Search is changing. For 20 years, SEO was about one thing: ranking on Google.
But generative search has entered the stage: ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, Gemini and hundreds of AI agents no longer list links, they generate answers. They read websites, interpret meaning, and decide which sources to cite.
This shift created a new discipline:
GEO ➔ Generative Engine Optimization
Optimizing your content so AI engines can understand it, interpret it, and use it in generated answers.
And here’s what no one is talking about: The foundation of GEO is accessibility (WCAG).
Because AI agents read websites the same way screen readers do.
If your content is not accessible, AI can’t understand it.
If AI can’t understand it, it will never cite you.
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?
SEO = Optimize to rank on Google.
GEO = Optimize to be cited by AI.
Traditional SEO asks: “How do we get on page 1?”
GEO asks: “How do we become the source AI uses in its answer?“
AI search engines extract:
- relationships between ideas,
- hierarchical structure,
- visual descriptions,
- call to action / intent.
They don’t scan for keywords, they interpret structure and meaning.
Which brings us to accessibility.
AI reads websites like assistive technologies do
Screen readers rely on:
- semantic HTML (
<h1>,<h2>,<nav>,<button>) - meaningful link text
- alt text to understand images
- ARIA roles to interpret components
- predictable hierarchy and structure
AI models rely on the exact same signals.
| WCAG practice (accessibility) | GEO impact (AI discoverability) |
|---|---|
| Semantic HTML structure | AI understands context and hierarchy |
| Alt text on images | AI can describe and index images |
| ARIA name/role/value | AI interprets UI components |
| Descriptive link text | AI pulls meaningful associations |
| Clear and readable content | AI summarizes and cites accurately |
If a screen reader can understand your website, AI can understand your website.
If it can’t… you’re invisible to generative search.
Accessibility makes your content AI-extractable
AI uses the same logic as assistive technologies:
- Identify the topic
- Understand the breakdown
- Pull context (from paragraphs, lists, tables)
- Interpret visuals (from alt text or captions)
- Produce a synthesized answer
Example:
- If your
<h1>is missing, AI doesn’t know your main topic. - If your page structure is made with styled
<div>soup, AI cannot map meaning.
Accessibility is not only about people, it’s how machines understand and interact with your product.
This is the evolution:
- SEO → helps you get found
- UX → helps users convert
- GEO → helps AI cite and recommend you
Why non-accessible content disappears from AI search
Without accessibility:
- Generative engines can’t interpret your hierarchy
- Visuals aren’t indexed or described
- Content becomes “unstructured noise”
- AI pulls your competitors’ content instead
This will define the next decade of digital discoverability.
The companies that become AI-readable will own visibility.
Final thought
Most companies think accessibility is:
- a legal requirement, or
- a “nice-to-have” for inclusion.
But accessibility is becoming something bigger: It’s the new gateway to digital visibility and AI discoverability.
Accessibility isn’t a cost. Accessibility is distribution.
Ready to become discoverable by AI?
We connect companies with accessibility-certified professionals and remediation specialists.
➔ Post a Job – Free 7-Day Trial
➔ Start a Remediation Project – Public subsidies available
Accessial – The global hub connecting certified talent and compliant organizations.
