AI SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): how to optimize for Google and AI recommendations at the same time
SEO has quietly split in two. It did not happen overnight, but it is now a fact: you need to appear in two kinds of places, and most businesses still focus on only one.
One is traditional Google search. The other is AI recommendation engines such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini, where more and more people look for answers to their questions. And where sources, companies, and experts are recommended.
These two arenas are not mutually exclusive. But they work according to different rules.
What AI tools have changed in traditional SEO
Before we turn to the new part, it is worth clarifying how AI has changed familiar SEO work.
Keyword research that used to take hours can now be done in minutes. Give an AI assistant your topic and target audience, then ask for long-tail keywords your competitors may not have covered. After that, validate them in Google Search Console or with a free tool.
Content planning has sped up in much the same way. AI helps you build a content plan: what order to write in, which topics to cover in detail, and where internal links make sense. It does not replace professional judgment, but it accelerates the preparation.
Technical audits are no different. An AI tool can review crawl data and identify missing meta descriptions, slow pages, and broken links faster than any human. Prioritization, however, remains a human job.
All of that is useful, but it is not the real change.
The new arena: what is GEO?
GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, means getting your content and brand into the answers produced by AI systems.
If someone asks ChatGPT, “which Hungarian company can help with AI automation?”, the AI gives an answer. It cites sources, mentions companies, and recommends experts. GEO is the process of earning a place in those answers.
This is not theoretical. It is happening today. AI systems, particularly Perplexity and newer versions of ChatGPT, draw from real sources and increasingly make specific recommendations.
Their logic differs from Google’s. Google looks at your link profile, meaning all the external links pointing to you, as well as technical factors and click-through rates. AI systems look at how credible and specific a source is, and how well it matches the intent behind the question. Nobody knows the algorithms exactly, but the patterns are visible.
How to optimize for GEO: 5 steps
1. Make it clear what you do
AI systems struggle to recommend vague generalities. “Digital solutions” and “innovative services” do not show up anywhere. “AI automation for Hungarian small businesses” does.
Your positioning needs to be specific: who you serve, what problem you solve, and where. This applies not only to your website, but to all the content you publish anywhere.
2. Write from experience
LLMs are not inclined to cite generic explanations. What is citable is firsthand experience, concrete numbers, real tools, and honest results.
“AI helps with content creation” is not citable. “For three months, we have planned every blog post with Claude and cut the writing time in half” is far more useful.
If you have your own data, use it. If you do not, start documenting it.
3. Use a structured, easy-to-process format
AI systems prefer well-structured content when deciding what to highlight. Use clear sections and short paragraphs, and do not bury the main point.
This also helps traditional SEO. Here, the two arenas want the same thing.
4. Build credibility and make yourself citable
For AI recommendations, it matters whether other trustworthy sources confirm that you exist and do what you claim. Industry directories, mentions by partner companies, guest articles, and professional forums all help.
Consistency of your name matters too. If your company name, contact details, and activities differ across platforms, that creates uncertainty. AI systems do not like uncertainty.
5. Test how AI sees you
This is the most useful step, and most people skip it. Open ChatGPT or Claude and ask: “Who can help with AI automation in Hungary?” See who appears. If you are not there, you can work on that.
Try different phrasings. Track how the result changes as you improve your content. This is not a one-off task but an ongoing process, just like traditional SEO.
The two arenas are not enemies
GEO does not replace traditional SEO. Google traffic has not disappeared; in fact, Google itself provides results for some AI search engines.
What has changed is that good content can now pay off in two places. If your content is specific, based on experience, and well structured, both Google and AI systems will value it. You do not need a separate strategy, but you do need a more deliberate approach.
If you want to think through how to position your business in these two arenas, book a free consultation. We will look at where you are now and where it makes sense to improve.
This article was published on the Andronia blog. Andronia helps Hungarian businesses grow with AI automation. Read about our services here.
