What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)? How Is It Done?

Search engines no longer generate results solely based on links and keywords. Google, Bing, and similar search engines now produce direct answers to queries through generative artificial intelligence models, summarize information, and cite sources. This transformation makes it mandatory for brands not only to rank high in search results but also to be referenced within the generated answers.

What Is GEO?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the entirety of optimization efforts carried out to ensure that generative AI–based search and answer systems (such as ChatGPT, Google SGE, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude) use a piece of content or a brand as a source when generating answers.

The goal of GEO is not merely to achieve rankings and traffic as in classical SEO; rather, it is to be visible within generated answers, to be cited as a source, and to build authority signals in the new search ecosystem where zero-click searches and AI answers are increasing. SEO forms the foundation of GEO; GEO is the expertise- and trust-focused evolution of SEO adapted to the generative search experience.

The purpose of GEO is not simply to move a website to the top of search engine results pages. The primary goal is to be included as a source within generated answers, thereby strengthening brand visibility, perceived expertise, and authority signals. In this respect, GEO is not an alternative to SEO; it is an optimization layer built on top of SEO and adapted to the evolving search experience. In Turkish, it is referred to as “generative engine optimization.”

User behavior clearly supports this change. A significant portion of users now consume the information they need directly within the SERP without clicking on a website. This fundamentally changes the definition of visibility.

The Change in Search Behavior: Numerical Data on Zero-Click Searches and AI Answers

According to SparkToro data, approximately 64.82% of Google searches end without a click to any website. On mobile searches, this rate exceeds 77%. More recent analyses show that globally, approximately 58–60% of searches still result in zero-click outcomes.

This picture reveals that approaching traditional SEO solely from a traffic-generation perspective is no longer sufficient.

At the same time, the scale of adoption of generative AI platforms is accelerating this transformation. ChatGPT and similar systems have reached hundreds of millions of active users. The average query length on these platforms is significantly longer compared to traditional searches. Users ask more natural, more contextual, and more explanatory questions. This necessitates evaluating content not only through keywords but through meaning and context.

The Relationship Between SGE (Search Generative Experience) and Zero-Click Searches

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) approach is one of the primary factors behind the increase in zero-click searches. Answers presented via AI Overviews provide users with direct information while causing significant drops in organic click-through rates.

Industry analyses show that in queries where AI answers appear, organic clicks decrease by more than 30% on average. At this point, the issue is not merely traffic loss; it is the transformation of how brands achieve visibility.

Users are now guided less by the question “Which site should I click?” and more by “Which answer is presented to me?” GEO comes into play precisely at this breaking point.

Why Has GEO Become a Discipline Separate from SEO?

AI-based search systems operate with a different logic than traditional search engines. When generating an answer to a query, they do not evaluate a single page or ranking; instead, they assess multiple reliable sources, contextual consistency, and authority signals together.

For this reason, a piece of content may rank highly on Google yet never appear in generative answers. Conversely, content that ranks lower but is conceptually clearer, more structured, and more reliable may be referenced by AI systems. This difference clearly demonstrates why GEO must be treated as a distinct area of expertise from SEO.

How Do Generative Search Engines Work?

Generative search systems operate not with a ranking logic but with an answer-generation logic. At their core lies a complex structure where large language models (LLMs), semantic vectors, knowledge graphs, and trust signals work together.

LLM- and RAG-Based Answer Generation

AI-based systems evaluate queries not through keyword matching but through conceptual analysis. Using the Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) approach, information retrieved from multiple sources is combined and synthesized into a new answer.

Which source is included in the answer is determined by reliability, consistency, contextual relevance, and expertise signals. LLMs do not memorize information; they learn patterns and relationships. Therefore, content must not only be correct but also presented in the correct context.

In addition, generative engines consider not only a brand’s website but also its off-site visibility, relationships with experts, and industry references.

What Is the Difference Between GEO and SEO?

SEO focuses on achieving rankings in search engine results. It is click- and traffic-centered. GEO, on the other hand, focuses on ensuring that a brand is referenced when generative engines produce answers; it is visibility- and authority-centered.

