featured snippets).
A generative engine creates answers using AI, blending multiple sources and presenting them in a conversational format.
GEO SEO focuses on both, ensuring your content is featured in snippets and cited in AI-generated responses.
Benefits of GEO for SEO
Adopting GEO offers multiple benefits:
- Protects your organic traffic by keeping your brand visible even when AI answers reduce clicks.
- Positions your brand as an authority in AI-driven search spaces.
- Increases brand discovery as AI tools recommend your content to new audiences.
- Supports future-proof visibility in SERP alternatives beyond Google.
This is especially valuable for eCommerce, where GEO marketing can push your buying guides, product pages, and reviews into AI search results.
GEO in Practice: How We Optimise for Generative Search
Our generative SEO strategy at Kia Ora Digital blends traditional SEO with GEO optimisation services.
We break it down into three steps:
- Visibility Mapping: We identify where your brand is (and isn’t) cited in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini.
- Generative Content Engineering: We reformat and expand your content so AI engines read, trust, and reference it.
- Cross-Channel Strategy: We align your GEO SEO efforts with paid search, avoiding ad spend waste and channel overlap.
The Role of LLM SEO Optimisation
LLM Optimisation focuses on how large language models read and rank content internally. This is where GPTBot crawl optimisation comes in, ensuring your site is accessible, well-structured, and AI-friendly.
We also consider AI content citation strategy to improve your visibility in AI answers. If ChatGPT can’t see or process your content properly, you won’t get credited.
SEO for Perplexity and Gemini
Perplexity AI is already becoming a serious SERP alternative for research-heavy users. Google’s Gemini is also deeply integrated with Search and Android. Both represent critical AI search real estate.
Optimising for them involves:
- Structured data for context.
- Clear, concise explanations for answer relevance.
- Well-referenced sources to signal authority.
Our AI-powered SEO strategy covers all major AI engines, not just ChatGPT.
Why GEO Is the Future of SEO
The future of SEO with AI isn’t about replacing old strategies, it’s about expanding them. GEO ensures you remain visible in generative search results while keeping your traditional rankings.
Brands that act now will secure their presence in AI search before the competition. Those who wait risk losing their search share permanently.
GEO Is Your AI Search Visibility Plan
Generative engine optimisation isn’t a passing trend, it’s the shift search is undergoing right now. Whether you call it generative engine SEO, GEO marketing, or AI search engine optimisation, the goal is the same: make your brand unmissable in AI answers.
If you want to protect your traffic and win AI visibility, start GEO now. Contact us to find out more.