SEO made you findable on Google. What makes you findable on ChatGPT?
Clarity, facts and structure, not keywords. ChatGPT and other assistants recommend sources they can read, trust and quote. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the new discipline for being that source.
For twenty years, being findable meant ranking on Google. That skill still matters, but a second game has started, and it rewards something different: being the answer an AI assistant is willing to give.
SEO trained everyone to think in keywords and links. AI assistants do not work that way. They read, synthesise and cite, so the things that make you visible to them are closer to good, honest writing than to keyword tricks.
What SEO optimised for
Search engines rank pages and show links. So SEO rewarded keywords, backlinks and technical signals that pushed a page up a list. The goal was a high position, and the click came after.
What AI assistants reward instead
Assistants do not show a list, they give an answer. They favour content that states facts plainly, answers real questions directly, and is easy to attribute and trust. Keyword density is irrelevant; clarity and credibility are everything.
How to be findable on ChatGPT
Write the answers a traveler would actually ask for, in plain language, with specific verifiable facts about your property. Keep your details consistent everywhere they appear, and earn third-party mentions that corroborate them. That is what a model picks up and repeats.
SEO got you into the list. GEO gets you into the answer. They are not the same game.
Key takeaways
- SEO rewarded keywords and links; GEO rewards clarity and facts.
- AI assistants give an answer, not a list, so being cited is what counts.
- Write direct answers to real questions, with verifiable specifics.
- Consistent details and third-party mentions make a model trust you.