GEO Agency in Barcelona: how to position your business on ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity

Quick answer: GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is the discipline that optimises your content so that artificial intelligence models such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity can understand it, extract information from it and cite it as a source in their responses. A GEO agency in Barcelona such as Vandelay structures your website with direct answers, verifiable data, technical schemas and authority signals so that your business appears when someone asks the AI a question. The aim is not just to appear on Google, but to be the brand that the AI recommends.

The way people search for information is changing. More and more users are asking ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google’s AI-powered search engine (AI Overviews) directly, rather than clicking through ten blue links. This guide explains what GEO is, how it differs from traditional SEO, and how to start optimising your business for generative search engines.

What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)?

GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is the set of techniques designed to ensure that AI-based response engines include and cite your content within their generated responses. The term translates as “optimisation for generative engines”.

A generative engine is an artificial intelligence system that responds with written text rather than a list of links. ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews are examples of generative engines.

GEO works alongside a sister concept: AEO. AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) is optimisation for answer engines – that is, for systems that provide a direct answer to a specific question. In practice, GEO and AEO overlap: both aim to ensure that your brand is the source that AI uses to provide an answer.

• SEO aims to achieve high rankings on a search engine’s results page.
• GEO aims to be mentioned and linked to within the response generated by the AI.
• AEO It aims to provide a direct answer to a specific question asked by the user.

Vandelay integrates these three layers into a single process through its SEO and GEO services, because a website that ranks highly on Google is more likely to be cited by AI as well.

How does GEO differ from traditional SEO?

The main difference is the objective: traditional SEO optimises for appearance in a list of results, whilst GEO optimises for being mentioned within an AI-generated answer. SEO competes for clicks; GEO competes for mentions.

Traditional SEO prioritises keywords, domain authority and backlinks. GEO adds a new layer: “quotability” – that is, how easy it is for a language model to extract a clear statement and attribute it to your website. Quotable content answers questions directly, provides specific data and defines terms precisely.

The following table summarises the key differences between the two approaches.

SEO and GEO are not mutually exclusive. A solid SEO foundation remains the cornerstone, because most AI-powered search engines rely on content that is already well indexed. GEO extends that work to the new frontier: conversational search.

How can I appear and be cited on ChatGPT and Perplexity?

To appear and be cited in ChatGPT and Perplexity, you need content that is clear, verifiable and accessible to AI bots, as well as brand authority outside your website. Perplexity and ChatGPT with navigation scan the web in real time and link to their sources, so the quality and structure of your content determine whether you’re cited.

These are the factors that have the greatest influence on whether an AI will list your business:

1. Answer the question in the first sentence. Place the direct answer before you expand on it, so that the model can extract it and attribute it to you.
2. Use semantic structure. Headings in the form of questions, lists, tables and short paragraphs make it easier to extract information.
3. Provide specific and verifiable information. A single, clear point per sentence is more quotable than a generic paragraph.
4. Strengthen your organisation’s authority. Reviews, media mentions, consistent business profiles and a consistent presence in directories help AI to trust your brand.
5. Allows access to AI crawlers. Check that your robots.txt file does not block bots such as GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot or the Google-Extended token that powers Gemini and the AI Overviews.
6. Add structured data. JSON-LD (schema) markup helps AI understand who you are, what you offer and where you are.

Artificial intelligence favours content that directly addresses the user’s intent. Vandelay applies this methodology in its work on artificial intelligence applied to marketing, combining citable text and technical configuration.

What is the llms.txt file and what is it used for?

The llms.txt file is a text file in Markdown format that is placed in the root directory of the domain (for example, yourdomain.com/llms.txt) to guide language models towards the most relevant and well-structured content on your website. It is a proposed standard introduced in 2024 to help AIs understand a website.

The purpose of llms.txt is to provide language models with a curated site map: links to key pages, brief descriptions and context about the organisation. It works in a similar way to how a sitemap helps search engines, but is designed for use by AI.

It is worth being clear about its actual characteristics:

• The llms.txt file is a draft standard, not an obligation or a guarantee of inclusion in the AI.
• Its adoption by the various search engines is still uneven and is evolving.
• It is a complement to the GEO project, not a substitute for quality content or technical configuration.

A GEO agency assesses whether implementing llms.txt adds value in your specific case and integrates it with robots.txt, sitemaps and structured data within a coherent architecture.

How is the GEO measured?

GEO is measured by looking at how often and how prominently AI mentions or references your brand when answering questions relevant to your sector. Unlike SEO, there is no single “ranking”, but rather a set of visibility signals within generative engines.

These are the most useful metrics and data sources for tracking GEO performance:

Monitoring is carried out through regular testing using real prompts from your sector, specific visibility tools for large language models (LLMs), and analysis of referral traffic on your analytics platform. Continuous monitoring allows you to refine your content and check which questions are already positioning you as a trusted source.

How do you get started with a GEO strategy?

