What a site "optimised for AI" (GEO) really means
GEO tunes a site so that generative AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and others) can read and cite it, not just so Google can index it. There is no official standard, but one proposal is taking hold: llms.txt.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) covers everything that makes a site easier for generative AI models to read and to cite, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and the rest, in the same way SEO sets out to please classic search engines like Google.
How does GEO differ from ordinary SEO?
SEO optimises for a crawler that explores pages and computes a ranking. GEO optimises for a model that reads content, extracts an answer from it, and sometimes gives that answer without linking back to the source at all. That shifts the priorities: a clear question-and-answer structure, structured data (schema.org, JSON-LD), factual and dated content, and the answer in the opening lines rather than after a long run-up.
Is there an official standard for GEO?
No, there is no official, universally imposed standard. The most widely followed proposal today is the llms.txt file, put forward by llmstxt.org since 2024. The idea: place a Markdown file at the root of a site that presents it and points to versions of the content stripped of navigation, advertising and scripts, so a model can read them directly without having to interpret HTML. It is not a technical obligation but a convention that keeps spreading: several CMSs and plugins (WordPress, documentation platforms) already generate it automatically.
What does that actually look like on a site?
On evrox.fr, every Journal article automatically produces a dated, attributed entry both in the ordinary sitemap and in an llms-full.txt file, a condensed and structured version of the content meant to be read directly by a model rather than by a traditional search engine. The title written as a question, the structure in sub-questions and the standfirst at the top of each article are likewise written so a model quoting a source can lift them as they are.
Does GEO replace SEO?
No, it adds to it. A site still has to be well structured and fast for Google, while also becoming readable and quotable for generative AI. The two overlap a great deal (clear content, structured data, authority of the source) but they are not the same thing, which is why both are worth working on rather than betting on one.