What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?
Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the practice of shaping your website content so AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews can understand it, trust it and cite it when they answer questions. It builds on good SEO rather than replacing it. Our guide explains what you need to know.
As you’re more than aware, the way we search has changed quite a lot over recent years. More and more people are asking AI tools the questions they used to type into Google. Instead of a list of links, they get a written answer, often with a handful of sources cited alongside it.
If your firm’s content is one of those sources, you’re part of the answer. If it isn’t, a potential client may never reach your website at all. It’s a real shift in how people find information, but it’s less mysterious than it sounds.
We’re asked all the time “does this mean SEO is dead?” and the answer is simple. No. It just means it’s evolved. This guide explains what GEO is, how it differs from SEO, and the practical steps you can take to make your content more likely to be cited.
What generative engine optimisation (GEO) means
A generative engine is any tool that writes an answer rather than simply listing results. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode all work this way.
GEO is about making your content the kind these tools choose to draw on. The term comes from a 2023 research paper by researchers at Princeton University and IIT Delhi, which tested how different changes to web content affected how often it appeared in AI-generated answers.
How GEO differs from SEO
Traditional SEO focuses on ranking your pages in a list of search results. GEO focuses on being the source an AI tool trusts enough to use and cite in its written answer.
But, the two are not completely separate, and overlap more than they differ. AI tools often draw on pages that already perform well in search, so strong SEO remains the foundation. GEO adds a layer on top: making sure your content is clear, credible and easy for an AI tool to quote accurately.
Another phrase you’ll no doubt have heard about is answer engine optimisation, or AEO. It grew out of optimising for Google’s featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes and voice assistants, where the aim is to be the single direct answer to a question. Google’s AI Overviews sit where the two meet, so both GEO and AEO apply there.
In practice, the same content can do all three jobs. A page that ranks well, answers questions clearly and is easy for AI tools to cite is doing SEO, AEO and GEO at once, which is why we write with all three in mind rather than treating them as separate tasks.
Why it matters for law firms
People often start researching a legal problem long before they contact a solicitor. Here’s just one scenario when creating content with GEO in mind can make a difference:
- A business owner has a commercial lease dispute in Manchester. He asks an AI tool what to do about the dispute.
- The answer summarises his options and points to a few trusted sources.
- Those sources are the firms he is most likely to call if he’s ready to contact a solicitor.
So, that creates two things to think about. The first is visibility: whether your firm is cited when someone asks about your practice areas. The second is accuracy: AI tools describe your firm using whatever information they can find, so if that information is out of date or inconsistent, the answer may be too. For a regulated profession, that matters!
How to make your content more likely to be cited
Unfortunately, there’s no magic switch that makes a page appear in AI answers. The good news is that most of what works is simply good, well-evidenced writing, which is what your clients want to read anyway.
1. Lead with a clear answer
Open each page with a short, direct answer to the question it covers, before going into detail. AI tools look for self-contained passages they can lift and quote, and a clear opening summary gives them one.
It helps human readers too, especially busy ones.
2. Back up what you say
The original GEO research found that adding statistics, quotations and cited sources were among the most effective ways to improve how often content appeared in AI answers, with visibility improving by up to 40% in its tests. Keyword-heavy writing, by contrast, made little difference.
For law firms, that means referencing legislation, case law, official guidance and reliable data where it’s relevant, rather than making general claims.
3. Show who’s behind the content
AI tools, like search engines, look for signs of genuine expertise. Name the lawyer who wrote or reviewed each piece, link to their profile and make their experience clear.
This is also good practice for readers, who want to know advice comes from someone qualified to give it.
4. Structure pages so they’re easy to read
Use descriptive headings, short paragraphs and one idea per section. Lists and tables help where the content suits them.
Clear structure makes it easier for an AI tool to understand what each part of a page is about, and to quote it accurately.
5. Check AI tools can reach your website
Some website security settings and firewalls block AI crawlers without anyone realising. Your robots.txt file can also allow or block specific tools.
It’s worth asking your web developer or hosting provider to confirm which AI crawlers can access your site, and to check your server logs rather than relying on the settings alone.
6. Keep your firm’s information consistent
AI tools cross-reference what they find. Make sure your firm’s name, services, locations and key people are described consistently across your website, Google Business Profile, legal directory listings, and professional profiles.
Inconsistencies make it harder for an AI tool to describe your firm with confidence.
7. Keep content up to date
The law changes, and so should your content. Review key pages regularly, show when they were last updated and remove or refresh anything that no longer reflects current law or your current services.
How to tell whether it's working
Measuring GEO is less precise than tracking search rankings, and the tools are still developing. A practical starting point is to:
- Ask the questions your clients would ask in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google, and note whether your firm is mentioned or cited
- Check your analytics for visits referred by AI tools, such as chatgpt.com and perplexity.ai
- Repeat the same checks regularly, so you can see how things change over time
Like SEO, GEO builds gradually. It’s best treated as an ongoing part of how you create and maintain content, rather than a one-off fix.
How we approach GEO at Ruche
We don’t treat GEO as a separate service. It’s built into our website content work from the start, alongside SEO and AEO, so every page we write for a law firm is designed to be useful to readers, visible in search and easy for AI tools to cite.
This means when we create your website content, SEO, GEO and AEO are planned together.
Talk to us
Get in touch and we’ll talk it through properly. No pressure, no jargon, just an honest conversation about what your firm actually needs.
Award Winners for Four Years Running
- 2023 to 2026
SME News Business Elite Awards
- Content Marketing Agency of the Year Manchester 2026
- Best Legal & Professional Services Content Marketing Agency 2025
- Content Marketing Agency of the Year North West 2024
- Best Content Marketing Agency Manchester 2023
