Despite what the headlines might suggest, artificial intelligence (AI) is nothing new. The term and early technology come from the 1950sbut generative AI (which emerged in the 2010s) is undeniably new territory.
As both shape consumer search behavior, marketing strategies like generative search engine optimization (GEO) are becoming not only popular, but essential.
But that doesn’t mean generative trauma occurs. Let’s cover how your business and marketing team can navigate the changes, unknowns, and competition using generative AI SEO best practices.
Table of contents
What is generative engine optimization?
When someone asks one of these tools a question, the AI systems scan content across the web to create an answer. It does not provide you with a list of resources that might be helpful, such as search engine optimization, but rather aims to answer your question directly, citing websites that the company believes to be reliable. GEO helps ensure your content is selected as one of these lucky resources.
TLDR: SEO gets you on the party guest list (SERP). GEO secures you a VIP seat and a shoutout from the DJ (Citation).
GEO vs AEO
Okay, SEO is clearly different from GEO, but what about AEO? Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is closely related to GEO, but there is an understandable difference.
AEO targets direct response features that have been around for some time; Think featured snippets in Google, knowledge panels, and voice assistant responses. It’s all about showing up in those quick response boxes.
Generative engine optimization, on the other hand, focuses specifically on newer AI tools that generate original answers by combining information from multiple sources. It helps you to be one of these sources.
Overall, many tactics work for both goals (and even SEO), but GEO requires special attention to how you structure information and establish credibility so that AI systems can confidently cite your work.
Why generative engine optimization is important now
Let’s not get it twisted: GEO does not replace SEO. Rather, it will expand to a world where AI plays a larger role in how people discover information. Anyone who recognizes this early will have a significant advantage.
(So if you’re reading this, congratulations! You’re in good company.)
Research from BrightLocal shows that Google is still driving 61% of all general searchesbut AI platforms are becoming increasingly popular as places for people to start their research.
According to GWI, it is actually the case 31% of Generation Z already say they most often use AI platforms or chatbots to find information online, and even Gartner predicted that by the end of the year 40% of B2B inquiries will be processed via a response engine.
When you consider the proliferation of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa on our smartphones and in our homes, the need for further development becomes even more apparent. A list of links is not always helpful to users. They want summarized, actionable answers with clear sources they can trust. This is where generative engines come into play.
If you don’t invest in GEO now, you could miss out on all of these opportunities – but this challenge isn’t a bad thing. GEO only requires that we ascend. AI tools ultimately focus on quality, and the best way to compete is to simply deliver more and better value to your content.
Tools like HubSpot’s Content Hub can help by making it easier to create structured, well-organized content that adheres to GEO best practices.
Generative engine optimization best practices you can implement today
No matter what tools you use, here are some generative engine optimization best practices to help you do your best.
1. Lead with clear, direct answers
AI systems love resources that get straight to the point. In other words, they prefer content that doesn’t hide the information they need. However, start each section by answering the target question directly and as succinctly as possible (aim for less than 300 words), then expand on it with context and details.
Think of it this way: If someone took just one paragraph out of your article, would that make sense and answer the question on its own? That’s what you’re aiming for.
First answer the question, and then explain the nuances. This is how you should proceed Writing for AI search in general – clarity first, depth second. Here at HubSpot, we’ve been experimenting with “summaries” at the top of our articles to achieve this:
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Pro tip: Use that “inverted pyramid” When writing, journalists follow the following approach: place the most important things at the top and support the details further down. This makes it easy for the AI to accurately find and extract your main points.
You can also use HubSpot’s Content Hub to create templates that enforce this reply-first structure across all your content so it happens automatically.
2. Be specific who and what You’re talking about that
When reading about complicated topics, it can sometimes be easy to get lost. Maybe you’re reading an explanation of X and Y and how they relate to Z, but suddenly you’re not sure whether the last sentence was about Z or X or something else entirely.
AI systems are similar in some ways. They process and quote content by recognizing its topic, for example specific people, places, companies and concepts. Depending on the context, vague references in your content can confuse AI and reduce your chances of getting a mention.
