Artificial intelligence optimisation
Fast track (Summarised definition)
Artificial intelligence optimisation (AIO), also known as Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), is the practice of optimising content to increase visibility and citation in AI-generated responses (like ChatGPT or Gemini). It focuses on authority, structure, and data clarity to ensure AI models reference a brand as a trusted source.
Full lap (Full definition)
Artificial intelligence optimisation (AIO), increasingly referred to as Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), is the evolving practice of creating and structuring content to maximise visibility within Generative AI outputs. As users shift from traditional search engines to AI interfaces like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for information, businesses must adapt their strategies to ensure these AI models cite their brand as a primary source.
The importance of AIO represents a paradigm shift from keywords to context and authority. Unlike traditional SEO, which ranks links based on backlinks and keyword density, AI models synthesise answers based on the probability of information being correct and authoritative. AIO focuses on becoming part of the Large Language Model's "knowledge," or being retrievable by its web-browsing capabilities.
AIO strategies differ from SEO. They emphasise "answer-ready" content formats, high statistical probability of facts, and succinct, authoritative writing styles that LLMs can easily parse and summarise. It also involves technical aspects like schema markup to help AI crawlers understand data relationships.
Brand mentions and citations across authoritative third-party sites become even more critical in AIO. Since LLMs are trained on vast datasets, a brand that is frequently associated with specific terms or solutions across the web is more likely to be recommended by the AI.
For marketers, AIO is the next frontier of visibility. As search experiences like Google's AI Overviews integrate generative answers directly into SERPs, optimising for AI is no longer optional but essential for maintaining digital presence and thought leadership.