Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, is marketing strategists’ response to the growing presence of AI-powered search tools like AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search, and more. Let’s talk about this new optimization strategy, and how it differs from SEO. Then, we’ll dive into some best practices.

What is GEO?

GEO is the process of improving site quality with the goal of causing your site to appear more often in AI-generated Search results. This strategy focuses on refining content so that it is ready to be adapted to AI-generated responses, such as an AI Overview.

SEO vs. GEO

While both SEO and GEO work to increase the visibility of your site’s content, they do so in different ways.

SEO works to improve site rankings on traditional search engine results pages. In other words, the goal is to make your website appear higher on the list of organic links in the search results. SEO does this by relying on backlinks and keyword optimization, among other things.

GEO’s goal is to make the site content more digestible for an AI system to process and use in its responses.  This is done by creating content that is well-structured and easily accessible to popular AI models. Here’s a little more about GEO best practices.

GEO Best Practices

The objectives of SEO and GEO overlap in many ways, with both strategies having the ultimate goal of helping your content reach more people. That being said, there are a few best practices unique to GEO that you should consider integrating into your overall optimization strategy.

• Incorporate Long-tail Keywords: With AI, people can type longer, more specific queries and still get a comprehensive response. This doesn’t mean you should completely abandon traditional keyword optimization, but try incorporating more natural-sounding queries into your content.
• Keep It Conversational: AI responses tend to favor content that sounds “natural”. It’s always been important to make site content interesting, useful, and engaging, but try to make it sound conversational, too.
• Break It Down: Use short paragraphs and comprehensive lists to break down more complex information. You might even consider adding a bulleted summary of main points at the top of your content to make key takeaways easy to find and understand.

It’s important to note that AI is only one relatively new aspect of the user experience, and while your GEO tactics may complement a comprehensive SEO plan, both are equally important to your overall organic strategy. After all, if a user doesn’t see what they’re looking for in an AI Overview on Google, they’ll scroll down to see the organic search results, which are still heavily influenced by traditional SEO tactics. Rather than treat GEO as a replacement for SEO, use this guide to inform an evolving strategy that integrates AI-powered search into its overall approach to optimization.

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