What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), Learn How to Rank in AI Platforms ?

AI in Marketing, Digital Marketing
August 17, 2025

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Search is changing and fast. If brands are still relying only on traditional SEO, they’re already losing customers. Today, people don’t just search on Google. They ask AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) for answers and these AI tools respond instantly with curated, conversational results.

This shift has given rise to a new discipline: Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).

What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimisation is the process of optimising your content so it gets cited, referenced, or featured by AI-powered search platforms.
Instead of aiming to appear in the top 10 Google results, GEO focuses on becoming part of the AI’s answer when a user asks a question.

Why GEO is Different from Traditional SEO

In traditional SEO:

You optimise for Google’s ranking factors.
Users click links to read your content.

In GEO:

You optimise for AI algorithms.
The AI might summarise your content into its own response — so if you’re not in the sources it trusts, you’re invisible.

How Generative AI Algorithms Work

While each AI platform has its own secret recipe, most Generative Search Algorithms follow a similar process:

Understanding the Query – The AI interprets the user’s intent, often more deeply than keyword-based search.
Retrieving Reliable Sources – It searches trusted websites, databases, and credible online content.
Synthesising Information – It blends data from multiple sources into one clear, human-like answer.
Citing References – Many AI engines (like Perplexity) display links to the original sources.

If your brand isn’t in those trusted sources, you won’t be part of the AI’s generated answer even if your traditional SEO is strong.

Key GEO Ranking Factors (2025)

Credibility & EEAT

AI prefers content from proven experts, authoritative brands, and trustworthy sites.

Clear, Answer-Focused Content

Directly answering questions in a structured, factual, and easy-to-read way.

Structured Data & Metadata

Helping AI understand your content contextually.

Presence Across Platforms

AI pulls from blogs, social profiles, PDFs, videos, and even podcasts.

Why GEO Matters for Brands in 2025

If your competitors are showing up in AI answers and you’re not, they’re stealing your visibility and potential customers. Ranking in generative engines is not just an option it’s the next battleground for online attention.

Conclusion

GEO isn’t replacing SEO, it’s the evolution of SEO. The brands that adapt early will dominate not just in Google search results but in the AI-powered conversations shaping the future of the internet.