GEO and AEO: one program
GEO and answer engine optimization describe nearly the same work from two angles: being cited inside generative answers, and being the answer an assistant gives. We plan them together, on a foundation of SEO.
Generative engine optimization · GEO
Generative engine optimization, for brands that deserve to be cited.
Generative AI writes its answers from sources: pages it retrieves, publications it trusts, profiles and reviews it can verify. If you are missing from those sources, or described inconsistently across them, you are missing from the answer. Our GEO work finds the sources that matter in your category and improves your place in them.
In short: Generative Engine Optimization
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of improving how often and how accurately a brand is cited in answers written by generative AI, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. It works on the sources those systems read: your site, your structured data, and what credible third parties say about you.
- Best for
- Luxury Brands, Professional Firms, Executives & Individuals
- Starts with
- Citation analysis
- Pairs with
- AI Visibility
Before / after
Signs generative AI is overlooking you, and what GEO changes.
Typical patterns we see before Generative Engine Optimization work begins, and what the work is designed to change. Patterns, not promises.
- Before:
AI answers in the category cite a few directories and publications where the brand is absent
After:A presence in the sources generative engines actually cite
- Before:
The brand's own pages are rarely quoted, because answers are buried in long copy
After:Clear, self-contained passages that are easy to quote and attribute
- Before:
Crawler access, schema and page speed quietly block retrieval
After:Pages that retrieval systems can reach, read and interpret without friction
- Before:
No baseline for how often the brand is cited
After:A tracked share of AI answers across a fixed question set, reported over time
The work
What our GEO work includes.
6 workstreams, run as one program by one senior team.
AI Visibility SnapshotPrepared for Your Brand
Example11 / 60answers that name you
2competitors named more often
| Assistant | Status | Of 12 questions |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Mentioned | 3 |
| Google AI Overviews | Absent | 0 |
| Gemini | Named | 5 |
| Perplexity | Mentioned | 2 |
| Claude | Mentioned | 1 |
Recommended first steps
- Source building
- Content built to be quoted
- Entity and schema work
- 01
Citation analysis
Which sources generative AI cites for the questions that matter in your category, and where you are missing from them.
- 02
Source building
Earning a credible place in those sources: publications, directories, associations and reference sites.
- 03
Content built to be quoted
Clear, specific passages that answer a question in a few sentences and stand on their own when quoted.
- 04
Entity and schema work
A consistent account of who you are across your site, structured data and key profiles, so AI can tell you apart.
- 05
Retrieval readiness
Crawler access, speed, clean markup and llms.txt, so retrieval systems can read your pages without friction.
- 06
Measurement
Your share of AI answers over time, with the sources cited and the competitors named.
FAQ
GEO questions, answered
Answers from the White Tie team. Open any question.
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What does a GEO agency do?
A GEO agency studies which sources generative AI systems cite for the questions that matter to a business, then improves the business's presence in those sources and on its own site, and tracks how often it is cited.
Is GEO the same as local "geo" SEO?
No. In AI search, GEO means generative engine optimization. It is unrelated to geotargeting or local SEO, which we offer separately.
Does GEO replace SEO?
No. Generative engines often retrieve pages through search before they answer, so SEO remains the foundation. GEO adds attention to citations, sources and how the brand is described.
How is GEO measured?
With prompt sampling: a fixed set of client questions run across assistants on a schedule, recording mentions, descriptions, competitors named and sources cited.
Can you guarantee citations in AI answers?
No. No one controls what a generative model writes. GEO improves the conditions that make a citation likely, and we report honestly on how they change.
Who this is for
GEO for luxury brands, firms and executives.
- Luxury BrandsA question their clients ask AI: Which watchmakers are known for in-house movements?
- Professional FirmsA question their clients ask AI: Who is the best estate planning attorney in Denver?
- Executives & IndividualsA question their clients ask AI: What should I know about Jane Doe before our meeting?
- Luxury Real EstateA question their clients ask AI: Who is the best luxury real estate agent in Scottsdale?
- High-End Local BusinessesA question their clients ask AI: Who is the best custom home builder near Austin?
Related services
- SEOTechnical, content and authority work that earns durable rankings for the searches your best clients make.
- AI VisibilityAnswer engine optimization (AEO) so ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Google AI Overviews know, cite and recommend you.
- Reputation ManagementShape what page one, and AI, say about your name or brand, with discretion and lasting, ethical methods.
- Local SEOGoogle Business Profile, Maps and reviews for high-end businesses whose best clients are close by.
- Google Business Profile ManagementSpecialtySetup, optimization and ongoing care of your Google Business Profile: categories, photos, posts, questions, reviews and every location.
- Technical SEOSpecialtyCrawling, indexing, site architecture, Core Web Vitals, structured data, and migrations planned so a new site keeps what the old one earned.
- Digital PRSpecialtyEarned coverage, expert commentary and links from respected publications, building authority with Google and giving AI credible sources to cite.
- ChatGPT SEOSpecialtyChatGPT SEO: the entity, content and source work that makes your business easier for ChatGPT to describe and recommend.
Generative Engine Optimization
See where Generative Engine Optimization fits your brand.
We test the questions your clients ask AI assistants and show where you appear today, then explain how Generative Engine Optimization work would change that.
- AI assistants