You know the feeling. You google something, you see ten blue links and you click the first one. That model has existed for 25 years. But something has changed. More and more people no longer ask their questions to Google, but to ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google’s own AI mode. And those systems do not give a list of links. They give an answer. Sometimes with one or two sources mentioned. If your website is not among them, you are invisible.
What is GEO?
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation. It is the practice of optimising your online presence so that AI systems recognise, understand and cite you as a trustworthy source. Where classic SEO is about rankings in a list of search results, GEO is about something else: being seen as an authority by an AI that is composing an answer for someone else.
How does it work in practice?
Suppose someone asks ChatGPT: “Which painting company in The Hague has experience with listed buildings?” ChatGPT searches its training data and any live sources. If your website clearly describes that you specialise in listed buildings in The Hague, with concrete projects, reviews and expert content, you increase the chance of being mentioned. That is GEO.
How does GEO differ from SEO?
With SEO you optimise for an algorithm that ranks pages. With GEO you optimise for a language model that understands what you stand for. That calls for different content: clear entities, factual statements, structured data and a consistent presence across multiple platforms. Google remains important, but GEO adds a second track.
What does this mean for your business?
If you currently only invest in classic SEO, you are missing a growing channel. AI systems are increasingly becoming the first port of call for business questions. Whoever invests in GEO now builds a lead that is hard for later starters to close.
