GEO Optimization

GEO: Generative Engine Optimization

Optimize content to appear in AI-powered search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews). GEO is about being parseable, quotable, and authoritative — not keyword stuffing.

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Quick Reference

| Goal | Tactic |

|------|--------|

| Get cited in AI answers | Add specific statistics, quotable facts |

| Appear in comparisons | Create definitive comparison tables |

| Answer user questions | Comprehensive FAQ sections |

| Establish entity | Clear first-paragraph definitions |

| Build authority | Third-party mentions, backlinks, freshness signals |

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GEO vs SEO: Key Differences

| Aspect | Traditional SEO | GEO |

|--------|-----------------|-----|

| Goal | Rank on SERPs | Get cited in AI responses |

| Keywords | Exact match matters | Semantic understanding |

| Content style | Can be promotional | Must be factual, neutral |

| Structure | Headers for scanning | Headers + parseable data |

| Links | Backlinks for authority | Citations + entity mentions |

| Freshness | Helpful | Critical (LLMs prefer recent) |

| Format | Long-form wins | Quotable chunks win |

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The GEO Audit Checklist

Score each page 0-2 points per item (0=missing, 1=partial, 2=excellent):

1. Entity Clarity (Max 10 pts)

• -[ ] First paragraph clearly defines what/who the entity is
• -[ ] Entity name used consistently throughout
• -[ ] Clear category placement ("X is a [type of thing]")
• -[ ] Relationship to other known entities stated
• -[ ] Wikipedia-style objectivity in tone

2. Quotable Facts (Max 10 pts)

• -[ ] Specific numbers present (not "many" or "fast")
• -[ ] Statistics are current and sourced
• -[ ] Claims are concrete and verifiable
• -[ ] Key facts in standalone sentences (easy to extract)
• -[ ] "By the numbers" or facts section exists

3. FAQ Coverage (Max 10 pts)

• -[ ] FAQ section exists
• -[ ] Questions match how users prompt LLMs
• -[ ] Answers are direct and complete
• -[ ] FAQ schema markup implemented
• -[ ] Covers "what is", "how does", "why", "vs" questions

4. Comparison Positioning (Max 10 pts)

• -[ ] Comparison tables exist
• -[ ] Competitors named explicitly
• -[ ] Factual differences highlighted (not just marketing)
• -[ ] "Alternative to X" content exists
• -[ ] Fair representation (not obviously biased)

5. Structural Clarity (Max 10 pts)

• -[ ] Clear heading hierarchy (H1→H2→H3)
• -[ ] Bullet points for lists
• -[ ] Tables for comparisons
• -[ ] Short paragraphs (2-4 sentences)
• -[ ] Summary/TL;DR at top or bottom

6. Authority Signals (Max 10 pts)

• -[ ] Author/company credentials stated
• -[ ] Customer names/logos (social proof)
• -[ ] Case studies with real numbers
• -[ ] Third-party mentions/citations
• -[ ] "Last updated" date present

7. Freshness (Max 10 pts)

• -[ ] Page has recent update date
• -[ ] Content reflects current year
• -[ ] No outdated references
• -[ ] Regular content updates
• -[ ] News/changelog section exists

Scoring:

• -60-70: Excellent GEO readiness
• -45-59: Good, needs some optimization
• -30-44: Fair, significant gaps
• -<30: Poor, major overhaul needed

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Content Optimization Templates

Template 1: Entity Definition Page

[Entity Name]

[Entity Name] is a [category] that [primary function]. 
Unlike [alternative/competitor], [Entity Name] offers [key differentiator].

[Entity Name] by the Numbers

-[Specific stat 1]
-[Specific stat 2]
-[Specific stat 3]
-[Specific stat 4]

How [Entity Name] Works

[2-3 paragraphs explaining core functionality]

Who Uses [Entity Name]

[Named customers with context]

Frequently Asked Questions

What is [Entity Name]?
[Direct answer in 2-3 sentences]

How is [Entity Name] different from [Competitor]?
[Factual comparison]

How much does [Entity Name] cost?
[Pricing info or guidance]

*Last updated: [Date]*

Template 2: Comparison Page (Alternative To)

Best [Competitor] Alternative: [Your Product] (2026)

> Summary: [Your Product] is a [category] offering [key differentiators]. 
> [Customers] report [specific result] compared to [Competitor].