To get started with a GEO strategy, you begin by assessing your current visibility in the IA and, from there, you structure your content and technical approach to ensure you are cited. A GEO strategy is built in phases, just like an SEO project, but with a focus on citability.

These are the recommended steps for a GEO strategy:

1. AI Visibility Audit. We’ll check what ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity have to say today about your brand, your sector and your competitors.
2. Research into prompts. We identify the actual questions your audience asks the AI, not just the keywords they type into Google.
3. Restructuring of the content. The following structure is used: a direct answer at the start, headings in the form of questions, lists, tables and explicit definitions.
4. Authority and organisation. E-E-A-T signals, external mentions, reviews and the consistency of company data across the website are being strengthened.
5. Technical specifications. Access by AI bots is being reviewed, JSON-LD structured data is being implemented, and the use of an llms.txt file is being assessed.
6. Measurement and monitoring. Regular testing of prompts and analysis of referral traffic originating from AI are to be carried out.
7. Continuous iteration. The content is tailored based on which search queries you’re already ranking for and which ones are still dominated by the competition.

A solid technical foundation speeds up the whole process. That is why GEO relies on a optimised web design that loads quickly, is accessible to search engines and presents the content with a clear semantic structure.

Why choose a GEO agency in Barcelona such as Vandelay?

Vandelay is a digital marketing agency in Barcelona that already takes an integrated approach to SEO and GEO, with a focus on measurable results. What sets Vandelay apart is its ability to bring together traditional search engine optimisation, AI-driven search engine optimisation and applied artificial intelligence within a single team.

Vandelay is a team of eight people based at Gran Vía Carles III 98, in the Les Corts neighbourhood (08028 Barcelona). This proximity makes it easier to work with local businesses that want to appear both on Google and in AI-generated responses.

Vandelay’s services cover the entire digital marketing ecosystem, with the SEO and GEO services and the artificial intelligence applied to marketing as the core of positioning in generative engines.

The table below shows indicative market price ranges in Spain for 2026. These are not Vandelay’s official rates, but industry benchmarks to help gauge the scale of the investment.

These price ranges are indicative and vary depending on the sector, the level of competition and the objectives. The actual price of a GEO project depends on the website’s initial condition and the scope of the work.

Would you like to know if your business already appears on ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity? Book a free 15-minute call Get in touch with the Vandelay team and we’ll advise you on where to start with your GEO strategy in Barcelona.

Related guides

• How to choose a digital marketing agency in Barcelona
• What a digital marketing agency does (and what it doesn’t)
• How much does a digital marketing agency in Barcelona cost?

Frequently asked questions

Are GEO and SEO the same thing?

No. SEO optimises your website to rank in a search engine’s results, whilst GEO optimises it so that artificial intelligence can reference it in its responses. They are complementary: a solid SEO foundation helps GEO, but each pursues a different objective.

Do I need to do GEO if I’m already doing SEO?

Yes, if your audience is increasingly turning to tools such as ChatGPT or Perplexity. SEO gives you visibility on Google, and GEO gives you visibility in AI responses. Working on both expands the places where your business can be found and recommended.

What exactly is the llms.txt file?

It is a Markdown file, located in the root directory of the domain, which guides language models towards the most relevant content on your website. It is a recently proposed standard, still in the process of being adopted, and serves to complement GEO work, not as a substitute for quality content.

How do I know if AI is already mentioning my business?

You can carry out direct tests by asking ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity about your brand and your sector, and see whether they mention you and how prominently. You can also analyse referral traffic from AI domains in your web analytics tool to confirm the impact.

How long does it take to see results with GEO?

GEO is a medium-term discipline, just like SEO. The initial changes to structure and technical aspects may become apparent within weeks, but establishing a stable presence in the AI requires ongoing work on content and authority. There is no guaranteed timeframe, as this depends on the sector and the level of competition.

Does Vandelay work with businesses outside Barcelona?

Vandelay is based in Barcelona, but most of its SEO and GEO work is carried out remotely. You can contact the team at vandelay@vandelay.es or on +34 630 866 877 to discuss your project, wherever you are.

Conclusion

Search rankings no longer happen solely on Google: they now also play out within the responses from ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Here are the key points to get started with GEO:

• GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) ensures that the AI cites your business as a source in its responses.
• The GEO differs from SEO At the destination: mentions on social media versus search engine rankings.
• To be quoted, you need Straightforward answers, verifiable data, brand authority and access for AI bots.
• The file llms.txt It is a proposed standard that complements, rather than replaces, quality content.
• The GEO is measured in terms of mentions, citations, share of voice and referral traffic from AI.
• A GEO strategy It is built in stages: audit, prompts, citable content, authority, technical aspects and measurement.
• Vandelay, an agency based in Barcelona, already integrates SEO, GEO and artificial intelligence, with a focus on measurable results.

If you want your brand to be the one recommended by AI, book your free 15-minute call Get started with Vandelay and launch your GEO strategy today.