Generative Engine Optimization and Semantic Core

How to Optimize a Website for AI Search

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a new approach to SEO that takes into account how artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and others) generates answers to user queries. While classical SEO optimizes a website to reach the top positions on Google, GEO focuses on something else — getting into the response that AI has already prepared for the user.

Why is this important?

More and more people are entering their queries not into Google, but into an AI assistant.
AI does not display dozens of links — it generates a ready-made text and only adds a few sources for verification.

If your website is not among those sources, you lose traffic, even if your classical SEO is performing well.

GEO combines traditional optimization with new approaches: clear, structured answers, authoritative content, optimization for AI citation of your website, working with generative search, and AI-powered search suggestions.

In this article, we will break down exactly how to optimize your website so that it remains visible in both the AI era and traditional search results.

What is GEO and how is it different from SEO

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a new optimization approach that focuses not on classical search engines, but on generative AI platforms. Its main goal is to ensure that your content is not only found by algorithms, but also directly included in the AI’s ready-made answer — with your website cited as the source.

In other words, while SEO competes for a top position in Google search results, GEO aims to make your materials part of the artificial intelligence’s answer in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other tools.

Key differences between SEO and GEO

Result presentation format

In SEO, the user gets a list of links and chooses where to go. In GEO, the user gets a ready-made answer with integrated citations, and only a few of them lead to external resources.

Content selection criteria

SEO considers keywords, relevance, technical optimization, and external links. GEO focuses on content, expertise, and structure suitable for quick inclusion in the answer.

Behavioral factor

In SEO, clicks and user behavior affect ranking. In GEO, the key factor is the AI model’s trust in your website and its recognition as an authoritative source.

Time to receive traffic

SEO is a long-term strategy. GEO can yield results faster if the content is properly optimized for AI.

Examples of when a site gets included in an AI’s answer

Clear and logical FAQ blocks — generative models “like” Q&A format because it is easy to integrate into explanations.
An expert guide on a niche topic — AI seeks original sources and prefers unique materials.
Fresh data — for example, updated prices, statistics, or news that competitors don’t have yet.
Content with verified facts — articles with scientific or official references increase the model’s trust.
Optimized internal structure — so that AI can easily find the full context rather than just a fragment.

Why ranking in AI assistants is a new traffic channel

Direct access to the audience without classical search — the user might not even open Google, getting the information from AI instead.
Higher trust level — if AI cites your site, it is perceived as a kind of “recommendation.”
High-quality traffic — users coming from an AI answer are already “warmed up” with information and interested.
Integration into new access points — from virtual assistants on smartphones to smart speakers and browser plugins.
Less competition for now — while most companies focus on classical SEO, GEO remains a relatively “free” channel.

How the AI Citation Algorithm Works

Where AI Gets Its Answers

Generative systems — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and others — form their responses based on two main types of sources:

Pretraining data

This is the corpus of texts on which the model was trained. It includes open sources: news, blogs, scientific articles, reference materials, forums, and encyclopedias. This database is fixed at the moment of training, so it does not contain the most recent data, but it shapes the general “understanding” of the topic.

Real-time retrieval

Modern models are increasingly integrated with search engines (Bing, Google Search API) or their own databases of fresh content. They perform a query, analyze relevant pages, and select those that best match the search intent.

This is where AI citation of a website occurs: the model does not simply “take inspiration” from the content, but includes it directly in its answer, adding a link.

Thus, getting your site into an AI answer depends on both the content and the technical readiness of the resource for generative search — and this is the foundation of the GEO strategy.

The Role of Structured Data and Clear Architecture

For AI, it is important not only what is written on the page, but also how it is presented. The algorithm must “see” clear informational blocks that are easy to interpret.

Schema.org and JSON-LD

Markup of data types such as Article, FAQPage, HowTo, and Product helps the system precisely understand the format: where the question is, where the answer is, where the instructions are, and where the product or service description is. This significantly increases the chances of being directly quoted.

Clear site structure

Logical page hierarchy, thematic clusters, clear breadcrumbs, and internal linking form a “map” for AI. If a page with a key query is in the right place in this hierarchy, the generative system can identify it more easily.

Semantic core

Building a cluster of keywords for each page makes the content thematically pure and relevant. This allows AI to unmistakably associate the page with a specific topic and use it in responses.

Clean code and fast loading

AI systems prefer pages that load quickly and do not contain technical “junk” in the code — this speeds up analysis and increases the chances of citation.

The Importance of Source Authority and Expert Content

Generative algorithms operate on the principle of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness):

Experience and expertise

Content created by professionals with verified qualifications is more likely to be cited. It is worth specifying the authors, their experience, and professional credentials.

Authoritativeness

A site must be recognized in its niche: mentions in the media, publications in authoritative sources, and citations by other platforms all create a positive signal for AI.

