What Is GEO and How It Works
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the practice of optimising content to appear in AI-generated responses from platforms like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity, and other large language models (LLMs). Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking in search engine result pages, GEO ensures your brand, products, or services are cited and recommended when users ask AI assistants for information.
GEO works by structuring content in ways that LLMs can easily parse, understand, and reference. This involves using authoritative sources, clear formatting, structured data, conversational language that mirrors how people prompt AI tools, and citation-worthy statistics. When AI systems crawl and index the web, they prioritise content that demonstrates expertise, provides direct answers, and includes verifiable information. By optimising for these factors, businesses increase their chances of being featured in AI-generated responses, which is becoming the primary way millions of users discover information online.
Challenges for Traditional SEO in the AI Era
The rise of generative AI is fundamentally disrupting how people search for information. Traditional SEO strategies that worked for decades are losing effectiveness as users increasingly bypass search engines entirely and go straight to AI chatbots for answers. This shift presents several critical challenges.
First, zero-click searches are becoming the norm. When AI provides a complete answer within the chat interface, users have no reason to click through to your website. This means even if your content informed the AI’s response, you may receive zero traffic or brand visibility. Second, citation ambiguity means AI tools don’t always clearly attribute sources, or they synthesise information from multiple sites without naming any specifically. Your expertise might power an AI answer without your brand getting credit.
Third, content discovery has changed. Search engines used traditional signals like backlinks, keywords, and domain authority. AI models prioritise factual accuracy, clarity, conversational relevance, and structured data formats that may differ significantly from SEO best practices. Fourth, optimisation is more complex—you’re no longer optimising for one or two search engines but for multiple AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity) that each have different training data, update cycles, and citation preferences.
Finally, measurement is murky. Traditional SEO offers clear metrics like rankings, impressions, and click-through rates. With GEO, tracking whether your content appears in AI responses requires new tools and methodologies that are still emerging. These challenges require businesses to adopt entirely new optimisation strategies or risk becoming invisible in an AI-first world.
Top 5 Generative Engine Optimisation Agencies
Growth Hackers
Growth Hackers is a performance-driven digital marketing agency that has expanded its services to include cutting-edge GEO strategies. Known for their data-centric approach and rapid experimentation methodology, they help businesses optimise content for visibility across multiple AI platforms. Their GEO services combine traditional growth marketing tactics with AI-first content strategies, focusing on prompt engineering, conversational content optimisation, and multi-platform AI visibility tracking. Their team conducts regular AI prompt testing to ensure client content surfaces in relevant ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview responses.
Schbang
Schbang is one of India’s leading integrated digital agencies with a strong presence across Southeast Asia. They’ve been early adopters of GEO, developing proprietary frameworks for AI search optimisation that combine creative storytelling with technical implementation. Schbang’s approach emphasises brand narrative optimisation for AI contexts, ensuring that when LLMs reference their clients, the messaging aligns with brand positioning. They’re particularly strong in industries like consumer goods, entertainment, and lifestyle brands. Their GEO offering includes AI conversation mapping, where they identify the most common prompts in a client’s industry and optimise content specifically for those queries. Schbang operates offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and internationally, serving both Indian and global brands.
SEO DiscoveryÂ
SEO Discovery is a technical SEO powerhouse that has seamlessly transitioned into GEO services by leveraging its deep expertise in structured data and content architecture. Based in India with clients worldwide, they specialise in the technical foundations that make content AI-readable—schema markup, entity optimisation, knowledge graph integration, and semantic HTML. Their GEO methodology is heavily research-backed, using proprietary tools to analyse how different content structures perform across various LLMs. SEO Discovery is ideal for enterprise clients and technical products that require precision in how information is presented to AI systems. They’ve developed specialised GEO solutions for healthcare, finance, legal, and education sectors where accuracy and authority are paramount.
EZ RankingÂ
EZ Rankings has built a reputation as an innovative SEO and digital marketing agency with a strong focus on emerging technologies. Their GEO practice centres on content transformation—taking existing SEO-optimised content and restructuring it for AI visibility without losing search engine rankings. They offer hybrid optimisation strategies that maintain traditional SEO performance while building AI discoverability. EZ Rankings serves a diverse client base, including startups, mid-market companies, and enterprises across India, the Middle East, and North America. Their team emphasises conversational content creation, FAQ optimisation for voice and AI queries, and local business optimisation for AI-powered local search. They also provide comprehensive training programs to help in-house teams understand and implement GEO strategies.
WebFX India
WebFX India is part of the larger WebFX network, bringing global expertise with local market understanding. They’ve invested heavily in AI research and development, creating proprietary GEO tools that track brand mentions across major AI platforms. Their approach combines large-scale content production with meticulous optimisation for AI consumption. WebFX India offers enterprise-grade GEO solutions, including competitive AI visibility analysis, prompt-based keyword research at scale, and multi-language AI optimisation for brands operating across different markets. They’re particularly strong in e-commerce, technology, and B2B services. Their reporting infrastructure provides clients with clear visibility into how and where their content appears in AI-generated responses, along with estimated reach and impact metrics.
GEO Services to expect –Â
AI-optimised content creation
AI-optimised content creation goes beyond traditional SEO writing to produce material specifically designed for LLM consumption and citation. This involves structuring content with clear, factual statements that AI can easily extract and reference, using natural language that mirrors how people actually prompt AI tools, and incorporating authoritative data points and statistics that increase citation worthiness. Content is formatted with distinct sections that answer specific questions, making it easy for AI to pull relevant excerpts. This service includes rewriting existing content to be more “AI-friendly” while maintaining human readability and value. Writers trained in GEO understand how to balance depth with conciseness, how to use entity-rich language that helps AI understand context, and how to create content that answers not just what users search for, but what they ask AI assistants.
