Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
Get Your Business Cited by AI
Wollongong and Illawarra businesses — structured for citation across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Claude
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is how your business earns citations in AI-generated answers — across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Claude. I help Wollongong and Illawarra businesses structure their content so AI engines don't just find it, they quote it. If traditional SEO was about ranking among ten blue links, GEO is about becoming the answer.
I'll show you exactly where your business stands in AI-generated answers — no jargon, no pressure, no lock-in.
Having worked with regional businesses for over fifteen years, I've watched the search landscape shift more in the last two years than in the previous decade. People don't just search anymore — they ask. They type full questions into ChatGPT, tap the AI Overview in Google, or open Perplexity expecting a direct, conversational answer.
The businesses showing up in those answers aren't necessarily the biggest. They're the ones whose content is structured for citation.
That's what Generative Engine Optimisation is about. And it's the reason I've added GEO as a dedicated service alongside AI-first SEO at Creative Orbit.
What Is Generative Engine Optimisation?
Generative Engine Optimisation is the practice of structuring your content and digital presence so AI-powered search platforms can retrieve, understand, and cite your brand when answering user questions. The platforms include Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot.
If traditional SEO was about earning a spot among ten blue links, GEO is about earning a place among the two to seven domains large language models typically cite in a single response (Search Engine Land). When an AI engine names your brand in its answer, it delivers an implicit endorsement no organic listing ever could (Search Engine Land).
The short version: SEO gets you ranked. GEO gets you cited. Both matter — but the shift toward AI-driven discovery is accelerating, and the businesses that adapt first gain compounding advantages.
Why GEO Matters Right Now
The numbers tell a clear story. Gartner estimates that traditional search engine volume will decline by 25% as AI assistants become the default discovery interface. AI Overviews already appear for over 80% of informational queries in certain sectors (LinkGraph).
Think about what that means for a regional business in the Illawarra. When someone asks Perplexity, "best digital marketing specialist in Wollongong," or asks ChatGPT "how do I improve my local SEO," the AI doesn't display a list of ten results to browse. It gives an answer. And it cites its sources — usually two to seven.
Either you're one of those cited sources, or you're invisible.
As eMarketer put it, success now depends on treating AI as a branding channel and managing GEO separately from SEO. That doesn't mean abandoning traditional search — it means adding a new, critical layer. I explore this broader shift in my post on Agentic Optimisation.
How GEO Differs from Traditional SEO
- SEO optimises for ranking; GEO optimises for being the answer
- SEO targets keywords; GEO targets entities and semantic completeness
- SEO rewards link building; GEO rewards citability and authority signals
- SEO measures click-through rate; GEO measures share of voice in AI responses
- Both are complementary layers of the same visibility strategy
GEO also sits alongside two closely related disciplines: Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), which focuses on structuring content for direct-answer features, and LLM Optimisation (LLMO), which handles the technical layer of how large language models process and retrieve your content.
How GEO Works: The Four-Phase Framework
I use a structured four-phase approach based on established GEO methodology (Search Engine Land). Each phase builds on the last, and together they move your business from invisible to cited.
Are AI engines currently citing you? Can crawlers like GPTBot and ClaudeBot access your content? How does your brand entity appear in AI-generated responses? This audit reveals where you stand before a single piece of content is touched.
Structure content for semantic completeness, strengthen entity authority, implement technical foundations (schema markup, llms.txt, crawler access), and ensure content freshness. Every page is built to be the easiest source for AI to cite.
Track share of voice across AI platforms, monitor competitive citation rankings, and map which queries generate AI citations for your brand versus competitors. No guesswork.
Expand into new topic clusters, refine content based on citation data, and build compounding authority. GEO rewards consistency more than volume.
One thing worth understanding: AI engines don't paste a user's full prompt into a search box. They break questions into sub-queries and search each one separately — a process called query fan-out (LLMrefs). That means your content needs to answer specific subtopics comprehensively, not just target a broad keyword.
How Content Becomes an AI Citation
This is the pipeline — how your content travels from your website to appear as a cited source in an AI-generated answer.
Structured content, schema markup, llms.txt, and clear entity signals
GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot — your robots.txt must allow these
Large language models evaluate authority, semantic completeness, and citability
Your business is cited as a source in AI-generated answers
The Four Dimensions of GEO Optimisation
Getting cited isn't about gaming a single metric. It's about building authority across four interconnected dimensions (LinkGraph):
Covering all related sub-topics and entities within a subject area. AI engines prefer comprehensive, complete answers over thin content that skims the surface.
Clean HTML hierarchy, schema markup, and clear content relationships that help AI crawlers parse and understand your pages without ambiguity.
Expert mentions, citations from other credible sources, original research, and a consistent entity presence across the web.
Formatting content to make it easiest for AI to cite — clear attribution, quotable statements, and well-labelled data points.
