GEO means Generative Engine Optimization. It describes work on discoverability and accurate representation in generated search answers. Classic SEO remains the foundation: accessible pages, a clear service and reliable information. This work cannot guarantee a mention.
Context and scope
SEO asks whether a page can be found, indexed and shown as a search result. GEO adds observations: Is the company named? Is an owned URL linked as a source? Is the service described correctly? A mention without a link and a link without an enquiry are different findings.
Start with technical access, consistent company details and concrete service descriptions. For Google, pages must be indexed and eligible for snippets; also check the generative search setting in Search Console. Training and live search have different crawlers and controls. Allowing a training bot is not a general requirement for search visibility.
ChatGPT Search, Google and Perplexity are separate surfaces. Their visible answers can differ by language, date and user context. Swiss businesses should measure the languages their customers actually use. SOURCE/01 records these observations with dates and sources.
Example: turn the definition into a testable question
Fictional working example: a B2B cleaning company serves Malters and Lucerne. The business question is whether property managers can find a provider for recurring office cleaning. Instead of inserting the brand into every prompt, the initial question asks about the service and area without a brand. A second question checks whether the known company is described accurately.
| Review point | Example / subject | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Service question | Which companies clean offices in Malters? | Record brands and visible sources separately. |
| Brand question | Does Example Company clean offices in Lucerne? | Compare the answer with the published service page. |
| Business goal | Which enquiries fit the offer? | Assess received enquiries against their actual requirements. |
How to apply this
- Agree the service page and service area before testing.
- Save the language, surface, date and exact question.
- Check discrepancies at their source before assigning a cause to the model.
- Repeat the same questions after changes and version new questions separately.
Sources and further reading
The source supports the rules it describes. This article’s working templates are our methodological examples, not client test results.
SEO, GEO and AI visibility
SEO vs GEO: what changed
Next step
The free short check provides an initial assessment of one domain, three buying questions and three observations. An introductory call establishes whether deeper analysis is useful.
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