Getting Started

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization.

It's the process of improving how your brand appears in answers generated by AI systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and others.

Just as SEO focuses on optimizing for traditional search engines, GEO focuses on visibility within generative engines — tools that create full-sentence answers instead of listing links.

Lantern provides the insights you need to understand, measure, and improve your GEO performance.

AI Visibility

AI Visibility measures how often and how prominently your brand appears in AI-generated responses.

It's similar to search visibility in SEO, but centered on how AI systems mention or recommend your brand when users ask questions.

High AI visibility means your brand consistently shows up in relevant AI answers.

Citations

Citations show which sources AI systems rely on when generating answers about your brand or category.

Lantern tracks these citations so you can see which websites, publications, or data sources are shaping your brand's representation in AI-generated content.

Sentiment

Sentiment analysis captures the tone and perception of your brand within AI-generated answers — whether it's positive, neutral, or negative.

Tracking sentiment helps you understand how AI platforms describe your brand and identify areas where you might want to influence or improve that narrative.

Getting started with Lantern is simple. You only need to provide a few details about your brand, and Lantern will take care of the initial analysis for you.

Here's how the setup process works:

1. Enter Your Brand Name and Website URL

Start by adding your official brand name and main website URL.

This gives Lantern the foundation it needs to identify your brand across AI-generated content and begin analyzing how it's represented.

2. Automated Brand Perception Analysis

Once you submit your brand details, Lantern runs an initial analysis to understand your current brand perception in AI-generated answers.

This includes how often your brand appears, the tone used to describe it, and what topics are most commonly associated with it.

3. Industry and Competitor Mapping

Lantern automatically identifies your key industry context and maps relevant competitors.

This helps you see how your brand compares to others in your space and where you might have opportunities to improve visibility or differentiation within AI answers.

4. Focus Topics Generation

Based on the analysis, Lantern creates a list of focus topics — the themes, questions, and areas where your brand can benefit most from improved generative engine optimization (GEO).

These topics guide your ongoing strategy for AI visibility and brand positioning.

5. Review Your Initial Insights

Once the analysis is complete, you'll have access to your Lantern dashboard.

There, you can review your brand's AI visibility, sentiment, citations, and competitor benchmarks. These insights will update as Lantern continues to monitor your brand across generative engines.