What is GEO?
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of optimizing your online presence to be discovered and recommended by AI-powered search engines and chatbots. As AI increasingly mediates how people find information, GEO has become essential for maintaining visibility.
The Rise of AI Search
Traditional search engines show you a list of links. AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews do something different — they synthesize information and provide direct answers, often citing sources.
This shift fundamentally changes how websites get discovered:
- Old model: Rank high → Get clicks → Win traffic
- New model: Be cited by AI → Build authority → Win trust
When an AI recommends your site as a source, it's a powerful endorsement that drives both traffic and credibility.
How AI Decides What to Cite
AI models learn from the internet, but they don't treat all sources equally. They prioritize:
Authority Signals
- Links from trusted platforms (Wikipedia, academic sites, major publications)
- Consistent mentions across multiple reputable sources
- Domain age and history of quality content
Content Quality
- Clear, factual information that answers specific questions
- Well-structured content with proper headings and organization
- Original research, data, or unique perspectives
Citation Patterns
- How often other sites reference your content
- The context in which you're mentioned
- Whether citations are from topically relevant sources
Why Backlinks Matter for GEO
Here's where traditional SEO and GEO intersect: backlinks from authoritative sources signal to AI models that your content is trustworthy.
When Wikipedia cites your research, or when Reddit users recommend your tool, AI models learn to associate your brand with credibility. This makes them more likely to cite you when generating responses.
Revised helps you acquire exactly these kinds of authoritative backlinks — not through artificial link building, but by capturing organic citations that already exist on trusted platforms.
Getting Started with GEO
Optimizing for AI search doesn't require abandoning traditional SEO. Instead, it means doubling down on what already works:
- Create genuinely useful content — AI rewards substance over keyword stuffing
- Build authoritative backlinks — Citations from trusted sources matter more than ever
- Be specific and factual — AI prefers content that answers questions directly
- Maintain consistency — Your information should be accurate across all platforms
The websites that will thrive in the AI era are those that humans already trust. Revised helps you build that foundation.