Primer
One explanation, written on this page, for marketing leaders who need the idea before the engagement.
01
A buyer asks an AI system who to buy from. The answer is a shortlist, often with sources. Your brand is on that list, or it is not. Generative engine optimization is the work of understanding that answer and improving the sources and facts behind it.
02
Rankings, traffic, and backlinks describe your website. They do not show whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews name you when someone asks for a product in your category. That is a different reading, of a different surface.
03
An audit reports mention rate, recommendation rate, citation rate, competitive share, and narrative accuracy. Each one is a count or a reading an analyst can show you. There is no single visibility score.
04
The useful work is usually on the sources the answer already trusts: comparison pages, reviews, and explanations of what you sell. The engagement is third-party source strategy, entity corrections, and a retest of the same buyer questions. It is legitimate inclusion, digital PR, and clearer product facts.