Business owners and marketers are no strangers to leveraging technology and AI to boost their brands, attract customers, and, ultimately, increase sales. For decades one of the most reliable and cost-effective tools available has been organic search but it takes time and technical know-how to “optimize” your site and online presence. Even global corporations with vast IT resources are challenged keeping up with the frequent Google algorithm updates.

Now there are new questions to consider: How is GenAI changing the way we engage with customers? What are the impacts to the SEO landscape? Do I need to incorporate a Generative Engine Optimization strategy?

GEO, great – another acronym!

Why It Matters

It is difficult to separate the hype of GenAI from the practical applications but make no mistake, the rise of generative AI tools is quickly reshaping how people search and find answers - changing how customers research brands and how they shop. A recent survey conducted by investment banking firm Evercore showed that 5% of participants are using ChatGPT as their go-to search engine, up from just 1% a few months earlier.

Google remains the king of search, but their dominance is dropping quickly. Fundamental changes like this do not come often. A window of opportunity has opened for brands that act quickly to gain thought leadership and establish competitive advantage.

5 Steps for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Good news, if your digital content strategy focuses on quality, customer intent, and credibility, you are on the right path. If you are not there yet, don’t worry. There are ways to succeed with generative AI search platforms by developing user-centric content optimized for natural language queries, while driving overall digital marketing performance.

1. Answer the question

Shift from keyword-heavy content to addressing nuanced user queries with clear, conversational, and informative answers that align with specific intent. It is important to address what your target audience wants to know during different phases of the discovery and purchase cycle.

GenAI excels in understanding the intent behind a query rather than just matching keywords. By creating user-centric content that answers specific questions directly, your content is more likely to match the AI’s interpretation of what the user is looking for.

Example: Instead of repeating "best running shoes" multiple times, create a guide comparing different running shoe types, complete with pros and cons for various foot shapes.

2. Credibility is key

Produce high-quality, expert-backed content, incorporating primary data, citations, and strong brand authority. Focus on showing you know your stuff. Include expert opinions, solid research, and credible sources so both people and AI feel confident that your information is trustworthy.

This credibility increases the likelihood of your content being surfaced and prioritized in responses, further enhancing your brand's visibility and credibility in GenAI interactions.

Example: A skincare blog post with direct quotes from certified dermatologists and links to reputable studies about active ingredients.

3. Make it easy for AI

Use structured data (e.g., schema.org) to provide AI friendly context about your content.

This will give search engines more details about what’s on your page and provide clear, machine-readable context, enabling search engines and AI to better understand your content and surface your page in relevant AI-generated search results. Many website platforms offer include this functionality.

Example: Adding product markup to an e-commerce site so search engines display product prices, availability, and review ratings directly on the search page.

4. Comprehensive content not keywords

Optimize for long-tail, conversational queries by creating content tailored to natural, question-based phrasing often used in AI queries.

Focusing on comprehensive responses rather than keywords is crucial for GenAI-driven search results because AI prioritizes delivering clear, complete, and contextually rich answers to user queries. Unlike traditional search engines, which rely on keyword matching, GenAI interprets the intent behind a query and seeks content that provides actionable, well-rounded answers.

Example: Writing an article titled "How do I choose the best laptop for graphic design in college?" rather than just “Best laptops.”

5. Integrate audio and visual elements

Include interactive or multimedia content like images, videos, and infographics to complement text and enhance relevance in multimodal AI searches.

GenAI systems are increasingly multimodal, meaning they can process and integrate text with visual and interactive content to deliver more comprehensive and engaging responses. Multimedia not only enhances content accessibility and user engagement but also signals higher quality and relevance to AI algorithms, improving the likelihood of being featured in search results.

Example: A how-to article on “How to Stage Your Home for Sale” that includes a step-by-step video demonstration and before/after photos.

The Bottom Line

Generative AI and AI-driven search are still just getting started, and they’re evolving fast. Staying on top of the latest changes and knowing what really matters takes a lot of focus and expertise. These tools are changing how people search and interact online, favoring clear, conversational, and trustworthy content. Getting ahead now means staying ahead of competitors, being seen in AI-driven results, and building trust with your audience as this technology takes off.

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