Visibility
GEO: AI search optimization
Montreal agency specialized in AI search optimization
The short answer
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your content so it is cited and recommended by AI search engines such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Sekoia, a Montreal agency, structures your content, strengthens your brand authority and measures your presence in AI answers with real tests.
How GEO works, at the heart of growth
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your content to be cited and recommended by artificial intelligence search engines. While traditional SEO aims to rank you in Google's search results, GEO aims to have your brand directly cited in AI-generated answers. When someone asks ChatGPT "What are the best digital marketing agencies in Montreal?", if you're not visible in the answer, you simply don't exist for that potential customer. GEO ensures your brand appears in these critical AI responses.
You will also see it called AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), notably in HubSpot: it is the same discipline, as we explain in AEO or GEO: two names for the same discipline.
The difference in practice
In traditional search, users choose from links. In generative search, the AI chooses for them, surfacing a short contextualized list. The win is no longer traffic alone, but being named as the answer.
SEO query example. A user types into Google: "digital marketing agency Montreal". Result: a list of 10 links, the user must click and visit sites.
GEO query example. A user asks ChatGPT: "What are the best digital marketing agencies in Montreal for B2B companies?". Result: the AI provides 3 to 5 recommendations directly in the answer, with context.
In GEO, being cited is the goal, not driving a click to your site (though that often follows). Why AI engines favour well-known brands: brand recognition as a ranking factor.
We orchestrate
- Structured content optimized for AI interpretation and citation
- Entity authority and brand signals across the web ecosystem
- Answer-level visibility for high-intent queries
- Cross-engine consistency between LLMs and classic search
- Continuous GEO testing and iteration based on real AI outputs
Showing up in LLM answers
When your brand barely registers in AI answers, you lose market share to the competitors who appear in them. The impact is immediate and measurable.
Lost opportunities
- Hundreds of potential customers discovering your competitors through AI
- Decreased brand awareness among AI-first searchers
- Missed chances with younger demographics (Gen Z, Millennials) who prefer AI
- Reduced organic traffic as search behavior shifts
Competitive disadvantage
- Your competitors are being recommended while you're invisible
- Brand perception: "If AI doesn't know about them, they must not be important"
- Loss of thought leadership position in your industry
Example scenario. A Montreal B2B software company ranking first on Google for "Montreal CRM" discovered they had 0% visibility in ChatGPT. Their competitor ranking fifth on Google had 43% GEO visibility. Guess who gets recommended by AI to decision-makers researching CRM solutions?
What makes us unique
What are the words used by your customers to find your products and services? What is the market potential? Is it really useful to develop content for this or that keyword? So many questions to which we provide answers by doing a complete semantic analysis of your market and competition in order to develop targeted content that attracts and converts new customers.
| Features | Traditional GEO consulting | Sekoia GEO tool |
|---|---|---|
| Testing method | Manual, inconsistent | Automated, reproducible |
| LLMs tested | 1 or 2 engines | 4 engines simultaneously |
| Number of queries | 10 to 20 manual tests | More than 100 automated queries |
| Query types | Generic, same for everyone | Industry-specific, customized |
| Competitor analysis | Estimates | Actual citation tracking |
| Reproducibility | Low (results vary) | High (same queries, same conditions) |
| Frequency | One-time only | Weekly or monthly, ongoing |
| Recommendations | Generic best practices | Data-driven, specific actions |
| Reporting | Static PDF | Interactive dashboard |
| Implementation support | DIY or separate | Full implementation included |
Frequently asked questions
What is GEO?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your content so it is cited and recommended by AI search engines such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity. Where SEO aims for a ranking in Google's results, GEO aims for a citation of your brand in the answer itself.
What is the difference between GEO and SEO?
In traditional search, users choose from a list of links. In generative search, the AI chooses for them and shows a short list of recommendations, with context. The win is no longer traffic alone, but being named as the answer. Both rest on the same foundations and we run them together, as our organic SEO page explains.
Are GEO and AEO the same thing?
Yes. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the name used notably in HubSpot for the same discipline. We explain it in AEO or GEO: two names for the same discipline.
Is ranking first on Google enough to be recommended by AI?
No. A strong Google ranking does not guarantee a citation in AI answers: generative engines select the sources they recommend themselves, and they favour well-known brands. That is the case of the software company described above, first on Google and absent from ChatGPT's answers.
How do you measure my brand's presence in AI answers?
With real tests, not simulations: we ask the AI engines themselves queries specific to your industry and record what they answer, with the same protocol each time so results can be compared. The details are in our testing protocol.
Where does a GEO engagement start?
By measuring your starting point. Our GEO methodology starts by measuring your situation, with your site's GEO score and real visibility tests, before any recommendation.
Where to go next
Is your brand cited by AI?
Thirty minutes to find your next step. You describe your situation, we tell you where to start.
Request your free GEO analysis