GEO / AI Visibility Checker

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the emerging discipline of optimising content to be cited by AI-powered search engines — including Perplexity, Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT Browse, Microsoft Copilot, and other large language model-based answer engines. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking signals like backlinks and keyword density, GEO focuses on how AI systems evaluate content for inclusion in generated answers.

The mechanics differ significantly from traditional search. When a user asks Perplexity a question, the system retrieves a set of web pages and then uses an LLM to synthesise an answer, citing sources inline. The pages that get cited are those the model found most useful — not necessarily the ones ranking #1 in Google. A page on page 3 of Google that answers a specific question clearly and completely may be cited more often than the #1 result that buries the answer in corporate boilerplate.

Research from Columbia University and elsewhere has identified key characteristics of content that gets cited by AI systems. Answer structure matters: content that leads with a direct answer, then provides supporting detail, is far more likely to be extracted than content that takes three paragraphs to reach the point. Citation worthiness matters: content that references specific data, studies, or named experts is treated as more authoritative. Scannability matters: LLMs process content more reliably when it is organised with clear headers, concise paragraphs, and logical flow.

Authority signals are increasingly important as AI systems try to avoid hallucination by preferring content from established sources. A clearly identified author with a verifiable biography, a named publisher with an editorial policy, and a publication date all contribute to perceived trustworthiness. Semantic clarity — using precise language, defining technical terms, and avoiding vague generalisations — makes content easier for an LLM to extract accurate information from.

The five dimensions scored by this tool map directly to the factors most cited in peer-reviewed GEO research. Improving your score is not about gaming an algorithm — it is about writing better, more useful content that AI systems (and human readers) will find genuinely valuable. A score above 75 indicates content that is well-positioned to appear in AI-generated answers. Below 50 indicates significant structural or content issues that make it difficult for AI systems to extract reliable information.

Use this tool iteratively: score your content, act on the top fix, rewrite, and score again. The biggest gains typically come from improving answer structure and adding specific data points — these are the dimensions where most content underperforms and where the impact on AI citability is greatest.