What we know so far

SEO changes. We enter into a new era of search for a das AI-age and thus generative engine optimization (GEO), the practice of optimizing content for AI-controlled engines such as chatt or confusion.

If we want our content to reach the right people, we have to adapt. It is not necessary to throw the SEO principles that they have learned for decades. Much of Geo is an expansion of these techniques – and it is not as scary as it sounds.

Let’s take a look at what we know about Geo so far.

Table of contents

What is generative engine optimization?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a technique to maximize the visibility of your content in AI models. In contrast to conventional SEO practices that focus on the ranking on SERPS, Geo is about optimizing content for visibility in generative AI engines.

The good news for SEO is that generative engines draw information directly from web contents (as well as other sources) in order to provide user inquiries. They use large voice models (LLMS) to understand the scratching information and to provide coherent, relevant answers.

Chatgpt, confusion KI and Google AI search are examples of generative engines.

Generative engines Work through:

1. Interpretation of a user’s query.
2. The use of personal data for the user, such as B. preferences or the course of the conversation.
3. Search to find relevant answers to the query
4. Synthesis of information from these documents in a simple answer

If you are new with generative searches, use it with yourself. Try it with HubSpot Guide to use chatt for workWhat has over 100 input requests.

Geo against SEO

Geo and SEO are similar in many ways, since both find relevant, credible content to answer user inquiries. But they also have three important differences. Let us examine the following similarities and differences.

Geo- and SEO similarities

These four similarities should bring SEOS optimism because they indicate that the good work done so far is transferable.

Developed to help users and provide helpful information.

Regardless of whether you are looking for something on Google, Bing, Chatgpt, confusion or something completely different, it is important that you can access the information you need.

One Grund Google is so successful It is that it has mastered a complex (and constantly changing) algorithm, which gently gently and provides the best possible result in terms of content. The results meet the search intent and users receive what they want.

Why is this important for Geo: If you provide the best possible content, you have a good chance of gaining visibility in generative AI search engines. These tools have to procure the best content to reproduce the users.

Your gate to visibility is high quality.

High-quality content in terms of target pages, information pages, well-thought-out service pages etc. You can get visibility in generative search engines. As mentioned above, generative motors such as conventional search engines draw information directly from web contents.

Why is this important for Geo: If you are reached in the SEO rental from side, you will probably produce high-quality content. This content will probably also do well in generative search engines.

This leads perfectly to my next point: EEAT signals are important for SEO and Geo.

EAT signals are important in SEO and GEO.

Let me lead with an example to demonstrate how important EEAT is for geo and SEO.

If you are looking for “CRM” in Google, you will find out

I searched Chatgpt to determine whether Drift Kings Media is recommended as CRM. It is. HubSpot is the top recommendation in Chatgpt.

Why is this important for Geo: The ranking at the top of Google for a keyword is not easy. You have to meet a variety of ranking factors and build on your website EAT.

Keywords and search terms are still important.

Although people in traditional search engines are looking differently compared to generative search engines, there are similarities. Users enter keywords and search terms.

While entering generative search engines uses more natural language and conversation, there are still words and phrases that contextualize the search.

Why this is important for GEO: It is still crucial to understand how and what people are looking for and then to meet the search intent.

Geo- and SEO differences

Now we understand some of the similarities, we look at how Geo differs from SEO.

focus

Geo focuses on making content for AI, while SEO is about improving the SERP rank.

While SEO is generally related to Google and Bing, there are many generative engines. It is therefore interesting to see whether different engines use different properties to determine your sources.

Why is this important for Geo: There are nuances as GEO and SEO work, and if you are concentrated on Geo, it will not be worth dropping your SEO efforts (anyway and maybe not). At the moment, people are still using Google for the vast majority of search queries. Accordingly Edd DawsonPresent Google has five billion users in 200 million users compared to Chatgpts.

Focal point

The main techniques for SEO emphasize things such as backlinks and keywords, while the GEO techniques emphasize the structure.

The task of an AI bot is easier if it can achieve clear, concise excerpts that can be easily synthesized. Therefore, it makes sense why structure is a focus.

Chris LangVP from Marketing at Go digitalHas carried out some tests for visibility in GEO, and his tests indicated that generative search engines draw clear excerpts. Long success with spherical points.

