GP Web Labs
← All logs
Apr 2, 20267 min · GP Web Labs

GEO vs SEO: optimizing for AI search engines in 2026

Generative Engine Optimization is not a rebrand of SEO. Here is what actually moves the needle inside ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

Classic SEO optimizes for ten blue links. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) optimizes for being cited inside an AI-generated answer. The mechanics overlap but the priorities differ.

What AI engines actually reward

  • Crisp, declarative sentences the model can lift verbatim.
  • Structured data (Organization, Product, FAQPage, Article): the model uses it as ground truth.
  • Authoritative citations the model can repeat back to the user.
  • Clean, accessible HTML. AI crawlers do not run your JavaScript.

What we changed on our own site

We rewrote our flagship product descriptions in answer-shaped paragraphs ("X does Y for Z"), added JSON-LD on every route, and built a free AI SEO Checker that grades sites on the same rubric. Citations in Perplexity tripled in eight weeks.

GEOSEOAI
// More from the lab