Ah, the internet. Just when you think you’ve gotten a handle on how best to position your brand to attract users, convert leads, and make sales, things change.
And in the wild wild west that is search optimization, a new sheriff has come to town and kicked in the saloon doors: GEO and AI tools are upending how many people work, live, and now search.
Wait, what is GEO?
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization, a new approach that both competes with and complements SEO/Search Engine Optimization. Other terms include AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization), and AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization). Some users tease out nuances between these acronyms, but they are essentially all referring to the same thing as GEO.
Whereas traditional SEO delivers a list of ranked webpages based on the user’s query, GEO refers to the ever-growing sources of AI-generated answers, such as Google’s AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, and ChatGPT. With these tools, users get direct responses without ever clicking a link, which is a significant shift from the way SEO delivers results that drive organic traffic.
Generative AI systems behave more like researchers than crawlers—they analyze content for clarity, credibility, and structure before including it in their responses. And they aren’t just looking at one website at a time—they synthesize information from across the web, so an AI tool might answer a question about your business with information from somewhere else.
The challenge has changed: for GEO you want your content to be found and trusted so it will be cited. It’s not just about hacking your keywords, but building credibility.
What does that mean for my brand? Is SEO out?
If only it were that easy. Traditional search isn’t disappearing—it’s experiencing a paradigm shift. In short: SEO gets you seen while GEO gets you cited. But they work hand-in-hand, and sites with weak SEO are not likely to be referenced by AI tools.
In addition, studies show that AI search engines prefer third-party and authoritative sources over brand-owned sites, so SEO often still offers the most direct route to your site.
GEO is building upon SEO, assessing many of the same factors and rewarding sites that have strong SEO. Anything you have done to improve your SEO will also benefit your GEO, but certain aspects will have a bigger impact.
Okay… so what do I do?
To optimize for AI search requires adjusting how you structure content, exhibit credibility, and grow your web fingerprint beyond your own site.
1. Structure content for machines as well as humans
AI models favor structured content. Use Q&A formats, subheadings, and lists to make your content easy to parse and quote. Write in short, direct sentences that clearly answer questions. You can also add schema markup, which is informational code added to your web pages that isn’t seen by users but can be crawled by both SEO and GEO tools.
2. Strengthen your authority and credibility
AI engines value verifiable information. Add author bios, credentials, and last-updated dates to. If citing other sources, wherever possible link to official studies, government data, or recognized publications.
You also need to be aware of where your brand is being referenced or linked to, and work to build a presence beyond your own domain. AI systems often pull from earned media, so consider where your brand is mentioned in articles and press. You can boost your authority through guest features, PR outreach, and cross-domain partnerships and mentions.
3. Focus on clarity, consistency, and staying current
Help AI understand your brand. Use consistent terminology and contextual clues so AI can map you correctly to topics and industries. AI systems also reward current information. You should reevaluate your content regularly, and refresh evergreen pages or update popular posts.
What else do I need to know?
Like SEO algorithms, AI models are murky and constantly changing, and we don’t (and likely won’t) know exactly how they choose their sources. Each AI model also differs slightly. And it is harder to derive analytics about GEO, although many SEO tools are racing to adapt.
Because these tools are still learning, you can run sample queries to see if and how your brand appears in AI platforms and whether your content is being cited or used. And misinformation can still be an issue—even if you are cited, your content might be paraphrased, misinterpreted, or attributed ambiguously. It will be important to trace and address any factual inaccuracies.
As we ride the wave—or, to return to my earlier metaphor, wrangle the cattle?—of AI and GEO, there are still a lot of unknowns. But one thing is certain: GEO’s impact cannot be ignored. And with a clear content plan that grows your credibility, authority, and external presence, GEO can be friend, not foe.