Your customers no longer search only on Google. They ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude, and these tools answer by recommending businesses directly. If yours does not show up in those answers, it becomes invisible to a growing share of your potential customers.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the set of practices that raise your chances of being mentioned or recommended by these engines. This training walks through, step by step, what we teach business owners: the numbers that justify the investment, the four pillars of AI visibility, the technical checks to run on your site, before-and-after rewriting examples, and an action plan you can start this week.
No magic promises: GEO is groundwork that builds on solid SEO. It is also, for now, a field where few businesses have made a move.
Quick answer
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the set of practices that let a business be mentioned or recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude. To get there: 1) publish useful, sourced, up-to-date content; 2) build your reputation (reviews, mentions, backlinks); 3) be present on reliable third-party sources; 4) structure your site so a machine can understand it. SEO remains the foundation, and advertising can bridge the gap while the rest takes hold.
GEO training summary: the answers in 30 seconds
The answers to the most common GEO questions, before the details:
- ✓What is GEO? It is the optimization of a business's online presence so that it is mentioned or recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI search engines.
- ✓Why does GEO matter? According to Deloitte, 29% of adults in developed countries will see at least one AI-generated search summary every day, and visitors from these engines convert 4.4 times better than organic search visitors, according to a Semrush study (June 2025) covering more than 500 digital marketing and SEO topics.
- ✓Does GEO replace SEO? No. SEO is its foundation: an AI must first be able to discover, access, understand and evaluate your content.
- ✓What are the 4 pillars of GEO? Relevant and credible content, strong authority and reputation, presence on reliable sources, and a structured site that AIs can understand.
- ✓Which factor weighs the most in a brand's AI visibility? Branded web mentions (a 0.664 correlation in an Ahrefs study of about 75,000 brands), far ahead of the number of site pages (0.17).
- ✓Which content do AIs cite the most? List and comparison pages: 43.83% of the pages cited by ChatGPT on average, based on an analysis of 750 queries.
- ✓What should you check on your site? The robots.txt file and an llms.txt file, JavaScript handling (server-side rendering), speed, clean HTML, schema markup and URLs invented by AIs.
- ✓How long before you see results? GEO is a medium to long-term investment, measured in months rather than days. For immediate results, advertising (Google Ads, ChatGPT Ads) bridges the gap.
- ✓Where do you start? Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity which company to choose in your field and city, then test your site on PageSpeed Insights.
The program: 10 chapters, an exam, a certification
This online training has 10 chapters (about 30 minutes of reading in total), followed by a 67-question exam. With at least 75%, you earn Oriana Solutions' GEO certification: a certificate, a badge, a LinkedIn banner and a verification link, valid for 12 months. Read the chapters in order: your progress is saved in your browser and unlocks the exam.
Part 1Understand GEO
Part 2The 4 pillars of GEO
- 4Chapter 4creating relevant, credible contenttemplates, original data and freshness
- 5Chapter 5building authority and reputationreviews, mentions and reputation
- 6Chapter 6being present on reliable sourcesmedia, directories, backlinks and DR
- 7Chapter 7structuring your site for AIsservice pages, FAQ and Schema.org
Part 3Write and check
Part 4Take action
Final exam: earn your GEO certification
Have you read all 10 chapters? Take the final exam on its dedicated page: 67 multiple-choice questions drawn from the training, pass mark of 75%. If you pass, you receive a certificate image, a verification link to share on LinkedIn, a banner and a badge. If you fail, you can retake the exam after rereading the chapters indicated.
Ready to take the exam?
The exam is on a dedicated page: 67 multiple-choice questions, pass mark of 75%. You enter your name and email there.
You still have 10 chapter(s) to read to unlock the exam.
Oriana Solutions: who are we?
Oriana Solutions is a software development agency based in Montréal, specializing in web applications, websites and SEO, SEA and GEO strategies. We have 5 years of software development experience and won first place at the Défi OSEntreprendre 2025.
We are three co-founders: Mathieu, with a business administration degree, Hugo, with a software engineering degree, and Samuel Bergeron-Lagacé, with a computer science degree. That mix of business and technical skills is why we treat GEO as both a business issue and a code issue. Our starting offer: a custom website for $1,500 in 7 days, and a web application for $5,000 in 14 days, with SEO, SEA and GEO strategy as a complement.
Frequently asked questions about GEO
What is GEO in one sentence?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the set of practices that increase the chances of a business being mentioned or recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI search engines.
Does GEO replace SEO?
No. GEO builds on the foundations of SEO: an AI must first be able to discover, access, understand and evaluate your content, and good SEO practices make each of those steps easier. The two are worked on together.
How long does it take to see results with GEO?
GEO is a medium to long-term investment: you progressively build a presence and credibility. Think in months, not days. If you need immediate results, advertising (Google Ads or ChatGPT Ads) can bridge the gap.
How long is the GEO certification valid?
Each certificate is valid for 12 months and carries the program version ("GEO 2026"). Since GEO evolves fast, you retake the exam on the updated training to renew the certification, and the verification page flags an expired certificate.
How can I tell if ChatGPT talks about my business?
The simplest way is to ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity directly: "Which company should I choose for [your service] in [your city]?" Note whether you are cited and which sources are used. A GEO audit can measure it more systematically.
Do I need to publish an llms.txt file?
It is recommended. The llms.txt file is one of the discovery files evaluated by the "agentic browsing" category in PageSpeed Insights, along with robots.txt and sitemap.xml. It costs little to publish, but no AI commits to using it: it is a plus, not a guarantee.
How many words should an article have to be cited by an AI?
Ideally aim for at least 800 words, but completeness matters more than length. A page that covers every angle of a topic (the sub-questions the AI will search for itself) is more likely to be cited than a short or superficial page.
Which tools should I use for GEO?
Google Search Console (free) to see the queries that bring visitors, PageSpeed Insights (free) for speed and agentic browsing, the Detailed SEO extension (free) to audit your pages, and a tool like Ahrefs or Semrush to analyze competitors, backlinks and DR. Paid SEO tools cost about $150 a month.
Can a small business really get cited by an AI?
Yes. AIs favour clear, sourced, consistent content, not just big brands. A well-structured site, backed by reviews and mentions on reliable sources, can be cited just like a much larger competitor.
What is the difference between GEO and advertising in ChatGPT?
GEO aims to be recommended naturally in AI answers, without paying per click, but results take time. Advertising in ChatGPT is paid: the ad appears under the answer, clearly labelled, and gives immediate visibility as long as the budget is active.
How do I get Oriana Solutions' GEO certification?
Read the 10 chapters of this training, then take the 67-question final exam on the exam page, reachable at the end of the training, by entering your name and email. With at least 75%, you receive your certificate and a verification link to share on LinkedIn. Details are on the GEO Certification page.
Is the GEO certification officially recognized?
It is an Oriana Solutions certification, attesting that you completed the GEO training and passed the exam. It is not a diploma accredited by a government body.
How can I verify a GEO certificate is authentic?
Each certificate carries a unique number and a verification link that leads to Oriana Solutions' GEO Certification page. That page confirms the name, date and score tied to the number.
Your customers are already asking AI. What does it say about you?
We audit your SEO, GEO and advertising visibility, then tell you exactly what to fix so ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity recommend your business.
- ✓What AIs say about your business today
- ✓Your technical health and authority (DR)
- ✓Your gaps against competitors, with an action plan