In A LinkedIn PostHe said: “We have tested a lot in the past 6 months to optimize our brand for generative engine optimization. We have found how a AI-controlled search in content that is extremely structured via bullleted lists, structured headings and articles in general list leaf.”

Why is this important for Geo: If you are working more visibility in generative AI search engines, it can be worth exploring the side structure and seeing whether this makes a difference.

Top tip: If you want to evaluate your current visibility in generative search engines, you can use Drift Kings Medias Ki search graders. It shows you:

• The visibility and presence of your brand in the AI.
• Strengths and weaknesses.
• Part of the voice.
• And more.

The following video shows how it works.

Use the Grader to see where you are now and when something changes as soon as you have your pages Geo Geo.

output

The main difference is the output of the engines.

Geo optimizes the content of AI engines that create a summary as an output.

SEO, on the other hand, optimizes content for conventional search engines that create a sources of sources as an output.

How does Geo SEO work?

SEO experts worldwide generative AI have cited Number one disruptor To SEO. So it is worth understanding what experts suspect that the effects will be.

I spoke to SEO experts Nick Baird To listen to his thoughts about Geo and how it affects SEO and marketing.

“The local SEO remains largely untouched. When looking for a plumber or a dentist, you still need results that are bound with cards, reviews and close,” he said.

Second, according to Baird, Baird reduced a noticeable goal and clicks.

“The click rate has dropped to places where AI can quickly summarize. For websites that rely on the traffic of lists or instructions for content, data traffic is definitely thinner.

“However, people still click through when they want depth or to check whether a source has actually said what the AI ​​reports. While the click volume may no longer have dropped, it is still important to have high -quality content on the website.”

I agree with everything Baird said here, although I will add that generative search engines also contain map views with local companies. The screenshot below shows what it looks like.

In my experience, the top funnel clicks (top funnel) of the websites have dropped considerably, but the focus should be more and more on the lower funnel clicks anyway.

You can still cover these Tofu topics where it makes sense and you can find that it helps your geo. Just make sure it has a other purpose than clicks.

Why is Geo important?

In another hubspot article about the future of the SEO, experts shared their opinions and predictions about the Future of AI and SEO.

An opinion that I notice Nate TowerThe data explained (and supported with data) that conversions are higher according to percentage of LLMS. Tower believes that people chat with AI and see the software more as a friend, which is a reason why GEO conversions are higher.

Important NOTE: While the conversions of percent are higher, we still have small data records. In terms of the quantity, the conversions are lower.

That means it could be an indicator of what will come. When people react well to Geo, they want their company to be visible.

Ultimately, people use generative searches to find answers to their questions and meet their needs. All indicators show that Geo is not going anywhere. Therefore, it makes sense to stay up to date and to earn visibility in Geo. Remember to manage Geo with SEO.

How does generative engine optimization work?

Learning to use geo is easier than it sounds and overlaid with the best SEO practices in many ways. AI tools react well to clear, well-structured information that you can easily synthesize.

That means you should:

1. Make sure your content is easy to read and understand.
2. Integrate credible sources, quotes and statistics to improve the wealth and authority of the content.
3. Structure your letter to align yourself with the patterns used by generative engines.

When I write an article, I focus on clear headings, precise heels, lists and well -qualified information. The same applies to Best practices when it comes to SEO – so don’t worry to reinvent the wheel.

Other options for improving geos are the use of AI-friendly structured data, focus on the user intentions, the easy-to-read/conversive language and the use of unique words to highlight the content.

These best practices do not differ from SEO -Best practices. And as with SEO, there is no indication that AI created content is poorly ranked.

If your content is of high quality, you should not experience a punishment for use Ki -Insent toolsas offered by Drift Kings Media.

source

How to perform generative engine optimization

Geo is still very new, but we have some early knowledge about what brands help to secure visibility in the AI ​​search.

I am a SEO consultant who works with brands. I have the visibility of my customers at the AI Kyle Rushon McGregor AI report and data from G4.

As you can see from the following report of a customer, AI visibility grows. All of my customers have graphics that look similar as below: Visibility increases the most in the fourth 2024 and continues.

Much of my GEO success uses transferable SEO elements.

Here are the details.

Manage your brand count.

As we have determined, generative engines draw information directly from web content. Whatever you or others say about your brand what generative searches can share. The content must be available for a generative search to display it.

If possible, you will find an angle for your product or service.

Think:

• What are you doing?
• What problems do you solve?
• Who do you solve problems for?

