Generative Engine Optimization.
Be the source the answer is built from.
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of making a brand one of the sources an AI assistant draws on when it generates an answer, rather than a page a person has to click. It covers entity clarity, structured data, retrieval-friendly content and citations in the sources the models read. Bonsai Marketing runs GEO programs for local service companies in Sonoma County and for multi-location and national brands across the United States, measured monthly across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Google AI Mode.
The case for
getting this right.
A generated answer names a handful of sources and stops. There is no page two. If the model does not already associate your brand with the category and the place, you are not in the answer, and the person asking never sees a list you could have ranked on.
The models retrieve from a different mix than Google's ten blue links: directories, review platforms, video, forums, publications and clearly structured pages. Ranking well on Google helps, but it is not the same job and it is not enough on its own.
Entity clarity compounds. Once the models consistently resolve your name to one company, one location and one set of services, every new mention reinforces it. Ambiguity, such as a same-name company in another state, does the opposite and is expensive to unwind later.
What ships.
No scope drift.
Activity is easy.
Outcomes count.
- → Citation share: how often you are cited across a fixed prompt set, by platform
- → Citation order: whether you are the first source named or the fifth
- → Recommendation vs. mention: being suggested, not just listed
- → Sentiment and accuracy of how the models describe you
Measured on the BonsaiX platform and reported monthly. Results vary by starting position, competition and how quickly decisions get made.
Four phases.
No mystery.
Baseline
A fixed set of category, comparison and local prompts run across five AI platforms. You see where you appear, where competitors appear, and what the models get wrong about you.
Entity foundation
Structured data, llms.txt, Knowledge Graph completion and the fixes that make one company resolve to one entity. This is the part most agencies skip.
Citations
Profiles, listings, publications, video and community answers in the places the models retrieve from for your category, coordinated with digital PR.
Measure and iterate
Monthly re-run of the prompt set. We double down on what moved a platform and drop what did not.
Three ways
to work together.
Baseline
Fit You want to know where you stand in AI answers before committing to a program.
- ✦ Five-platform prompt-set baseline
- ✦ Entity audit and confusion report
- ✦ Competitor citation map
- ✦ Prioritized recommendation list
One-time engagement. The map before the road.
Foundation
Fit You are ready to build the entity and content layer the models need.
- ✦ Everything in Baseline
- ✦ Structured data and Knowledge Graph build
- ✦ llms.txt and llms-full.txt
- ✦ Answer-block and FAQ content
- ✦ Monthly scorecard
Three to six months. Goal: the models resolve you correctly and start citing you.
Authority
Fit You want to be the recommended answer in your category, not just a citation.
- ✦ Everything in Foundation
- ✦ Citation and digital PR program
- ✦ Video and community presence
- ✦ Competitive displacement prompts
Ongoing. Goal: compound recommendation share over 12 to 24 months.
BonsaiX.ai — our own 168-page AI search proof point, built and measured on this playbook
See the full portfolio →
Questions,
answered honestly.
01 How is GEO different from SEO? +
02 How is GEO different from answer engine optimization (AEO)? +
03 Which AI platforms do you track? +
04 How long before we show up in AI answers? +
05 Do you do this for businesses outside Sonoma County? +
Answer Engine Optimization
Be the answer in AI Overviews, AI Mode and voice assistants.
Read →LLM Visibility Tracking
Measure citations, rank order and sentiment across five AI platforms.
Read →Enterprise AI Search Optimization
Governance, reporting and rollout for multi-location and national brands.
Read →
Start with the
assessment.
A research-backed read on your search, local and AI visibility before any work is proposed. You keep the findings whether or not you hire us.