When Optimization Becomes Manipulation: Defending Generative Search against Malicious Generative Engine Optimization

arXiv:2609.02964 · cs.CR, cs.AI · Submitted 2026-09-02 · Read on arXiv

cs.CR, cs.AI

Submitted: 2026-09-02

Updated: 2026-09-02

Code: https://github.com/Ccchi5ato/GEO-Defender

Terminology

• Generative Engine Optimization — 11× in this paper
• Analyzer — 10× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Perplexity — 9× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes
• Trace — 9× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Attack Success Rate — 6× in this paper
• Adaptation — 4× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Attack Semantic Influence — 4× in this paper
• Consistency — 3× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes
• Cross-Model Transfer — 3× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Generalization — 3× in this paper · explained in 13 episodes
• Robustness — 3× in this paper · explained in 5 episodes
• Transferability — 3× in this paper · explained in 4 episodes
• Ablation — 2× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Attack Success Rate (ASR) — 2× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Benchmark — 2× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Fine-Tuning — 2× in this paper · explained in 5 episodes
• LLM judge — 2× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• RAG — 2× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes
• Training-Free Shield Generation — 2× in this paper
• Verification — 2× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Ablation study — 1× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Adversarial Search — 1× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Agentic Optimization — 1× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Agentic Search — 1× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Agentic System — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Core — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Feature Engineering — 1× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes
• Foundation Model — 1× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes
• Foundation Models — 1× in this paper · explained in 7 episodes
• GRPO — 1× in this paper · explained in 6 episodes
• Positional Bias — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Provenance — 1× in this paper · explained in 4 episodes
• Reasoning Traces — 1× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes
• Verifiability — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes

Sources

• Training-Free Group Relative Policy Optimization
• Role-Augmented Intent-Driven Generative Search Engine Optimization
• ShieldAgent: Shielding Agents via Verifiable Safety Policy Reasoning
• DeepSeek-V4: Towards Highly Efficient Million-Token Context Intelligence
• Controlling Output Rankings in Generative Engines for LLM-based Search
• SAGEO Arena: A Realistic Environment for Evaluating Search-Augmented Generative Engine Optimization
• Manipulating Large Language Models to Increase Product Visibility
• Optimizing Visibility in Generative Engines: A Critical Survey of Generative Engine Optimization (2023-2026)
• POISONCRAFT: Practical Poisoning of Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Large Language Models
• Diagnosing and Repairing Citation Failures in Generative Engine Optimization
• Certifiably Robust RAG against Retrieval Corruption
• Structural Feature Engineering for Generative Engine Optimization: How Content Structure Shapes Citation Behavior
• SCI-Defense: Defending Manipulation Attacks from Generative Engine Optimization
• AgenticGEO: A Self-Evolving Agentic System for Generative Engine Optimization
• Qwen3 Embedding: Advancing Text Embedding and Reranking Through Foundation Models
• TrustRAG: Enhancing Robustness and Trustworthiness in Retrieval-Augmented Generation

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