The brands that will win in AI search aren't the ones that publish the most content. They're the ones who make their content the most citable (OptimiseGEO). That's a fundamental shift in thinking — from volume to precision.
GEO Services for Wollongong & the Illawarra
I deliver GEO as a practical, results-focused service — not a buzzword-laden pitch deck. Here's what the work actually looks like:
I test how your brand currently appears across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude. I check whether AI crawlers can access your site, whether your structured data is in place, and how your entity authority compares to competitors. You get a clear, plain-English picture of where you stand — and what's holding you back.
I rework your existing content — or create new content — with GEO principles built in. Semantic completeness, clear HTML structure, quotable statements, and proper schema markup (Article, Organisation, FAQ, HowTo, BreadcrumbList). Every page is built to be the easiest source for AI to cite.
The details most operators overlook: reviewing robots.txt for AI crawler access (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot), implementing an llms.txt file to guide AI interpretation, schema markup audit and enhancement, content freshness protocols, entity consolidation across your web presence, and original research strategies that earn citations.
GEO isn't a set-and-forget exercise. I track your citation share of voice, monitor competitor visibility in AI responses, and continuously refine your content strategy based on what's actually working. The goal is compounding authority over time — not a one-off spike.
This work integrates naturally with Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and LLM Optimisation (LLMO) — they're three layers of the same AI visibility strategy.
Who GEO Is For
I work primarily with businesses in the Illawarra and across regional NSW, but the principles apply to any business that depends on being found online. GEO is particularly valuable if:
- You're a professional services firm (legal, financial, medical) where trust and authority drive enquiries
- You're an established business that ranks well in traditional search but isn't showing up in AI answers
- You're in a competitive local market where being cited by AI gives you a meaningful edge
- You have quality content that deserves to be cited, but isn't structured for AI consumption
- You're already investing in SEO and want to extend that investment into AI-driven discovery
- You're an e-commerce brand looking to appear in AI-generated product recommendations
Not sure whether GEO is the right starting point? I'm happy to have a straight conversation about it. Sometimes, AI-first SEO is the better foundation to lay first. Either way, I'll give you a honest assessment of the right sequence for your business.
Related AI Optimisation Services
Structure content for direct-answer features in search and AI platforms.
Technical optimisation for how large language models process and retrieve your content.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?
Generative Engine Optimisation is the practice of structuring your content and digital presence so that AI-powered search platforms — ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot — can retrieve, understand, and cite your brand when answering user questions. Unlike traditional SEO, which targets ranking positions, GEO targets becoming the cited source within AI-generated answers.
How can I measure whether GEO is working?
Track share of voice in AI platforms — search your target queries in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews and record whether your business is cited. Alongside that, monitor branded search volume in Google Search Console (rising brand searches indicate AI is sending discovery traffic), and track direct enquiries that reference "I found you on AI" or similar. I include AI citation monitoring in all GEO engagements.
Is GEO necessary if my business is already ranking well in Google?
Yes — because they're different audiences. Traditional SEO captures people who click through to websites. GEO captures people who ask an AI assistant and act on the cited answer without ever visiting your site — a share that Gartner forecasts will represent 25% of search volume by 2026. Ranking well in one doesn't guarantee presence in the other.
Who handles GEO at Creative Orbit?
I do — Simon Bayliss, directly. There are no account managers or outsourced delivery. You can reach me at
How is GEO different from traditional SEO?
Traditional SEO optimises for ranking among search result links. GEO optimises for being the answer itself — the source AI engines cite when they respond to a user query. SEO targets keywords; GEO targets entities, semantic completeness, and citability. Both are complementary — a strong SEO foundation makes GEO more effective, and I treat them as layers of a unified visibility strategy.
Does my Wollongong business really need GEO?
If your customers are using ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, or Perplexity to find services — and increasingly they are — then yes. Gartner estimates traditional search volume will decline by 25% as AI assistants become the default discovery interface. Regional businesses that structure their content for AI citation now will have a significant advantage over those that wait.
How long does it take to see results from GEO?
Some technical improvements — allowing AI crawlers access, adding structured data, implementing llms.txt — can show results within weeks. Building genuine entity authority and earning consistent AI citations typically takes two to four months of sustained effort, depending on your industry and the current state of your content. The results compound over time.
Can GEO and SEO work together?
Absolutely — and they should. GEO builds on a strong SEO foundation. Well-structured, authoritative content performs in both traditional and AI search. The technical work — schema markup, content clarity, entity authority — benefits both channels. I always recommend getting your AI-first SEO foundations right before layering on dedicated GEO work.
Ready to Get Cited by AI?
If you're curious about where your business stands in AI-generated search, let's have a straight conversation. I'll give you a clear answer about whether GEO makes sense for your situation — no jargon, no pressure, no lock-in.
No lock-in contracts. No jargon. Based in Keiraville — serving Wollongong, Illawarra & regional NSW.