GEO Fundamentals

GEO Fundamentals

Optimization for AI-powered search engines.

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1. What is GEO?

GEO = Generative Engine Optimization

Goal	Platform
Be cited in AI responses	ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini

SEO vs GEO

Aspect	SEO	GEO
Goal	#1 ranking	AI citations
Platform	Google	AI engines
Metrics	Rankings, CTR	Citation rate
Focus	Keywords	Entities, data

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2. AI Engine Landscape

Engine	Citation Style	Opportunity
Perplexity	Numbered [1][2]	Highest citation rate
ChatGPT	Inline/footnotes	Custom GPTs
Claude	Contextual	Long-form content
Gemini	Sources section	SEO crossover

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3. RAG Retrieval Factors

How AI engines select content to cite:

Factor	Weight
Semantic relevance	~40%
Keyword match	~20%
Authority signals	~15%
Freshness	~10%
Source diversity	~15%

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4. Content That Gets Cited

Element	Why It Works
Original statistics	Unique, citable data
Expert quotes	Authority transfer
Clear definitions	Easy to extract
Step-by-step guides	Actionable value
Comparison tables	Structured info
FAQ sections	Direct answers

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5. GEO Content Checklist

Content Elements

• Question-based titles
• Summary/TL;DR at top
• Original data with sources
• Expert quotes (name, title)
• FAQ section (3-5 Q&A)
• Clear definitions
• "Last updated" timestamp
• Author with credentials

Technical Elements

• Article schema with dates
• Person schema for author
• FAQPage schema
• Fast loading (< 2.5s)
• Clean HTML structure

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6. Entity Building

Action	Purpose
Google Knowledge Panel	Entity recognition
Wikipedia (if notable)	Authority source
Consistent info across web	Entity consolidation
Industry mentions	Authority signals

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7. AI Crawler Access

Key AI User-Agents

Crawler	Engine
GPTBot	ChatGPT/OpenAI
Claude-Web	Claude
PerplexityBot	Perplexity
Googlebot	Gemini (shared)

Access Decision

Strategy	When
Allow all	Want AI citations
Block GPTBot	Don't want OpenAI training
Selective	Allow some, block others

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8. Measurement

Metric	How to Track
AI citations	Manual monitoring
"According to [Brand]" mentions	Search in AI
Competitor citations	Compare share
AI-referred traffic	UTM parameters

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9. Anti-Patterns

❌ Don't	✅ Do
Publish without dates	Add timestamps
Vague attributions	Name sources
Skip author info	Show credentials
Thin content	Comprehensive coverage

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Remember: AI cites content that's clear, authoritative, and easy to extract. Be the best answer.

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Script

Script	Purpose	Command
scripts/geo_checker.py	GEO audit (AI citation readiness)	python scripts/geo_checker.py <project_path>