Trustworthiness and accuracy

Generative models avoid linking to dubious resources. Using verified sources, referencing official data, and avoiding mistakes are key to building trust.

Relevance

Regular content updates and publication dates signal to the algorithm that the page reflects the current state of the topic.

AI Citation Algorithm as a Symbiosis of SEO and GEO. If SEO works on visibility in search results, GEO works on presence directly in the AI’s answer. To achieve this, a site must have:

a clear site structure;
a well-developed content structure;
a defined semantic core;
implemented markup;
confirmed expertise and authority.

All of this together creates the foundation for your resource to become not just a page in search, but part of the new traffic channels opened by generative systems.

GEO Strategy for Your Website

Content: expertise, uniqueness, topic depth

To have your website appear in AI assistant answers, the content must be highly valuable and clearly relevant to user queries.

Expertise: materials should be created by professionals with verified experience. For example, if it’s a dental website, be sure to indicate the doctors’ qualifications, achievements, and years of practice.
Uniqueness: generative systems avoid duplicated texts. Use original wording, proprietary examples, and unique photos or diagrams.
Topic depth: cover questions thoroughly, answering related queries as well. For instance, a page about dental implants should describe not only the procedure itself but also preparation, recovery, risks, and alternatives.
Connection to the semantic core: each page should have a clear cluster of key queries so that AI can easily identify the topic and cite the material.

Site structure: clear navigation, SEO- and GEO-friendly URLs

Generative algorithms analyze not only the content but also the architecture of the site.

Logical hierarchy: service pages for a dental site should be separated into individual URLs rather than combined into one.
Ease of navigation: AI indexes sites more easily when content paths are short — without unnecessary nesting levels.
SEO- and GEO-friendly URLs: addresses should contain keywords and be human-readable, for example:

/poslugy/implantatsiya

/poslugy/likuvannya-zubiv

Breadcrumbs: help both users and AI algorithms quickly understand the context of a page.

Structured data: schema.org, FAQ, HowTo

Markup helps AI not just “see” the page, but understand its content:

Schema.org: use types such as MedicalClinic, Service, Article, FAQPage.
FAQ: question-and-answer blocks increase the chance of appearing in an AI citation, as they match the format of user queries.
HowTo: step-by-step instructions (for example, “How to prepare for dental implants”) provide the algorithm with structured data it can integrate into its answer.
Meta tags and ALT: important not only for SEO but also for generative systems that take into account the descriptions of visual materials.

Links and citations: how to increase the chances AI will choose you

Inbound links: the more authoritative sites cite your resource, the higher its chance of being included in an AI answer.
Internal linking: service pages should link to relevant blog articles and vice versa. This creates a cohesive content structure.
Publications in niche media: mentions on dental industry websites and forums increase authority.
Activity in Google Business Profile: updates, reviews, and photos are also considered in AI answer rankings.

Visual content: images and infographics that can appear in AI answers

AI increasingly includes not only text but also images in its responses.

Unique photos: real photos of the clinic, doctors, and equipment — with proper ALT descriptions containing keywords from the content structure.
Infographics: diagrams of treatment processes, comparison tables of methods (in visual form), charts.
Vertical format: better for mobile users, who make up the majority of the audience.
Combining GEO and SEO: ALT text and file names should reflect keywords — for example: likuvannya-kariesu-stomatolohiya.jpg.

Common Mistakes in GEO

Focusing only on keywords without substance

Many companies, when implementing GEO, concentrate solely on adding keywords to the text, ignoring content depth and expertise. This approach worked in the early stages of SEO but quickly loses effectiveness in the context of generative search.

Why it’s a problem: AI algorithms analyze not just the presence of keywords, but the completeness, logic, and usefulness of the material. If the text does not provide clear answers to the user’s questions, it will not appear in generative results.
Example for a dental website: if the “Cavity Treatment” page contains only a brief description of the procedure with a few keywords, but without an explanation of the stages, cost, indications, contraindications, and doctor’s advice, AI will prefer a more in-depth competitor’s material.
How to fix it: when creating a technical assignment, consider not only the keywords from the semantic core but also the mandatory completeness of the answer to each potential query.

Ignoring technical markup requirements

GEO is not just about texts — it’s also about correctly structuring the data so that artificial intelligence can easily “read” and understand it.

Microdata: schema.org (MedicalClinic, FAQPage, HowTo) allows you to clearly define the type of content for algorithms.
Content structure: division into logical blocks with H1–H3 headings, lists, quotes, and clear paragraphs.
Site architecture: clear page hierarchy, SEO- and GEO-friendly URLs, and a structure defined in the technical specification before development begins.
Why it matters: AI will not try to “guess” the content of the page — it will choose a source where the information is structured and technically optimized.

Lack of integration between SEO and GEO strategies

A common mistake is treating SEO and GEO as two separate areas. In reality, they should function as a single ecosystem.

