Geo Fundamentals

---
name: geo-fundamentals
description: Generative Engine Optimization for AI search engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity). When optimizing content for AI search engines like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity. Generative Engine Optimization. Triggers on llms.txt, AEO, answer engine optimization, AI citations, agent readiness, OKF.
allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep
---

# GEO Fundamentals

> Optimization for AI-powered search engines.

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## 1. What is GEO?

**GEO** = Generative Engine Optimization

| Goal | Platform |
|------|----------|
| Be cited in AI responses | ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini |

### SEO vs GEO

| Aspect | SEO | GEO |
|--------|-----|-----|
| Goal | #1 ranking | AI citations |
| Platform | Google | AI engines |
| Metrics | Rankings, CTR | Citation rate |
| Focus | Keywords | Entities, data |

---

## 2. AI Engine Landscape

| Engine | Citation Style | Opportunity |
|--------|----------------|-------------|
| **Perplexity** | Numbered [1][2] | Highest citation rate |
| **ChatGPT** | Inline/footnotes | Custom GPTs |
| **Claude** | Contextual | Long-form content |
| **Gemini** | Sources section | SEO crossover |

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## 3. RAG Retrieval Factors

How AI engines select content to cite:

| Factor | Weight |
|--------|--------|
| Semantic relevance | ~40% |
| Keyword match | ~20% |
| Authority signals | ~15% |
| Freshness | ~10% |
| Source diversity | ~15% |

---

## 4. Content That Gets Cited

| Element | Why It Works |
|---------|--------------|
| **Original statistics** | Unique, citable data |
| **Expert quotes** | Authority transfer |
| **Clear definitions** | Easy to extract |
| **Step-by-step guides** | Actionable value |
| **Comparison tables** | Structured info |
| **FAQ sections** | Direct answers |

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## 5. GEO Content Checklist

### Content Elements

- [ ] Question-based titles
- [ ] Summary/TL;DR at top
- [ ] Original data with sources
- [ ] Expert quotes (name, title)
- [ ] FAQ section (3-5 Q&A)
- [ ] Clear definitions
- [ ] "Last updated" timestamp
- [ ] Author with credentials

### Technical Elements

- [ ] Article schema with dates
- [ ] Person schema for author
- [ ] FAQPage schema
- [ ] Fast loading (< 2.5s)
- [ ] Clean HTML structure

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## 6. Entity Building

| Action | Purpose |
|--------|---------|
| Google Knowledge Panel | Entity recognition |
| Wikipedia (if notable) | Authority source |
| Consistent info across web | Entity consolidation |
| Industry mentions | Authority signals |

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## 7. AI Crawler Access

### Key AI User-Agents

| Crawler | Engine |
|---------|--------|
| GPTBot | ChatGPT/OpenAI |
| Claude-Web | Claude |
| PerplexityBot | Perplexity |
| Googlebot | Gemini (shared) |

### Access Decision

| Strategy | When |
|----------|------|
| Allow all | Want AI citations |
| Block GPTBot | Don't want OpenAI training |
| Selective | Allow some, block others |

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## 8. Measurement

| Metric | How to Track |
|--------|--------------|
| AI citations | Manual monitoring |
| "According to [Brand]" mentions | Search in AI |
| Competitor citations | Compare share |
| AI-referred traffic | UTM parameters |

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## 9. Anti-Patterns

| ❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
|----------|-------|
| Publish without dates | Add timestamps |
| Vague attributions | Name sources |
| Skip author info | Show credentials |
| Thin content | Comprehensive coverage |

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> **Remember:** AI cites content that's clear, authoritative, and easy to extract. Be the best answer.

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## Script

| Script | Purpose | Command |
|--------|---------|---------|
| `scripts/geo_checker.py` | GEO audit (AI citation readiness) | `python scripts/geo_checker.py <project_path>` |

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## Reference guides

Deeper vendored playbook material (from the coreyhaines source) — load on demand:

| Reference | Covers |
|-----------|--------|
| `references/ai-seo-playbook.md` | Full AI-SEO / AEO / GEO playbook — landscape, visibility audit, three pillars, machine-readable files, monitoring, mistakes |
| `references/platform-ranking-factors.md` | How each platform (Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude) picks sources + robots.txt bot list |
| `references/content-patterns.md` | Reusable AEO/GEO content block patterns (definition, step-by-step, comparison, FAQ, statistic, expert-quote blocks) |
| `references/content-types.md` | AI-SEO tactics by content type (SaaS pages, blog, comparison/alternative, docs, local/ecom) |
| `references/citations-vs-recommendations.md` | The visibility ladder (retrieved → cited → mentioned → recommended) and what earns recommendations |
| `references/agent-readiness.md` | Access / discovery / parseability audit for agent-readable sites; llms-full.txt, WebMCP |
| `references/okf.md` | Open Knowledge Format (OKF) bundles — what it is, how to ship one, when to skip |
| `references/youtube-ai-citations.md` | Anatomy of a YouTube video AI cites (transcript, captions, chapters, description, pinned comment) |
| `references/format-volatility.md` | Citation-format volatility — ChatGPT 5.6 (Aug 2026) listicle/comparison demotion, per-platform format table, LinkedIn citation numbers, ChatGPT fan-out extraction, non-determinism rigor |