*Last updated: [Date]*

Why [Users] Look for [Competitor] Alternatives

Problem 1: [Specific Pain Point]
[Explanation with specifics]

Problem 2: [Specific Pain Point]
[Explanation with specifics]

[Your Product] vs [Competitor]: Comparison

| Feature | [Competitor] | [Your Product] |
|---------|--------------|----------------|
| [Feature 1] | [Their approach] | [Your approach] |
| [Feature 2] | [Their approach] | [Your approach] |
| [Feature 3] | [Their approach] | [Your approach] |

Key Differences

[Differentiator 1]
[Factual explanation with numbers]

[Differentiator 2]
[Factual explanation with numbers]

Customer Results

> "[Quote with specific result]"
> — [Name], [Title], [Company]

Frequently Asked Questions

Is [Your Product] a good alternative to [Competitor]?
[Direct answer]

How does [Your Product] compare to [Competitor] on [key factor]?
[Specific comparison]

Can I migrate from [Competitor] to [Your Product]?
[Migration info]

Summary

[Your Product] is a [category] offering [key benefits]. [Customers] 
using [Your Product] instead of [Competitor] report [specific results].

*[Your Product] has [credibility stat]. Learn more at [link].*

Template 3: FAQ Page (LLM Optimized)

[Topic] FAQ

Answers to common questions about [topic].

*Last updated: [Date]*

General Questions

What is [thing]?
[Thing] is a [category] that [function]. It is used by [who] to [accomplish what].

How does [thing] work?
[Thing] works by [process]. [Additional detail].

Who uses [thing]?
[Thing] is used by [user types], including [specific examples like Company A, Company B].

Comparison Questions

How is [thing] different from [alternative]?
[Thing] differs from [alternative] in [specific ways]:
-[Difference 1]
-[Difference 2]
-[Difference 3]

Is [thing] better than [alternative]?
[Thing] is better suited for [use cases] because [reasons]. 
[Alternative] may be better for [other use cases].

Pricing & Access

How much does [thing] cost?
[Pricing information or range]

Is there a free trial?
[Trial information]

Technical Questions

What are the requirements for [thing]?
[Requirements list]

How do I get started with [thing]?
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]

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Platform-Specific Optimization

Perplexity AI

How it works: 3-layer reranking system

1. Initial retrieval from web index

2. Relevance scoring

3. Citation selection based on authority + recency

Optimization tactics:

• -Strong domain authority matters
• -Freshness signals critical (update dates)
• -Direct answers to questions
• -Being cited by other authoritative sources
• -Structured data helps parsing

ChatGPT / SearchGPT

How it works: Bing-powered search + LLM synthesis Optimization tactics:

• -Bing indexing matters (submit sitemap to Bing)
• -E-E-A-T signals weighted heavily
• -Conversational content structure
• -FAQ format highly effective
• -Named entities help recognition

Google AI Overviews

How it works: Google's index + Gemini synthesis Optimization tactics:

• -Traditional SEO still matters (ranking helps)
• -Featured snippet optimization
• -Schema markup (FAQ, HowTo, Product)
• -Clear, authoritative content
• -Mobile-first indexing

Claude

How it works: Training data + retrieval (when web-enabled) Optimization tactics:

• -Quality content in training sources
• -Wikipedia mentions help entity recognition
• -Technical accuracy valued
• -Clear, well-structured prose
• -Being cited in authoritative sources

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Technical Implementation

Schema Markup for GEO

Organization Schema:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Company Name",
  "description": "Clear description of what company does",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "foundingDate": "2017",
  "numberOfEmployees": "50-100",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://twitter.com/company",
    "https://linkedin.com/company/company"
  ]
}

FAQ Schema:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [{
    "@type": "Question",
    "name": "What is [thing]?",
    "acceptedAnswer": {
      "@type": "Answer",
      "text": "Direct answer here."
    }
  }]
}

Product Schema:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Product Name",
  "description": "Product description",
  "brand": {"@type": "Brand", "name": "Brand"},
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "price": "99"
  }
}

llms.txt Protocol

Create /llms.txt at your site root to help LLMs understand your site:

Site Name

> Brief description of what this site/company is.

Main Sections

-[Products](/products): Description of products section
-[Documentation](/docs): Technical documentation
-[Blog](/blog): Industry insights and updates

Key Facts

-Founded: 2017
-Customers: 500+ companies
-Key metric: [specific number]

Contact

-Website: https://example.com
-Email: hello@example.com

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Monitoring GEO Performance

Manual Testing

Regularly search these prompts on each platform:

Perplexity:

• -"What is [your company]?"
• -"Best [competitor] alternative"
• -"[Your category] comparison"
• -"How does [your product] work?"

