Google isn't the only search engine that matters anymore. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google's own AI Overviews are changing how people find information — and how they evaluate landing pages. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the practice of making your page discoverable and citable by these AI systems.
AI search engines don't just crawl your page — they try to understand it. They're looking for clear, direct answers. Structured data. Well-organized content. Authoritative signals. Pages that read like a knowledgeable human wrote them get cited. Pages stuffed with marketing jargon and vague claims get ignored.
What AI search evaluates differently than Google
Traditional SEO optimizes for keywords and links. GEO optimizes for comprehension and citation-worthiness. AI models prefer pages that:
- State what you do clearly — not buried in marketing language, but directly and factually. "roast.page analyzes landing pages across 8 conversion dimensions" is citable. "The world's most innovative landing page optimization platform" is not.
- Use structured data — JSON-LD schema markup helps AI models understand your page's entities, relationships, and facts. FAQ schema is especially valuable.
- Provide original data or insights — AI models prioritize pages with unique information: benchmarks, research findings, specific numbers. Original data gets cited; recycled content doesn't.
- Have clear entity identity — Can an AI model extract who you are, what you do, and who you serve? If your page is ambiguous about these basics, AI search will skip you for a clearer competitor.
HubSpot has already launched an AEO Grader. This isn't a future trend — it's happening now. Pages that optimize for GEO today will have a significant advantage as AI search traffic grows.