GEO is the practice of making your pages likely to be cited within the answers generated by AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Much of it comes down to how a page is written, and there are three basics: state the answer outright in the first sentence of each section, back it up with figures and sources, and phrase headings as questions.
GEO means creating pages that get cited in generative AI answers
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. When generative AI answers a question, it selects web pages as its sources and incorporates their content into the answer. GEO is the work of shaping your pages so they get chosen as one of those sources.
In 2023, researchers at Princeton University and elsewhere published a paper titled “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization.” The paper reports that adding quotations, statistics and sources to the text increased how often a page was featured in generative AI answers. It is a study verifying that the way a page is written affects how likely it is to be featured.
In a nutshell, the difference from SEO is this: SEO is about being chosen in a list of search results, while GEO is about being chosen as material for an answer. To serve as that material, your text has to make sense even when a portion of it is lifted out as part of an answer.
How to write pages that get cited
1. State the answer outright in the first sentence of each section
Generative AI picks up the sentence immediately after a heading as a candidate answer. If the heading is “How much does it cost?”, write “The initial cost starts at ○ yen” right below it. Don't open with “It depends”; put the conditions after the answer.
2. Write headings the way readers would ask the question
Use the exact words readers type into a search box or into an AI as your headings, such as “What is ○○,” “The cost of ○○,” or “When should I start ○○?” When headings and answers correspond, AI has an easier time finding the part that matches the question.
3. Give every figure a unit and a source
Instead of writing “many” or “quite a lot,” give the number, the unit and the source name, as in “an average of 1.044 million yen (according to Web Kanji).” Figures without a source are unlikely to be cited, and if they turn out to be wrong, they damage your company's credibility. Don't publish figures you cannot verify yourself.
4. Put comparisons in a table
Content that compares several items is easier to extract when presented as a table. Put the items being compared in the header row and the subjects of comparison in the left column, and keep the text in each cell short.
5. Use the same wording for company facts on every page
If your company name, address, year of establishment or phone number differ from page to page, AI may confuse them with information about another company. Decide on a single sheet of basic company information and write it identically on every page.
6. Show the date of the last update
For information that changes, such as prices or regulations, state the point in time the information refers to. Both AI and human readers can then judge whether it is out of date.
Steps for revising how you write
When revising existing pages for GEO, proceed in the following order.
- Pick three pages to revise. Choose the ones closest to inquiries and applications, such as service and pricing pages
- Rewrite each heading the way a reader would ask the question
- Rewrite the first sentence after each heading so that it states the answer outright
- Add units and sources to figures, and delete any figure without a source
- Turn comparisons into tables
- Add structured data that matches what is shown on the page
- After revising, put the same question to an AI and record how the answer changes
A rewriting example
Using a pricing page as an example, here is a before-and-after comparison.
| Item | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | About our pricing | How much does website production cost? |
| First sentence | We offer flexible proposals tailored to each client's needs | The initial cost starts at 250,000 yen and the monthly fee starts at 3,000 yen (excluding tax) |
| Figures | We offer prices below the market rate | For small and medium-sized companies, production costs average 1.044 million yen, with a median of 573,000 yen (according to Web Kanji) |
| Comparisons | Explained in prose | Laid out in a table by plan |
After the rewrite, the text makes sense whether you take just the heading or just the first sentence. Writing like this, where each sentence can be read on its own, is what AI finds easiest to incorporate into an answer.
The role of structured data
Structured data annotates a page's content in a machine-readable form. Use Organization for company information, FAQPage for frequently asked questions, and Article for articles.
Structured data only becomes useful once the body text itself is well organized. Also, Google's guidelines do not permit putting content in structured data that is not displayed on the page. Fix the body text first, then mirror that same content in the structured data. Google Search Central explains that there are no special technical requirements for appearing in Google's AI features. Structured data is not a prerequisite for that.
Common GEO mistakes
Writing so much for AI that the page becomes hard for people to read
Repeating the same phrasing or padding the page with more questions and answers than necessary makes it read unnaturally to people. Being easy for people to read is a prerequisite for being cited by AI.
Publishing unsourced figures or made-up case studies
Never write unsupported numbers or invent case studies in an attempt to get cited more often. Once an error is found, a page loses the trust of both AI and human readers.
Revising only one page and stopping there
Consistent wording for company facts is meaningless unless it applies across the whole site. If you revise only one page and old wording remains on another, AI may pick up the outdated version.
Putting the answers to questions inside images
AI does not read text inside images the way it reads body text. Write price tables and procedures as text, not as images.
How to judge
GEO does not require revising every page at once. Start with the pages closest to inquiries. Working through service pages, pricing, FAQs and the company profile in that order tends to produce results with less effort.
How writing differs by page type
The writing style that gets cited varies slightly depending on the type of page.
On a service page, state in a single opening sentence what the service does. Then list, in order, the customers it is for, what it can do, a price guide, and the process. When AI answers the question “What is this service?”, it uses that first sentence.
On a pricing page, lead with the amount. Make the number and unit visible first, as in “from 250,000 yen,” then follow with what is included, what is not, and the conditions that affect the price.
On an FAQ page, use the question as the heading and sum up the answer in two or three sentences. Give one answer per question. Not mixing several topics together makes it easier for AI to extract.
On a company profile page, present the company name, address, founding date, representative and business activities in a table. This is where AI is most likely to verify your basic company information, so make it match the wording on your other pages exactly.
On an article page, answer the question in the title in the first paragraph, then follow with the reasons and the steps. It is important not to put a long preamble in front.
How to check the pages you revised
Check revised pages in two ways. First, read through the headings alone and see whether the flow of the argument makes sense. Second, pull out only the first sentence after each heading, read them, and see whether each one answers the question. If the page passes both tests, the text will still make sense when AI lifts out a portion of it.
Save the results of these checks alongside the state of the page before the revision. Months later, when the answer an AI gives to a question changes, you will have the material to look back and see which revision made the difference.
FAQ
SEO aims to rank highly in the list of search results. GEO aims to be cited as material for a generative AI answer. Writing pages clearly is the shared foundation of both, and you don't have to choose one over the other.
Citation cannot be guaranteed. The answers are produced by the companies that operate the AI. We can shape your writing so that it is more likely to be cited, but we cannot promise results.
Start with the pages closest to inquiries: service pages and pricing pages. Tackle blog articles afterwards, beginning with the most-read ones.
They all refer to measures for getting featured in answers generated by AI. Only the name changes depending on the context; the work involved overlaps.
Enter your key questions into ChatGPT or Gemini and see whether your company name or site appears as a source. Trying the same questions once a month will show you how things change.
When you want to review how your existing pages are written
At Merci Ltd., we build websites with structure optimized for SEO, GEO and LLMO, and with copy written to state the conclusion first, as standard. We also offer diagnostics and consultations for websites that are already live.