SEO: ensures visibility in classical search engines, generates organic traffic, and builds the foundation for promotion.
GEO: optimizes content and structure for generative system algorithms to appear in AI answers.
Unified approach: the semantic core should include queries for both classical search and generative systems. The site structure must be understandable to both search bots and AI models.
Example: for a dental website, an SEO specialist might collect queries like “professional teeth cleaning price Kyiv” (for Google), while a GEO specialist would add questions such as “how often should you get teeth cleaning” (for AI answers). Together, this forms a stronger and more balanced strategy.

Ignoring the role of visual content

In GEO, the power of visuals is often overlooked. AI assistants increasingly integrate images, infographics, and diagrams into their responses.

Mistake: uploading photos without ALT descriptions or without context in the text.
Solution: specify image requirements in the technical assignment — unique, optimized for both SEO and GEO, with informative captions.
Example for a dental website: a diagram of “dental implant stages” with the correct description has a much higher chance of appearing in an AI answer’s visual block.

How to Manually Measure GEO Strategy Results

Since in most regions there is still no dedicated official analytics for AI answers in Google Search Console or other standard tools, the effectiveness of GEO must be tracked using a combined approach, relying on manual checks.

Manual testing of target queries

Compile a list of key queries you want to appear for in AI answers (for example, in Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, Perplexity).

Check them in your browser in incognito mode.
Note whether your site appears in citations or recommended sources.
Record the results in a table: query, check date, citation presence, position.

Checking presence in generative answers

Even if there is no direct analytics, you can:

Use third-party AI assistants (Perplexity, ChatGPT with web search, Bing Copilot) and check whether they cite your site as a source.
Compare different phrasings of the same query to see how the algorithm selects sources.

Tracking traffic dynamics in Google Search Console

Although AI traffic is not highlighted separately, you can monitor:

The appearance of new low-frequency queries in the “Performance” section.
A sharp increase in impressions for blog or FAQ pages without a proportional increase in clicks — this may signal that the content is being used in AI answers.

Backlink analysis

If an AI assistant generates answers with links, sometimes they can appear in Ahrefs, Semrush, or other backlink monitoring tools. Periodically check whether new, unusual links from AI platform domains have appeared.

Regular monitoring

It’s better to check GEO effectiveness on a schedule rather than once — for example, every 2–4 weeks:

Update the list of key queries.
Perform a manual check of presence in AI answers.
Record changes in traffic and visibility.

Time to Act: Why You Should Implement GEO Now

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is not just a buzzword — it’s a practical tool that already determines whether your website appears in AI-generated answers. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on search engines, GEO works with generative algorithms that don’t just display a list of sites — they deliver ready-made answers to users. If you’re not there, you’re missing out on a growing stream of traffic every month.

Why you should act now

Low competition — most companies focus only on SEO, so an early start in GEO allows you to take a leading position in your niche.
Changing search habits — users increasingly get answers from AI assistants instead of Google. GEO helps prepare your site for this shift and maintain audience engagement.
Synergy with SEO — optimizing site structure, implementing schema.org microdata, creating clear content architecture, and publishing expert materials are equally important for both strategies. You’re not duplicating work — you’re amplifying results.

What your business gains

A new traffic channel — generative systems already produce millions of answers daily, and being part of those answers opens access to an additional audience.
Increased brand authority — mentions of your site in AI answers boost user trust and establish you as an expert in your field.
Long-term advantage — the sooner you adapt your site for GEO, the harder it will be for competitors to push you out of AI results.

GEO is not a replacement for SEO — it’s its strategic extension. For those who implement it now, it will become a competitive advantage for years to come. And if your site is already optimized for SEO, adapting it for GEO is far easier than starting from scratch.

Benefits of Working with COI.UA

A strategic approach, not just task execution

At COI marketing and software, we don’t work on a “build a site and hand it over” principle. Every project starts with in-depth analysis — from market and target audience research to forming the semantic core and building a clear site structure. This allows us to create not just visually appealing websites but marketing tools that bring clients traffic, leads, and profit.

A comprehensive team of experts

We unite SEO specialists, marketers, designers, developers, and copywriters in a single project. This means content structure, UX design, technical optimization, and promotion work in sync. You get a cohesive product where every element aligns seamlessly with the others.

Deep integration of SEO and GEO

We implement not only classical SEO but also prepare websites for GEO optimization (Generative Engine Optimization) so that you get traffic from both search engines and AI assistants. This approach ensures a competitive edge for years to come.

Clear and transparent communication

We work transparently: the client sees what we do and why at every stage. The technical assignment is prepared so it’s clear not only to developers but also to the business owner. You always know what’s happening with your project.

Focus on results

The goal of COI.UA is not just to launch a website but to make it work as a sales and client acquisition tool. We measure effectiveness and improve the project even after launch.

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