ChatGPT:

• -Same queries with web browsing enabled
• -"Compare [your product] vs [competitor]"

Google (AI Overview):

• -"[Your category] solutions"
• -"[Competitor] alternative"

Tracking Tools

| Tool | What It Tracks | Price |

|------|----------------|-------|

| Otterly.AI | Multi-platform AI visibility | Free tier |

| Ahrefs Brand Radar | AI search mentions | $129+/mo |

| Profound | Enterprise benchmarking | Enterprise |

| Manual tracking | DIY spreadsheet | Free |

Key Metrics

• -Mention rate: % of relevant queries where you appear
• -Citation rate: % of mentions that cite/link to you
• -Sentiment: Positive/neutral/negative portrayal
• -Share of voice: Your mentions vs competitors
• -Position: Where in the response you appear

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GEO Content Principles

DO:

• -✅ Use specific numbers ("0.5 seconds" not "fast")
• -✅ Make claims quotable and standalone
• -✅ Structure content with clear hierarchy
• -✅ Include FAQ sections
• -✅ Update content regularly with dates
• -✅ Create comparison content
• -✅ Use tables for data
• -✅ Be factual and neutral in tone
• -✅ Name real customers and results

DON'T:

• -❌ Use vague superlatives ("best", "leading", "top")
• -❌ Keyword stuff (LLMs see through it)
• -❌ Write walls of text without structure
• -❌ Hide information (be comprehensive)
• -❌ Use outdated statistics
• -❌ Ignore competitors (address them directly)
• -❌ Be obviously promotional (neutral wins)

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Quick Start Checklist

For any page you want to optimize for GEO:

1. [ ] Add clear entity definition in first paragraph

2. [ ] Include 5+ specific, quotable statistics

3. [ ] Add FAQ section with 5+ questions

4. [ ] Create comparison table (if relevant)

5. [ ] Add "last updated" date

6. [ ] Implement FAQ schema markup

7. [ ] Ensure H1→H2→H3 hierarchy

8. [ ] Test on Perplexity: does your content appear?

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Automated GEO Monitoring

Track your citation rate over time with the included monitoring scripts!

Quick Start

Test current visibility:

python3 scripts/geo-monitor.py --test

Single query test:

python3 scripts/geo-monitor.py --query "best game server orchestration platform"

Generate daily report:

python3 scripts/geo-daily-report.py

Setup Automated Monitoring

1. Create your test queries file (scripts/geo-test-queries.json):

{
  "queries": [
    {
      "query": "your target query here",
      "category": "brand|product|comparison|problem|competitor"
    }
  ]
}

2. Run daily monitoring:

Add to cron for daily 9am checks
0 9 * * * cd /path/to/skill && bash scripts/geo-daily-monitor.sh

Understanding the Reports

Citation Rate: Percentage of queries where you appear in AI responses

• -0-20%: Early stage, needs work
• -20-40%: Building visibility
• -40-60%: Strong presence
• -60%+: Dominant authority

Categories tracked:

• -Brand queries (you should own these!)
• -Product/feature queries
• -Comparison queries (vs competitors)
• -Problem/pain point queries
• -Competitor comparison queries

Monitoring Best Practices

1. Start with 15-20 strategic queries across all categories

2. Test daily during optimization period (first 2 weeks)

3. Weekly checks once you hit target citation rate

4. Track changes after content updates (expect 3-7 day lag)

5. Focus on gaps - queries with 0% citation are your opportunities

What to Track

Current state:

• -Total citation rate
• -Citations by category
• -Position when cited (#1, #2, etc.)
• -Critical gaps (0% coverage)

Over time:

• -Citation rate trend (weekly/monthly)
• -New citations gained
• -Lost citations (content freshness!)
• -Category improvements

Files Included

• -scripts/geo-monitor.py - Main testing script (uses Perplexity API)
• -scripts/geo-daily-report.py - Formatted report generator
• -scripts/geo-daily-monitor.sh - Cron-friendly wrapper
• -scripts/geo-test-queries.json - Example query file

Requirements: Perplexity API key (configure via web_search in Clawdbot)

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Resources

• -[Awesome GEO GitHub](https://github.com/amplifying-ai/awesome-generative-engine-optimization)
• -[Princeton GEO Research Paper](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2311.09735)
• -[Google AI Search Guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/05/succeeding-in-ai-search)
• -[Perplexity Ranking Factors](https://firstpagesage.com/seo-blog/perplexity-ai-optimization-ranking-factors-and-strategy/)