Remember that people looking for generative AI search engines are looking for differently. They use more conversation language and are very nuanced and long cock.

Take a look at the example below. In generative search engines, products with links to product pages and a brief justification are recommended why they are suitable for querying the viewfinder.

In the picture above, all products listed in the generative search have special messages for query. In my experience, generative searches pass on the news that were often found on a number of sources on the Internet.

Top tip: I’ve already mentioned this, but use lifting spots AI search grader To understand how your brand is perceived from time to time, monitor it as you improve your geo.

Think about keywords and search terms.

For me, keyword research is still part of the Geo process. I would like to know which keywords Ki overviews are causing. If you know Google’s functions, you can make additional efforts to ensure visibility in it.

Take a look at the screenshot below. My customer ranks several times in the AI ​​overviews.

Here is a breakdown of how keywords have influenced this performance:

• We have researched keywords in connection with the topic.
• Like SEO, we led with a focus keyword (the one shown).
• We have developed a keyword cluster with related keywords and questions.
• An article was informed with SEO -Best Practices.
• We wrote a detailed piece (more about that).

Write great content.

The writing of great content includes many components, many of which are crossed with SEO.

These are great news, because if you already write great content and see the results in the form of ranking lists in Google in Google, in my experience you will probably also get visibility in generative searches.

Here are some ways to write great content:

• Write content that demonstrates the experience, expertise, authority and trust (EEAT). Don’t be afraid to tell stories that show your experience in content.
• Complete topics. In general, detailed articles work better. Get less worried about the number of words and keywords and more about the topical cover and details. It is tempting to create new pages for every topic, but some are better covered. Learn more about the keyword intention to do this well.
• Think of NLP keywords. Use generative search engines Processing of natural language To summarize information and to provide answers to input requests. Use a natural, talkative language and integrate NLP-related terms naturally to improve the discharge.
• Let experts write your content or at least check. You have industry experts in your company. Therefore, make sure that you include them in the writing process. Ask them for quotations, let them write content and get new findings to highlight your article.
• Answer real user questions and are not afraid to think yourself. You can use tools like Also penetrate Or the Google employees also ask the questions that your readers ask. But you cannot exceed your own research and your feeling of knowing your potential buyers.
• Be visual in your content With infographics, graphics, videos and more. The more media a reader can digest your content, the better (in reason!). Overcarrable content helps to engage readers online.

Top tip: If you want to do the above, hire great writers. Of course you do it.

Structure your content for people (and bots!)

Digital content changes the reading of people. Instead of settling down to read items with 2,000 words, many readers read and searched for headings, list or pictures to tell a story.

Of course, many will continue to read an entire article, but when writing online you are looking for a way to take care of your reader and to arouse your interest in the sections you want to read the most. Excerpts from well -structured text (such as list signs), which can be used by generative search engines, also follow.

Here are some ways to add more structure to your content:

• Spheres Summarize data.
• Logical heading hierarchy From H1 to H2, H3 and H4 are like the chapters of a book. Use them to help readers get a context.
• Hold on short paragraphs Where possible.
• Add pictures Break off sections. Bonus points when adding caps. A number of images with descriptive captions help readers to digest their content quickly and concisely.

Use Scheme Markup.

I love Scheme Markup! It is not something your readers will notice because it lives in the code of your website, but you can “communicate” with the bots and add elements on your side on your side.

We already know that Google uses the Scheme -Markup to fill extensive resultsAnd I think it is pretty sure that AI overviews also use scheme.

Here are some Scheme examples The could Influence of Geo:

Do not be limited by the above. There is a lot of data that are waiting to be added to your website and you can see what is available schema.org.

Tips for navigating the generative SEO landscape

Here are some tips that you should consider when writing content for generative AI.

Quote sources and use statistics.

I asked Twins What digital marketers who hope to create AI-deflable content should do, and it recommends that they:

• Write AI scanning content.
• Diversify language and structure.
• Include human elements such as humor.
• Write clearly.
• Present Eeat.
• Include the media.
• Understand SEO bases.
• Use the tools carefully.

While you can continue to use AI tools to write your content, it is important that it reads as a useful, credible content. Inclusion of EEAT is a great way to increase credibility, and this serves to improve the authority of your entire domain.

What exactly does Eeat look like? I navigated the layer first -hand for my Drift Kings Media posts.