Prompt-style keyword research
Traditional keyword research identifies what people type into search boxes. Prompt-style keyword research analyses how users actually phrase questions and requests to AI chatbots. This involves studying conversational patterns, question frameworks, and natural language variations that people use when interacting with ChatGPT, Perplexity, or voice assistants. Agencies conduct prompt testing across different AI platforms to identify which phrasings and question types trigger content citations in their clients’ industries. They map user intent at a more nuanced level—understanding not just what information is sought, but the context, follow-up questions, and conversation flows that surround it. This research informs content strategy, helping businesses create material that directly addresses the most common AI prompts in their niche.
Schema and structured data enrichment
Schema markup and structured data have always been important for SEO, but they’re absolutely critical for GEO. LLMs rely heavily on structured information to understand content context, relationships, and authority. Comprehensive schema implementation includes Organisation schema, Product schema, FAQ schema, HowTo schema, Article schema, Review schema, and specialised markups relevant to your industry. Agencies audit existing structured data, identify gaps, and implement enriched markup that clearly signals to AI systems what your content is about and why it’s authoritative. This also involves creating and optimising knowledge graph entities, ensuring your brand is properly represented in databases that AI systems reference. Advanced implementations include a custom schema for unique business models and integration with external knowledge bases.
LLM Visibility AuditÂ
An LLM Visibility Audit is a comprehensive analysis of how and where your brand, products, or content currently appear across major AI platforms. Agencies use specialised tools and manual testing to run hundreds of relevant prompts through ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI systems, documenting when your content is cited, how it’s described, and whether information is accurate. This audit identifies visibility gaps, incorrect information being spread by AI, competitors who are outperforming you in AI citations, and opportunities for improved positioning. The audit also assesses your content’s “citation architecture”—whether your pages have clear, extractable facts that AI can reference. Results include a prioritised action plan showing which content areas need immediate optimisation for maximum AI visibility improvement.
Local & global AI search optimisation
AI-powered search is increasingly handling local queries, from “best restaurants near me” to “contractors in [city].” Local AI search optimisation ensures your business appears when users ask AI tools for local recommendations. This involves optimising Google Business Profile for AI extraction, creating location-specific content that answers common local queries, implementing Local Business schema with complete information, and building local citations and references that AI systems trust. For businesses operating internationally, global AI optimisation addresses multilingual content optimisation, regional prompt variations and cultural search patterns, international schema implementation, and geo-specific authority building. Agencies develop content strategies for different markets that account for how AI tools are used in those regions and what information they prioritise.
How to Choose the Right GEO Agency
Selecting a GEO agency requires evaluating factors different from traditional SEO vetting. Start by assessing their AI expertise—ask about their experience with different LLM platforms, their methodology for tracking AI visibility, and case studies showing measurable improvements in AI citations. A credible agency should demonstrate a deep understanding of how various AI systems work and provide evidence of successful GEO implementations.
Technical capabilities matter significantly. The right agency should have expertise in advanced schema implementation, content structuring for AI parsing, entity optimisation, and the ability to audit your existing digital infrastructure for AI readiness. Request examples of their technical work and ask specific questions about their approach to structured data.
Industry experience is valuable because prompt patterns and optimisation strategies vary significantly across sectors. An agency with experience in your industry will understand the common questions your audience asks AI tools and the competitive landscape for AI visibility. They’ll also navigate industry-specific challenges like compliance requirements or technical terminology.
Transparency and reporting are crucial since GEO metrics are still emerging. The agency should clearly explain how they measure success, what tools they use for tracking AI mentions, and provide regular, understandable reports on their AI visibility. Be wary of agencies making guaranteed promises, as AI systems are less predictable than search engines.
Consider their integration approach—the best GEO agencies don’t abandon SEO but integrate both strategies. They should explain how they’ll maintain or improve your search rankings while building AI visibility. Finally, evaluate their commitment to ongoing learning. The AI landscape evolves rapidly, so choose an agency that demonstrates investment in research, testing, and staying current with AI developments.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What’s the difference between GEO and SEO?
SEO optimises content to rank higher in traditional search engine results and drive website traffic. GEO optimises content to be cited and mentioned in AI-generated responses from chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews. SEO targets search rankings and clicks; GEO targets AI citations and mentions within conversational answers.
2.Is GEO replacing SEO?
No, GEO complements SEO rather than replacing it. Traditional search engines still drive significant traffic and remain essential for many user behaviours. However, as more people use AI for information, businesses need both strategies to maintain visibility across all channels where audiences seek information.
3. How do I measure GEO agency success?
Track AI citation frequency (how often your brand appears in AI responses), citation accuracy, share of voice versus competitors, and branded mentions in AI outputs. Agencies should provide regular, prompt testing reports showing their visibility across different AI platforms and competitive benchmarking data.
4. Do all SEO agencies offer GEO?
No, most traditional SEO agencies don’t yet offer comprehensive GEO services. It requires specialised knowledge of LLMs, prompt engineering, and AI-specific optimisation techniques. When evaluating agencies, ask for specific examples of their GEO methodology, tools, and proven results before committing.
Sundeep Reddy is a seasoned expert in the digital marketing landscape with 15 years of comprehensive experience encompassing analytics, design, and UI/UX. As the founder of Growth Hackers, the top digital marketing agency in India for the past 7 years, Sundeep has established a reputation for innovative strategies and a results-driven approach. Recognized for his authority in the field, he’s not only led his agency to success but also actively shares his wealth of knowledge, mentoring the next wave of digital marketing professionals.
