If your preferred AI tool has replaced a regular search engine, you are not alone. So your content now needs to satisfy not only search engine algorithms for higher rankings, but also generative AIs.
As a result, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is one of the biggest transitions for SEO experts. In this article, we suggest a painless way to start caring about GEO, including dedicating resources, understanding your current stats, and getting cited by AI whenever relevant questions are submitted.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) refers to a different approach to content, optimizing it specifically for AI preference. While both SEO and GEO serve similar purposes (presenting people with the most relevant information), they approach the process slightly differently.
SEO and search engine algorithms care about backlinks and keywords, while GEO might not be so easy to please. An article or page that does well in search engines might be cited frequently by AI, but that is more of an expectation than a rule. Above all, AI tools want the most recent information and in-depth answers, which is similar to SEO.
Additionally, AI might retrieve information tagged with questions that sound most natural, based on how people actually formulate their questions. Thus, GEO specialists have emphasized the importance of finding relevant questions in user-generated sources so you can adjust your content accordingly and answer questions/concerns as fairly as possible.
However, GEO still has many unknowns: like search engine algorithms, there is no exact tutorial to ensure you get the results you want.
First, a strong SEO foundation is essential. Your page and information are likely already used for AI answers, but you may still have a long way to go to be cited more often.
Before shaping your strategy, figure out how frequently AI includes your business or website in its answers. A more manual approach is asking AI tools various questions relevant to your industry, such as asking it to suggest the best application for a specific task. However, testing each AI tool can take a lot of work and time. Instead, you can use Trendos to pull data from the most popular AI assistant tools and evaluate your AI search visibility. You get a bunch of convenient statistics and suggestions for optimizing your content for even more visibility.
The main requirements for AI to use your information for its answers include the following:
The content structure shouldn’t make it hard for AI to understand.
The content should include evidence, statistics, and links to other resources, and it should be generally high quality.
Data needs to be visible and discoverable (AI crawlability).
Getting mentioned by authoritative sources also helps, but your content should generally aim to introduce something new. That means avoiding generic content that sounds like every other piece on the topic. That’s where your industry expertise comes into play, even more than keywords.
Your content should have a clear structure and multiple headings, each clearly indicating its purpose. Shorter sections and paragraphs also help, and you should always avoid unnecessary filler. For example, when AI scans data to generate an answer, it may prefer content that gets straight to the point rather than starting with riddles or metaphors. Bulleted lists or tables also work well.
In many ways, GEO resembles the general SEO rules you have followed for years. Yet if you already follow these guidelines and your content still isn't getting picked up, other issues may be at play. For example, your articles might be too similar to others or lack evidence.
Besides more technical content optimization, it is crucial to establish yourself as an expert AI can trust. That involves publishing original content, market research, reports, and other authentic data work. Also, biased or one-sided content is unlikely to meet AI’s expectations: highlight the complexity of topics when needed.
While millions of people use AI daily, it is still unclear how it picks answers to our questions. As one would hope, AI should always prioritize the latest information published by authoritative sources. So, beyond that, focus on your current situation to see which areas need improvement.
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