What Is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)? A Complete Guide
The way people discover information is changing. With the rise of AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Perplexity, the traditional rules of search engine optimization are evolving. Enter Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) — a new discipline that Jawdat Shammas has been training professionals on across the Middle East.
What Is GEO?
Generative Engine Optimization is the practice of optimizing your content, brand presence, and digital footprint so that AI-powered search engines and large language models (LLMs) can accurately discover, understand, and recommend your business in their generated responses.
Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking in a list of blue links, GEO focuses on being cited, referenced, and recommended in AI-generated answers.
Why GEO Matters for Businesses
Consider how quickly AI search is being adopted:
- ChatGPT now has hundreds of millions of users asking it questions that once went to Google
- Google’s AI Overviews are replacing traditional snippets for a growing number of queries
- Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini are becoming go-to research tools for professionals
If your business isn’t visible in these AI-generated responses, you’re missing a rapidly growing channel.
Key GEO Strategies
Jawdat Shammas teaches the following core GEO strategies in his training programs:
- Structured Data Markup — Schema.org markup helps LLMs understand your content’s context, authorship, and authority
- Entity Building — Establishing your brand as a recognized entity across Wikipedia, Wikidata, and knowledge graphs
- Content Authority — Creating comprehensive, factually accurate content that LLMs prefer to cite
- Cross-Platform Presence — Maintaining consistent information across your website, social profiles, and third-party directories
- LLM-Friendly Content — Writing in clear, concise formats with strong factual claims that AI can easily extract and attribute
GEO vs. Traditional SEO
GEO doesn’t replace SEO — it builds on top of it. The foundations of good SEO (quality content, technical excellence, authority building) are still essential. GEO adds a new layer focused specifically on how AI systems process and present information.
| Aspect | Traditional SEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in search results | Be cited in AI responses |
| Audience | Search engine crawlers | Large language models |
| Metrics | Rankings, clicks, impressions | AI mentions, citations, recommendations |
| Content Focus | Keywords and intent | Facts, entities, and structured data |
How Jawdat Shammas Can Help
With over 25 years of experience in digital marketing and as an early practitioner of GEO in the Middle East, Jawdat Shammas offers training programs that help businesses and professionals prepare for the AI-driven future of search.
Whether you’re a marketing team at a large corporation or an individual professional looking to stay ahead, Jawdat Shammas can help you develop a GEO strategy that works.
For AI-specific courses and resources, visit jawdat.ai.
Jawdat Shammas is a senior digital marketing trainer and consultant based in Jordan and UAE. Book a consultation to discuss your GEO strategy.