Blog
Getting cited, measured honestly.
Definitions, playbooks, and methodology for AI visibility. Written in the same citable format we recommend, because we take our own medicine.
16 posts · last updated
What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
Generative Engine Optimization is the practice of making a brand citable by AI answer engines — the systems behind Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Claude that answer a question directly instead of returning ten blue links. Classic SEO competes for rank; GEO competes to be the source the AI quotes. When an engine returns one synthesized answer, a brand that is not cited captures 0% of that moment — the exact instant a buyer is deciding.
Three things AI answer engines reward:
- Self-contained answers — 40–60 words under a question-style heading.
- Sourced, dated facts with links to primary sources.
- Consistent entity signals: schema, matching name/URL, third-party citations.
- GEO
- Generative Engine Optimization — being cited inside AI-written answers.
- AEO
- Answer Engine Optimization — the same goal, framed around answer engines specifically.
- SEO
- Search Engine Optimization — competing for rank in the classic ten blue links.
What is Google Preferred Sources, and can your site use it?
Google's Preferred Sources button is two lines of HTML, but it only works if your domain is already in Google's source index. How to check, and what we found.
Which AI engine is most likely to cite you? What 48 audits show
Field notes from our own dataset: 773 measured AI answers, a 6.2% overall citation rate, and a 10x spread between engines. Perplexity cites at 13.4%, ChatGPT at 1.2%. The counts, the caveats, and what to do about it.
Do AI crawlers run JavaScript? No, and it caps everything else
Vercel and MERJ analyzed 500M+ GPTBot requests: no JavaScript execution by OpenAI, Anthropic, or Perplexity crawlers. What that means for SPAs, the 60-second test for your own site, and the fixes in order of effort.
Google says GEO is just SEO. Here is what that kills.
Google's AI optimization guide rules out llms.txt, chunking, AI-specific writing, and required structured data. What survives, what we deleted from our own copy, and the one thing the guide does not settle.
GEO agency vs self-serve tool: which should you choose?
A GEO agency sells execution and earned media; a self-serve tool sells measurement for a fraction of the price. What each buys you, what they cost from public pricing, and the one factor that settles most decisions.
Best GEO tools for B2B SaaS (and how to choose one)
GEO tools split into monitors, optimizers, and closed-loop platforms. How the major tools compare for B2B SaaS, the criteria that matter, and why most 'best tool' lists are paid placements.
How do AI Overviews pick their sources?
AI Overviews start from Google's ranking system, then increasingly cite pages outside the top 10. What actually predicts citation, backed by 2026 data.
What is llms.txt, and does it work?
llms.txt gives AI systems a curated map of your pages, but server-log studies show AI crawlers rarely request it. What it is, what the data says, and when it helps.
Why is my brand not showing up in ChatGPT?
Four measurable reasons a brand goes missing from ChatGPT: a blocked crawler, JavaScript-only content, Google-only visibility, and no third-party corroboration. How to diagnose and fix each.
Do AI crawlers respect robots.txt? What the data shows
The big AI crawlers honor robots.txt in controlled tests, user-triggered fetchers skip it by design, and one ignores it entirely. What the file can and cannot do.
What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
AEO is getting your content used as the answer by AI systems. What it is, how it relates to GEO and SEO, and the honest state of the search shift in 2026.
AI visibility tools compared: Profound, Scrunch, and BeCited (2026)
Most AI visibility tools monitor. Few close the loop. How the major GEO platforms differ on measurement, fixes, and proof, compared honestly.
How to get cited by ChatGPT: what actually works in 2026
ChatGPT cites sources it can fetch, parse, and trust. The concrete on-page and off-page changes that raise citation odds, ranked by evidence.
GEO vs SEO: what changes when the answer replaces the ranking
SEO earns positions in result pages; GEO earns citations inside AI answers. Where they overlap, where they diverge, and how to budget between them.
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?
GEO is the practice of making a brand visible in AI-generated answers. A plain definition, why it exists, and how it is measured.
Inside the CITE score: how we measure AI visibility deterministically
The four dimensions and weights behind the CITE score, what is measured live versus computed from the page, and why determinism matters for proof.