SEO forms the foundation of GEO. GEO is the adaptation of SEO to the generative search experience. These two disciplines do not replace one another; they work together and complement each other.

What Are the Similarities Between GEO and SEO?

Although GEO and SEO focus on different objectives, they are built on the same foundational infrastructure. Both disciplines require accurately understanding search intent, structuring content clearly and consistently, and generating reliable source signals. Technical site health, logical heading hierarchy, semantic consistency, topical authority, and EEAT signals are common requirements for both SEO and GEO.

A site that is not strong in SEO cannot achieve sustainable visibility in GEO. Likewise, an SEO strategy strengthened with GEO principles produces clearer, more understandable, and more trustworthy content in traditional search results. For this reason, GEO and SEO are not independent channels but two complementary layers of the same visibility strategy serving different outputs.

How Is GEO Done? A Step-by-Step Approach

GEO cannot be solved with a single technical adjustment or by writing content alone. Content, structure, signals, and context must be addressed together.

1. Understanding How AI-Based Search Systems Select Sources

The starting point of GEO is not the question “How do I rank?” but “Why would an AI take this information from me?” When selecting sources, AI-based search systems consider whether the topic is clearly defined, whether concepts are handled consistently within context, whether the content provides interpretation and explanation, and the overall authority of the source. For this reason, superficial, encyclopedia-style content is weak from a GEO perspective.

2. Building a Concept-Centered Content Structure

In GEO, concepts—not keywords—are at the center. Questions such as “What is GEO,” “How is GEO done,” and “What is the difference between SEO and GEO” are not handled separately but as parts of the same semantic whole. This structure enables AI systems to perceive the content as a holistic source.

3. Using Clear and Quotable Statements

Generative engines prefer sentences that provide clear definitions, establish cause-and-effect relationships, and can be used without being taken out of context. In GEO-compatible content, such statements are deliberately constructed.

4. Topical Authority and Contextual Depth

GEO is not achieved with a single piece of content. When a site consistently produces content on GEO, SEO, AEO, semantic search, and AI-based search topics, it sends a strong expertise signal to generative engines.

5. Technical and Structural Cleanliness

GEO is content-focused but not independent of technical factors. Clean HTML structure, proper heading hierarchy, reasonable page speed, and the use of structured data allow generative engines to process content more accurately.

6. Strengthening Brand and Source Signals

Generative engines evaluate not only the correctness of information but also who provides it. Therefore, a brand’s industry visibility, consistent narrative, and citable content directly affect GEO performance.

The Role of Expertise, Authority, and EEAT in GEO

For generative engines, the question “Who is saying this?” is as important as “What is being said?” EEAT signals are therefore at the center of GEO. Content produced by experts, clear author and expert identity, experience-based narratives, and a consistent brand voice play a decisive role in generative engines’ trust evaluations.

The Impact of GEO on Digital Visibility and Brand Perception

GEO does not merely generate traffic; it builds brand perception and authority. Being included within generated answers transforms a brand into an information source in the user’s eyes. This effect is particularly critical in B2B and high-cost services, where trust formed before a click is essential.

What Does a GEO Agency Do?

SEO agencies that capture changes in user search behavior and adapt to them effectively also operate as GEO agencies. A GEO agency analyzes a site’s existing content structure, identifies weaknesses from a generative engine perspective, and builds a concept-based content architecture. By addressing SEO and GEO together, it aims to ensure that the brand is referenced in generative searches.

Who Needs GEO?

GEO is critical for corporate brands, companies that want to become authorities in their fields, sites that have reached a certain level in SEO but face visibility limitations, and brands that want to be present in AI-based search experiences. For sites without a basic SEO infrastructure, GEO alone is not sufficient.

Why Can Generative Engine Optimization No Longer Be Ignored?

The search experience is evolving from a link-click–based structure to an answer-consumption–based structure. This transformation turns GEO from a temporary trend into a permanent component of digital visibility. In the coming period, competition will be shaped not only by appearing on the first page but by being included within generated answers. GEO defines the methodology of this new competitive landscape. Therefore, GEO is not a component of future search competition, but a fundamental component of today’s visibility.