Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, is the AEO sibling that focuses on the citation layer. Where AEO asks how to be quotable, GEO asks how to be chosen.
How AI engines pick who to cite
AI engines do not cite at random. They blend a few signals.
- Entity recognition. Is this clearly a real, identifiable entity?
- Topical authority. Does this entity show up consistently for this topic across trusted sources?
- Freshness. Is this entity active? Recent content, recent reviews, recent updates?
- Quotability. Can the engine pull a clean, two sentence answer from your content?
- Trust signals. Do third party sources reinforce the same identity and claim?
Citation share is the new search share
Ranking on Google was the old metric. Citation share, the percentage of AI answers that name your entity for a target query, is the new metric. It is what we monitor inside the program.
How to earn AI citations
- Make the entity unmistakable. Same name, same identity, everywhere.
- Publish answer first content for the questions buyers and sellers actually ask in your market.
- Keep reviews and GBP signals fresh and aligned to your services.
- Build a sameAs network, social profiles, profile pages, and trusted directories.
- Track citations weekly. Improvements compound when you can see them.
If you want help installing the GEO layer, the Get Cited By AI program walks through it module by module.
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