SEO and GEO: getting cited by ChatGPT in the age of AI answers

For twenty years, being found online meant one thing: ranking on Google. Natural search, or SEO, was the heart of the battle. It still is, but a second battlefield has opened: the answers generated by artificial intelligence. And it changes everything.

What has changed

More and more people ask their question directly to an AI and read the answer, without ever clicking a link. When someone asks ChatGPT "which AI agency should I choose in northern France?", the answer names names. If it is not yours, you do not exist for that user, even if you rank first on Google.

This is what we call GEO, for Generative Engine Optimization: the art of being cited and recommended by AI answer engines. A new field, still not very competitive, where an SME can get a head start.

SEO and GEO: two complementary games

SEO remains essential: AI relies heavily on what it finds on the web, and good ranking feeds its knowledge of you. But GEO adds a layer: it is no longer only about ranking well, but about being understood, structured and cited as a reliable source.

What helps you get cited by AI

• Clear content that answers real questions, in the words people actually use.
• Factual, verifiable information the AI can reuse with confidence.
• Structured data that helps engines understand who you are and what you do.
• A consistent presence: same name, same business, same information everywhere.
• Definitions and explanations, not just marketing slogans.

The technical foundations still matter

Loading speed, code structure, useful content, site authority: these SEO basics remain the foundation. An AI will not cite a page it cannot read properly. A fast, clean, well-structured site starts ahead on both fields at once.

Why get started now

GEO is in its early days. This is exactly the moment to take advantage of it: competition is still weak, and positions are being taken now. In two years, everyone will be doing it. Today, an SME that structures its content and presence well can become a cited source ahead of its competitors.

Visibility is therefore no longer played on a single board. Working your SEO for Google and your GEO for AI means making sure you are found wherever your future client asks their question. And that future client, more and more, asks it to an AI.