A senior operator’s take on Generative Engine Optimization — how to earn citations inside ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.
What actually gets cited
Direct answers under 60 words, a clear author, a real organisation, quantified proof, and schema that machines can read. Vague thought-leadership gets scraped; specific answers get quoted.
The Brand Ratna GEO stack
Article schema with author + publisher, FAQ schema with real questions, HowTo schema for procedural content, breadcrumbs, speakable spec, and llms.txt at the root. Then internal links that show topical authority.
Rewriting existing pages for GEO
Add a bold ‘Direct answer’ block near the top. Break long paragraphs into scannable Q&A. Include a table where a comparison exists. Cite two external authoritative sources per essay.
Measurement without lying
Track brand-name queries in AI tools weekly, share-of-voice for target questions monthly, and referral traffic from perplexity.ai, chat.openai.com and gemini.google.com in GA4.
“AI answers cite the clearest, most specific, most credibly-signed sources — build for that, not for cleverness.”
Brand Ratna EditorialRelated reading: Why Positioning Beats Advertising · HNI Founder Brand Audit Checklist.