AI visibility, real estate·Term · Generative engine optimisation
Generative engine optimisation, explained.
Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the work that makes a website appear as a source in the answers of generative AI engines: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and Google AI Overviews. The term comes from a 2023 study. In Germany many SEO agencies have offered GEO since 2025. This is what is behind it.
How engines choose sources.
An AI answer is produced in two steps. First the engine searches the web for pages on the question, mostly through a search index such as Bing or Google. Then it reads those pages and writes an answer in which it cites individual pages. A page missing from the index cannot be cited. A page that is there but writes unclearly gets skipped.
Cited pages have clear statements in full sentences, with numbers, dates and names, with structured data and with sources that other pages confirm.
What GEO is in practice.
Indexability: Bing and Google know every page, and the crawlers of OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity are allowed to read. Entities: companies, people, products and places stand as structured data with fixed identifiers on every page. Passages: every service has one paragraph that answers a customer question completely. Sources: directories, press and partner sites say the same as your website.
Google clarified in May 2026 that no separate AI tricks are needed: good search optimisation is good AI optimisation. Google does not read files such as llms.txt; other engines do.
How to measure it.
Not through rankings but through answers: the same set of questions, asked regularly, evaluated by mention, description and citation. Sistrix has offered prompt tracking for this since 2026. I use my own tool, the Observatory.
The four layers.
- 01
Index
In the Bing and Google index, crawlers allowed, sitemap maintained, IndexNow.
- 02
Entity
Structured data for company, person, product, place. Same names everywhere.
- 03
Passage
One quotable paragraph per customer question. Numbers, dates, names.
- 04
Sources
External pages that say the same. Directories, press, partners.
Questions
- Is GEO the same as AEO or LLMO?
- The terms share the same goal: appearing in AI answers. AEO stresses answers, LLMO the models. In practice the work is identical.
- Can you buy AI answers?
- No. There are ads in individual engines, but no paid mention inside the answer itself. Anyone promising visibility cannot guarantee it.
- How often do the answers change?
- Constantly. Sistrix observed a 47 percent shift in citations within two days after a model change at ChatGPT in May 2026. That is why measurement is part of the work, not its end.
- Where do I start?
- With the baseline. First know what is said today and who is cited, then build pages.
Measure the baseline.
The AI visibility check is the first step. Afterwards you know which of the four layers is missing.