GEO Fundamentals
Optimization for AI-powered search engines.
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 |
2. AI Engine Landscape
| Engine |
Citation Style |
Opportunity |
| Perplexity |
Numbered [1][2] |
Citation behavior varies by query/product |
| ChatGPT |
Inline/footnotes |
Custom GPTs |
| Claude |
Contextual |
Long-form content |
| Gemini |
Sources section |
SEO crossover |
3. RAG Retrieval Factors
Potential retrieval considerations include relevance, source quality, freshness and diversity. The platforms do not publish a universal weighting formula; do not assign invented percentages or infer citation probability from this checklist.
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 |
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
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 |
7. AI Crawler Access
Key AI User-Agents
| Crawler |
Engine |
| GPTBot |
OpenAI training crawler; search/user agents are separate |
| ClaudeBot / Claude-SearchBot / Claude-User |
Distinct purposes; verify current official crawler docs |
| PerplexityBot |
Perplexity |
| Googlebot |
Google Search; verify separate product controls |
Access Decision
| Strategy |
When |
| Selective access |
Match owner policy to documented training/search/user crawler purposes |
| Block GPTBot |
Don't want OpenAI training |
| Selective |
Allow some, block others |
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 |
9. Anti-Patterns
| ❌ Don't |
✅ Do |
| Publish without dates |
Add timestamps |
| Vague attributions |
Name sources |
| Skip author info |
Show credentials |
| Thin content |
Comprehensive coverage |
Remember: AI cites content that's clear, authoritative, and easy to extract. Be the best answer.
Script
| Script |
Purpose |
Command |
scripts/geo_checker.py |
GEO audit (AI citation readiness) |
python scripts/geo_checker.py <project_path> |
When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.
Example
User request:
Use @geo-fundamentals for this task: Generative Engine Optimization for AI search engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity).
Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
The bundled checker scans at most30 selected source files; it does not crawl/render pages, validate schema, verify original data or measure AI citation probability. Public Markdown/docs can be relevant but are excluded by this heuristic. Missing files mean not assessed, not passed. FAQ markup and crawler access do not guarantee citations; verify current platform eligibility and measure dated, reproducible query samples.
