GEO with Citelens
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the AI-search counterpart to SEO: instead
of ranking blue links, the goal is to be the brand an AI assistant names and
cites when a buyer asks it for a recommendation. Citelens measures this and
closes the loop to improving it.
The core idea
Buyers increasingly ask ChatGPT/Claude/Perplexity/Gemini and see Google AI
Overviews instead of scrolling ten links. Your visibility is now split: half is
classic rankings, half is whether the model brings you up at all. GEO measures
and moves the second half.
How Citelens scores it
The pipeline is deliberately simple and explainable (no black-box scoring):
- Prompt generation — from the brand's topics (categories), generate
realistic buyer-intent questions ("What are the best tools for X?"). The
brand name is never injected into prompts — the whole point is to measure
whether engines mention it unprompted. Seeding the name would corrupt the
signal.
- Run across engines — each prompt goes to every engine through one
interface returning
{ text, citations }. Engines run live when their API key
is set, otherwise a deterministic mock.
- Parse each answer (deterministic string/URL analysis):
- Brand mentioned — is the brand named in the answer body?
- Brand cited — is the brand's own domain among the cited sources?
- Competitors mentioned — which tracked rivals were named?
- Cited sources — which domains, classified by type (review, forum,
media, social, marketplace, official, other).
- Metrics:
- Visibility rate = share of answers where the brand was named or cited.
- Share of voice = brand mentions ÷ (brand + all competitor mentions).
- Citation rate = answers citing the brand's own domain.
- Per-engine visibility and source-type mix.
- Sentiment (is the AI recommending or warning people off?) is a separate LLM
pass over brand-mentioned answers.
Why source types matter
AI answers are grounded in sources. If the engines that mention your category
keep citing G2, Reddit, and a few media reviews — and you're absent from those —
that is why you're invisible. The fix is usually getting represented in the
source types the models actually pull from, not tweaking your own site copy.
The action loop (what makes it more than a dashboard)
For every query where the brand is invisible, Citelens diagnoses the gap (who
ranked or got cited instead, from what source type) and drafts a concrete fix —
rather than only reporting the deficit.
Practical advice when a user asks "how do I show up in AI answers?"
- Probe the real buyer-intent questions first — don't guess. Use
/citelens:check.
- Look at which sources the engines cite for your category, then earn presence
there (reviews on G2/Capterra, relevant Reddit/forum threads, media coverage).
- Make your own pages answer the question directly and citably (clear claims,
comparisons, structured data) so grounded search can quote them.
- Re-measure across engines — visibility differs a lot between Gemini (Google
grounding), Perplexity, and ChatGPT.
To measure a brand now, use /citelens:check. To run the full dashboard with
the action loop, use /citelens:setup.
1---2name: citelens-geo3description: Explains Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) — how to measure and improve whether AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews) name and cite a brand — and how the Citelens methodology scores it. Use when the user asks "what is GEO", "how do I rank in AI answers / ChatGPT / AI Overviews", "why doesn't the AI mention my brand", "how is share of voice measured for AI search", or discusses optimizing for LLM citations rather than classic Google rankings.4---56# GEO with Citelens78Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the AI-search counterpart to SEO: instead9of ranking blue links, the goal is to be the brand an AI assistant *names and10cites* when a buyer asks it for a recommendation. Citelens measures this and11closes the loop to improving it.1213## The core idea1415Buyers increasingly ask ChatGPT/Claude/Perplexity/Gemini and see Google AI16Overviews instead of scrolling ten links. Your visibility is now split: half is17classic rankings, half is whether the model brings you up at all. GEO measures18and moves the second half.1920## How Citelens scores it2122The pipeline is deliberately simple and explainable (no black-box scoring):23241. **Prompt generation** — from the brand's *topics* (categories), generate25 realistic buyer-intent questions ("What are the best tools for X?"). The26 brand name is **never** injected into prompts — the whole point is to measure27 whether engines mention it *unprompted*. Seeding the name would corrupt the28 signal.292. **Run across engines** — each prompt goes to every engine through one30 interface returning `{ text, citations }`. Engines run live when their API key31 is set, otherwise a deterministic mock.323. **Parse each answer** (deterministic string/URL analysis):33 - **Brand mentioned** — is the brand named in the answer body?34 - **Brand cited** — is the brand's own domain among the cited sources?35 - **Competitors mentioned** — which tracked rivals were named?36 - **Cited sources** — which domains, classified by type (review, forum,37 media, social, marketplace, official, other).384. **Metrics**:39 - **Visibility rate** = share of answers where the brand was named *or* cited.40 - **Share of voice** = brand mentions ÷ (brand + all competitor mentions).41 - **Citation rate** = answers citing the brand's own domain.42 - **Per-engine** visibility and **source-type mix**.43 - Sentiment (is the AI recommending or warning people off?) is a separate LLM44 pass over brand-mentioned answers.4546## Why source types matter4748AI answers are grounded in sources. If the engines that mention your category49keep citing G2, Reddit, and a few media reviews — and you're absent from those —50that is *why* you're invisible. The fix is usually getting represented in the51source types the models actually pull from, not tweaking your own site copy.5253## The action loop (what makes it more than a dashboard)5455For every query where the brand is invisible, Citelens diagnoses the gap (who56ranked or got cited instead, from what source type) and drafts a concrete fix —57rather than only reporting the deficit.5859## Practical advice when a user asks "how do I show up in AI answers?"6061- Probe the real buyer-intent questions first — don't guess. Use `/citelens:check`.62- Look at *which sources* the engines cite for your category, then earn presence63 there (reviews on G2/Capterra, relevant Reddit/forum threads, media coverage).64- Make your own pages answer the question directly and citably (clear claims,65 comparisons, structured data) so grounded search can quote them.66- Re-measure across engines — visibility differs a lot between Gemini (Google67 grounding), Perplexity, and ChatGPT.6869To measure a brand now, use `/citelens:check`. To run the full dashboard with70the action loop, use `/citelens:setup`.
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