First I look at my personal experience:

• Have I lived in the topic?
• Can I insert personal anecdotes when I came across the topic?

In addition, I try to present my authority on a topic and determine how long I have worked on site.

Obviously I am not an expert in every topic that I want to treat. In this case, I research extensive:

• I find original statistics with verified information.
• I speak to experts whose quotations I can present during my work.

These elements improve the credibility and uniqueness of my content.

Optimize for readability.

Imagine AI like a busy student who is desperately looking for information that you can use in a paper.

You have no time to decipher complicated sentences. You want information that is clear and easy to understand from the start. What brings me to my next tip: Use clear, concise language and scanning paragraphs.

I will be honest: Short, clear sentences may not always be my first instinct. When I discuss a complicated topic, my first draft often contains long explanations. I then use HemingwayAn app that helps you to clearly write.

Hemingway lets me know which sentences are lengthy, confusing or excessive complicated. I can’t always bring every sentence to green, but I try to correct the sentences marked as “very difficult to read”.

source

Concentrate on the quality of the content.

In the past, it was enough to have the right keywords to win in the search. Let’s take a classic example: recipe blogs.

I remember looking for a brownie recipe for a party and found a promising, first-class article.

When I clicked on it, I had to scroll huge chunks of text over what flows into a brownie, when Brownies became popular, as the author’s children, continued and so on.

Why? The author knew that the word “Brownie recipe” would help as often as possible to manage it.

Well, that may no longer be the case. In today’s landscape, the knowledge that the recipe has passed on from older generations and gained an award in a local competition is sufficient to show credibility.

Tl; DR: Make sure that your content is relevant for potential search engines and avoid Keyword filling. Your audience will take care of the quality of your contribution.

Monitor trends and follow your results.

Stay on the evolution of the AI ​​engine. Geo is a new technology. So expect best practices over time. Trends in the search landscape are constantly changing.

Google EAT is currently prioritizing, but that can change when AI overviews take over the scene. Keep the traffic and conversions of articles in mind that you wrote with Geo -Best Practices.

FAQ of generative engine optimization

What is Geo?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a method to improve the visibility of your content to AI generative engines and increases the range.

How do I structure my content for Geo?

Make sure that your content is clearly, well organized and have credible sources. Use lists and H2S and consider quotes and statistics if possible.

How do I check whether my content is optimized for Geo?

Since Geo is so new, there are not many tools to measure how successfully your content will be with AI generative engines. Lifting spots AI search grader App is the only tool on the market with which your content can scan according to Geo performance.

All you have to do is to drop your URL into the Grader. From there you have custom suggestions for the areas you can change to optimize your AI search performance.

This includes more authority and personal experiences or postponement of the focus area of ​​your site.

What is Ki looking for in Geo content?

Large -speaking models (LLMS) are looking for clear, well -structured information that you can pull and summarize in order to react to user inquiries.

AI scanning is best suited for content that:

• Uses header and lists.
• Contains expert quotes.
• Quoted sources.
• Used simple language and scanning paragraphs.

Will Geo SEO replace?

No – search engines don’t go anywhere, so SEO is not. It is best to consider GEO as an expansion of the SEO practices in contrast to a replacement.

Best practices (such as the use of H2S and credible quotes) are shared between Geo and SEO, as are the worst practices. For example, the keyword filling has a negative impact on SEO and Geo.

How can you measure GEO success?

Liam CarahhanA SEO coach and content strategist has a recommendation on how to use existing tools to check whether your article is picked up by AI engines.

“From all the popular search orientations that are currently out there, confusion makes confusion the best task of the quote,” says Carahhan.

He continues: “So if I try to understand whether LLMS” enjoy “my content, I will go there first and enter questions and requests.

Carhahn also notes that this is not the most elegant solution, but “at the moment I can give me a good idea of ​​which content of my customers in AI results and which content pieces the brand are missing.”

What’s next for Geo?

My biggest snack from the exploration of GEO is that it emphasizes different things, but resembles SEO in many ways. While SEO focuses on keyword optimization and backlinks, Geo focuses more on the content structure.

Content authors have to compensate for both, but luckily they click together. I think we will see clearer, more helpful content due to these two strategies – what I am really looking forward to.

AI does not go anywhere. While we still learn how to use and measure Geo, it is clear that an eye on new techniques is the key to success in the world of digital content.

Note from the publisher: This post was originally published in August 2024 and updated for completeness.