Crawlie
Home Free tools Site audit Blog About Contact
Run free audit
February 4, 2026

# Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for Beginners: The 5-Minute Primer

If you've never touched generative engine optimization (GEO) before, here's the version without the jargon.

Generative engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews don't crawl and rank the way classic search does — they synthesize from whatever sources they can verify as credible and specific, which rewards a different kind of content signal.

You don't need to understand everything about it on day one. Start with just this: make factual claims easy to verify — cite sources, include dates, and avoid vague hedging language that generative systems tend to deprioritize when picking sources.

The most common beginner mistake is skipping it entirely because it sounds technical. It usually isn't — generative engine optimization (GEO) is one of those things that looks intimidating from the outside and takes ten minutes once you actually sit down with it.

Once this feels comfortable, Google Discover optimization is a natural next thing to learn.

AI Search / GEO Checker is the fastest way to see it in action on a real page.

Try AI Search / GEO Checker yourself

Everything in this guide runs directly in your browser — no signup, no install.

Open AI Search / GEO Checker →
More on generative engine optimization (GEO)
AI Search / GEO Checker vs. Doing It by Hand: Is It Worth Switching?
A practical look at what AI Search / GEO Checker actually saves you over doing generative engine optimization (GEO) manually, and when manual still makes sense.
The Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Checklist: What to Verify Before You Publish
A short, practical checklist for generative engine optimization (GEO) — the things worth checking every time, not just the first time.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) FAQ: Questions People Actually Ask
Straight answers to the questions that come up most often about generative engine optimization (GEO).
Audits & reports▸
Full SEO audit Competitor comparison
Technical SEO▸
Bulk URL indexability checker Robots.txt generator Sitemap generator Schema generator Redirect checker Broken link checker Backlink checker Image URL checker Internal link suggestion tool Keyword cannibalization checker Search intent cluster tool eCommerce keyword research tool Programmatic SEO page generator
Product & e-commerce feeds▸
Multi-channel feed generator Google Merchant feed generator Facebook product feed generator Pinterest product feed generator Google product category finder Competitor product research Merchant feed validator GTIN / EAN / UPC validator Product title optimizer SEO product description generator Slug generator Keyword density
Content & AI search▸
AI crawler &amp; llms.txt checker Readability counter Blog topic generator Google Discover headline generator AI Overview optimizer GEO checker Featured snippet optimizer Topical coverage calculator Meta tag generator
Sharing & distribution▸
SERP preview Open Graph preview UTM builder WhatsApp link generator RSS feed generator
No tools match your search.