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.

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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]

---

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

---

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: [email protected]

---

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

---

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)

---

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?

---

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)

---

Resources

• Awesome GEO GitHub
• Princeton GEO Research Paper
• Google AI Search Guidance
• Perplexity Ranking Factors