Ai Search optimization or GEO is the latest buzzword and SEO is declared dead (yet another time). But what is behind the buzzword and how is the optimization for AI search different from SEO?
Let’s have a look.
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) ?
It is optimizing the content of your website to enhance the chances to be more visible in the results that AI driven search engines produce.
AI search differs from the SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) of traditional search engines like Google, Bing and Co.
New forms of search like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, DeepSeek and so on behave differently to traditional search.
Even if the share of users for these new forms of search is still small compared to Google, it is rising rapidly and we should be prepared to future proof our websites as AI driven search is only going to grow.
What to do and how to prepare for the future?
The first thing is don’t panic.
If you have done a solid job in SEO and brand marketing you are on the right track anyway.
But if you relied on questionable tactics and have no real communication between your departments you might run into trouble.
Easy does not work anymore
This is not only for GEO but for SEO as well. Just taking the content of good ranking competitors and spinning it around will not give you any results in the future.
This should be no surprise and tbh it is about time. If you do not offer anything new to the user (reader) of your website then why should you be rewarded with being shown in any search result?
Don’t focus on terms that are only vaguely related to your core business because they have a lot of search volume. Focus on your strength, what sets you apart from others and on what the visitors of your website (and users of your products or services) need to know.
Do the basics right
Again this is not new, but increasingly more important as the world of search evolves and diversifies.
Make sure your website has a solid technical foundation. That your content is clear and accurately addresses the topic you are talking about.
Use visuals to underline the written content, this can be images or video.
Make your Brand visible
SEO never was a magic wand; it always was one part of a (digital) marketing strategy. The same goes for GEO in the future.
Break down the walls between your marketing channels and let them work together.
There is a lot of talk now that brand mentions will become the new backlinks.
I really struggle to understand why people would not have worked towards brand mentions before?
The more people talk, write and post about your name, product or service the more likely it is they will consider it.
Use social media, as well as traditional media and align these efforts with your website optimisation.
Conclusion:
Don’t focus on how people search (traditional or AI search). Bring your house in order, have a solid technical setup and a fast loading site, have quality content that engages with your core audience.
Yes the landscape of search is changing (and fast) but one thing remains the same, provide valuable information and you will be shown. Even if traffic might go down, you have to ask if just traffic was the right KPI in the first place, if you get less but more traffic that is willing to become your customer it is not a bad trade off.