Generative engine optimisation (GEO): how to get your business cited by ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews
Google's AI Overviews cut clicks to traditional results by around a third on queries where they appear, and a growing share of buyers now ask ChatGPT or Gemini before they search at all. Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the work of becoming the source those answers cite. It is not a replacement for SEO — it is SEO with a stricter editor.
What changed, with numbers
According to Ahrefs' analysis, AI Overviews appear on roughly 9–16% of keywords depending on market and device, but because they favour informational queries they cover more than half of all search volume — and where they appear, clicks fall by about 34.5%. Meanwhile ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Mode answer directly and cite a handful of sources. The arithmetic is simple: fewer clicks per query, concentrated on the few sources the engine trusts. GEO is how you become one of them.
How answer engines choose sources
Answer engines retrieve, then generate — the same retrieval-augmented pattern we build for enterprise assistants. They favour pages that are retrievable (indexed, fast, crawlable, with clear structure), quotable (a clear claim with a number, a date and a named source in one or two sentences), authoritative (consistent entity information, mentions on trusted sites, author credentials) and specific (local, niche, first-hand). Generic content loses twice: it does not rank, and it does not get cited.
On-page: write to be cited
- Lead with the answer. Each section starts with a direct, quotable statement, then the explanation.
- Put numbers, dates and sources in the sentence. "16% of UK businesses use AI (DSIT, January 2026)" is citable; "many businesses use AI" is not.
- Use questions as headings and answer them in the first paragraph; add FAQ sections with FAQPage structured data.
- Structured data everywhere: Organization, Service, Article with author, BreadcrumbList. It tells machines what the entity is.
- Show first-hand experience: case studies with real figures, named authors with credentials, original photos. Our case studies are written this way on purpose.
- Keep entity facts consistent — name, address, services, founder — across the site, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile and directories.
Off-page: be mentioned where the models read
Citations follow mentions. Industry directories, professional bodies, partner pages, local press, LinkedIn articles, Reddit and specialist forums are heavily represented in what answer engines retrieve. Earn listings on the directories relevant to your sector (for an IT exporter in Pakistan, PSEB's directory; for a UK agency, Clutch and local business bodies), get partners to link to you, and publish research or data others will cite. Classic link-building, with the emphasis on being described accurately rather than merely linked.
Local businesses: the GEO quick wins
- A complete, active Google Business Profile with services, Q&A and fresh reviews — AI answers to "best dentist near me" draw on it heavily.
- Service pages that name the town and the problem ("emergency boiler repair in Stoke-on-Trent") with prices or price ranges.
- Review responses that restate the service and location in natural language.
- One genuinely useful local article per month — the kind in our Staffordshire AI guide.
Our Marketing & Growth retainers now include GEO checks in the monthly report.
How to measure it
Track four things monthly: citations (ask the major assistants your top 20 commercial questions and log which sources they cite — you, competitors, directories); AI Overview presence for your target keywords; branded search and direct traffic, which rise when assistants mention you; and classic rankings and conversions, because GEO work improves them too. Expect movement in 8–12 weeks for local terms, longer for competitive national ones.
FAQ
Is GEO different from SEO?
GEO is SEO with a stricter editor. The same fundamentals — crawlability, authority, structured data, useful content — apply, with extra emphasis on quotable claims, consistent entity facts, FAQ structure and mentions on sites answer engines read.
Do AI Overviews really reduce clicks?
Ahrefs' study found clicks fall by about 34.5% on queries where an AI Overview appears. The remaining clicks concentrate on cited sources, which is why being cited matters.
How do I check if ChatGPT or Gemini cites my business?
Ask them the commercial questions your customers ask — 'best skin clinic in Karachi', 'AI consultancy Stoke-on-Trent' — and record which sources are cited. Repeat monthly and treat it like a rank tracker.
Does GEO work for a small local business?
Yes, often faster than for national brands: a complete Google Business Profile, specific local service pages, review responses and one useful local article a month are the quick wins.
Sources
- Ahrefs — Google AI Overviews: statistics and click impact
- GOV.UK / DSIT — AI adoption research (January 2026)
- 1 Sol UK — Marketing & Growth services