Field Note · 01
AI search is becoming the default
AI engines now handle a growing share of the questions people used to type into Google. If your site isn't structured for them, the AI cites whoever set up first.
GEO · Generative Engine Optimization
Get cited inside AI search answers.
SEO ranks you on Google's results page. GEO gets your business cited inside the AI answer. Most local competitors haven't started yet. The ones who move first claim the citations everyone else will fight for later.
GEO · Readiness Card Live
Score · 90d engagement
GEO readiness
▲ from 28 / 100 at audit
Google AI Overviews
Perplexity
ChatGPT Search
Claude
Microsoft Copilot
Updated daily · 4 of 5 engines +3 in 30d ↗
Illustrative scorecard · numbers shown are not from a specific client
Stamped · HogTron · GEO Readiness
The Distinction
SEO and GEO are not the same thing.
01 · Search Engine Optimization
SEO
Ranks your site on Google's blue-link results page. The classic playbook: keywords, backlinks, on-page structure.
- Goal: appear in position 1–10 on Google
- Audience: people who scroll past the AI answer
- Signals: relevance, authority, page speed
- Timeline: months to years
02 · Generative Engine Optimization
GEO
Gets your business cited inside the AI answer, the thing more searchers read instead of scrolling.
- Goal: be one of the cited sources
- Audience: people who never reach the blue links
- Signals: schema, entity clarity, citation graph, freshness
- Timeline: 30–90 days for local-intent queries
We do both. They reinforce each other: same content, two structures, double the surface area.
Why Now
The window is open right now.
Field Note · 02
Google is restructuring around it
Generative answers are eating real estate at the top of search. The old "rank on page one" playbook still matters, but it stops at the AI box for a growing share of queries.
Field Note · 03
Local competition hasn't caught on
Almost no small business in the Lehigh Valley or Rockland County is doing GEO yet. The plumbers, lawyers, and contractors moving first claim the citations everyone else will fight for later.
The Playbook · Step by step
Four workstreams. A human reviews every change before it ships.
01 · Audit
GEO Readiness Audit
We score your site against 13 GEO signals AI engines use to decide who to cite: schema, entity density, direct-answer formatting, citation graph, freshness, and more. You get a written scorecard in plain English. No PDF of jargon.
- 13-factor GEO scorecard
- Side-by-side against your top local competitor
- Plain-English explanation of every gap
- Prioritized action list
hogtron-cli · geo · scorecard
~/hogtron $ hogtron geo --score your-business.com SCORECARD · 13 GEO signals ───────────────────────────────────────── [✓] schema · LocalBusiness present [✓] schema · FAQPage present [!] schema · Service / Offer partial [✗] entity disambiguation weak [✓] direct-answer formatting h2 + para [!] glossary / definition pages 2 of 6 [✗] citation graph thin [✓] author / E-E-A-T signals bylines present [!] freshness · avg page age 58d [✓] structured contact data vcard + map [✓] Core Web Vitals 91 / 100 [✗] cross-engine consistency diverged [!] competitor citation gap −4 SCORE 76 / 100 // prioritized punch list ready
02 · Structure
On-Page Structuring
The same content can be invisible or quotable depending on how it's structured. We rewrite page architecture so AI tools can parse, trust, and lift your answer directly: schema, entity density, direct-answer formatting, Q&A blocks.
- Schema.org markup · LocalBusiness, FAQ, Service
- Entity density tuning
- Direct-answer formatting for common queries
- Question-and-answer block structure
FAQPage schema · /your-business/faq
// AI engines love FAQPage schema. Cheapest citation hook. "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you offer emergency service?", "acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. 24/7 dispatch with a 90-min arrival window across the Lehigh Valley." , "@type": "Question", "name": "What does flat-rate pricing cover?", "acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer", "text": "Diagnostic + repair + parts on common jobs. We quote per fix, not per hour." ]
03 · Citations
Citation Strategy
AI engines cite sources they trust. We build the citation graph your business needs to become one of those sources: directory placements, industry mentions, content other sites reference.
- Authoritative directory placement
- Citation-worthy content briefs
- Cross-engine consistency check
- Outreach where it moves the needle
04 · Monitor
Monthly Monitoring
GEO is not a one-shot. AI engines update their answers every week. We watch how you're showing up in the major engines every month and adjust before your citations drift.
- Monthly citation tracking across AI engines
- Competitor citation watch
- Plain-English monthly report · no jargon
- Human review on every recommendation
citations · 30d ▲ +2
4/5
engines · daily checks last 30d
competitor gap ▼ −3
+5vs. comp
tracked queries vs. top local
freshness 14d
14d avg
content age target ≤14d
How We Work
From audit to cited in about 30 days.
Step 01
01
Free GEO Audit
We score your site, benchmark against your local competitor, and email you the scorecard. No call required.
Step 02
02
Plan & Quote
Flat-fee proposal scoped to your audit results. No retainers, no surprises.
Step 03
03
Implement & Submit
Structuring, schema, content, citations. Everything ships in 10–30 days. Human review on every change.
Step 04
04
Monitor & Adjust
Monthly check on how AI engines are citing you, with adjustments before your citations drift.
Common Questions
What people ask about GEO
Is GEO different from SEO? Do I still need both?
Yes to both. SEO ranks you on Google's results page. GEO gets you named inside the AI answer that's becoming the only thing people read on a growing share of queries. The signals overlap but are not the same. We do them together so they reinforce each other.
How long until I show up in AI answers?
Local-intent queries with low competition: citations can start appearing in 30 to 60 days. Broader categories take longer. We monitor monthly so you can see the trajectory.
Do I need a new website for this?
Usually no. We start by structuring your existing site. If your current site is broken for AI parsing (no schema, unstructured content, poor performance), a rebuild may be the faster path. We'll tell you straight in the audit.
Are you using AI to write more AI slop?
No. AI engines detect generic AI-written content and down-rank it. We use AI as a tool, then a human reviews every change before it ships. The whole point of GEO is to be cited. That stops working if your content reads like a chatbot wrote it.
What if Google's restructure changes everything in six months?
It probably will, several times. We monitor monthly and adjust. The underlying GEO signals are stable: clear structure, real authority, citation-worthy content. The surfaces around them shift.