Article originally published on altanet.ro on .
Did you know that you can appear in AI-generated responses to Google even if your site isn't on the first page? This isn't a technical glitch – it's a real opportunity, created by a new discipline called GEO. At Altanet Craiova We believe that GEO will soon become as important as traditional SEO – and the earlier you start, the greater the advantage you have.
What is GEO?
GEO comes from Generative Engine Optimization – in Romanian: AI-based search engine optimization (artificial intelligence). It is the process by which you prepare your content to be chosen and cited by AI as a trusted source when someone asks a question on Google.
The difference from SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential:
- Classic SEO: Optimize the page to appear as high as possible in the list of links in Google.
- GEO: you optimize the page so that it is selected by AI as the source from which it extracts information for the response generated directly in Google.
The two are not mutually exclusive – they complement each other. A well-optimized SEO site already has a good foundation for GEO. But GEO adds a new layer of rules.
Why does GEO matter in 2026?
With the expansion Google AI Overviews – AI-generated answer blocks that appear above classic results – a site's visibility no longer depends only on its position in the list of links. It also depends on how often it is cited as a source in these answers.
The graph below shows how traffic sources for websites change with increasing GEO:
Main source of visibility
Secondary source
How does GEO work in practice?
When someone asks something on Google, the AI model (geminate) quickly reads hundreds of pages and chooses the clearest, most structured, and most reliable sources for his answer. He doesn't necessarily look for the site with the most traffic - he looks for the best answer to the question asked.
This means that a smaller site with clear and well-structured content may be cited by AI before a large site with long and unclear texts.
What can you do specifically for GEO?
Here are five practical actions you can take right now:
- Answer questions directly. Structure articles around clear questions: „What is X?”, „How does Y work?”, „Why Z?” The AI looks for direct answers, not long introductions.
- Use verifiable data and figures. Sources with concrete statistics are preferred by AI over vague texts. They cite studies, reports, or official data.
- Add structured data. These are small snippets of code added to the page that help the AI understand what it is about more quickly. In WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO generates them automatically.
- It strengthens trust in the site. Real authors with bios, links received from other serious sites (backlinks - i.e. recommendations from other sites), complete "About Us" and "Contact" pages - all signal to the AI that you are a trusted source.
- Write clearly and simply. Short sentences, logical structure, and clear explanations are exactly what AI is looking for. Complicated texts with excessive technical jargon are harder to process and less likely to be cited.
A concrete example
Let's say you have a car repair shop in Craiova. If there is a clear page on your website that answers the question "How much does a car repair cost in Craiova?", with prices, steps, and contact information, Google's AI has every reason to cite you when someone asks this question - even if you are not on the first page for classic search.
What's next?
right Creative Digital, GEO will become a standard discipline in all marketing agencies by 2027. Classic SEO metrics – Google position, number of clicks – will be complemented by new indicators: how often your site is cited by AI and how high your „share of voice in AI answers” is (i.e. the percentage of AI answers in which you appear, compared to competitors).
If you want to know how you can start optimizing your website for GEO, the team Altanet Craiova can help you with a concrete strategy. Visit our page contact and let's discuss.
This article is part of the Altanet series on changes in social media and SEO in 2026. Next article: Local SEO 2026: why where you are on the map matters more than ever. See also the complete guide to the series.