For example, if you say, “The company launched in 2024,” AI systems may ask, “Which company?” Instead, you want to write, “HubSpot launched Content Hub AI in 2024,” so AI gets the details right.
Consider these best practices for clarity when writing for generative engine optimization:
- Use full names first (then you can shorten it)
- Spelling acronyms before using them repeatedly
- Link to official pages for companies and concepts
- Stick to consistent terms throughout your content
- Avoid unclear pronouns if they could refer to multiple things
3. Optimize the technical elements of your website
GEO is as much about what’s off the page as it is about what’s on the page. This means your website works smoothly and is organized in a way that AI can understand. Strong technical SEO is crucial to being found and cited.
Here’s what you can do:
Add schema markup
Schema markup is backend code that explains what your content is about in a way that is crystal clear to AI systems. Accordingly Schema.org statisticsPages with properly implemented schema are processed more accurately by AI systems because there is no ambiguity about their meaning.
There are tons of different types of schemes, but don’t get overwhelmed. To identify the most common “query” impacts, focus on these types first:
- Item schema with author information and dates
- FAQ schema for question-based content
- HowTo scheme for instructions and tutorials
- Organizational scheme to determine who you are
- Breadcrumb scheme to show how your content connects
Test your schema with Google’s rich results test to catch any errors that could confuse AI systems.
Keep your website fast and functional
Both AI systems and search engines view a website’s performance as a trust signal. Slow, broken websites are given secondary consideration because they are viewed as inferior and, quite frankly, provide a worse user experience. That’s the last thing anyone wants.
However, use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights And GTmetrix to find and resolve website performance issues.
I used Apple as an example, and even giants like this have room for improvement.
Pay particular attention to compliance with:
- Page speed (Aim for loading to take less than 2.5 seconds)
- Mobile experience (AI systems prioritize mobile-friendly content)
- Security (always use HTTPS)
- Clear navigation (helps the AI understand how content is related)
- Clean, working code (reduces confusion in automated systems)
Pro tip: Use HubSpot’s CMS to automatically meet many technical requirements for fast, AI-friendly websites (e.g. mobile responsiveness and security).
To learn more about optimizing your website speed, you can also read our articles “How to Measure Website Speed and Guarantee Performance (+Tips)” and “19 Website Speed Optimization Strategies (New Data).”
Optimize your metadata
While traditional metadata targets search results pages, GEO-optimized metadata helps generative search quickly understand and summarize exactly what your content covers. In today’s search landscape, you ideally want to appeal to both sides.
In this sense:
- Make sure all your images have alt tags
- Make your title tags, headings, and linked text as specific and keyword-optimized as possible
- Write descriptions that:
- Clearly state what the content is about
- Highlight your unique perspective or value
- Use natural, colloquial language
- Stick to 155-160 characters
- Include specific claims or numbers if applicable
AI systems often use well-written meta descriptions and data as the basis for understanding your content and retrieving information.
4. Establish credibility
As a user, I’ve definitely experienced some AI hallucinations and strange quotes, but it’s important to acknowledge that most AI systems actively check whether websites actually know what they’re talking about before quoting them. So how can yours make a breakthrough?
Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness (EEAT) has been around for a while, but it still matters in the AI age. It is actually the core evaluation criterion that AI systems (and Google) use to assess the credibility of sources. In other words, strong EEAT signals dramatically increase the likelihood of citations.
Strengthen yours by adding:
- Author biographies Demonstrate relevant experience and qualifications (like mine, see below). Even better: implement authoring schema markup.
- About pages. Talking about your company’s founding, history, mission, and achievements, among other things, can help establish its expertise.
- Links to authoritative sources. Just as you want the AI to cite credible resources, it also wants to see the same from you. This means original sources that are current and list specific responsible parties or authors.
- Release dates The indication that your content is current
- Clear editorial standards Show your commitment to quality
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Accordingly Google’s quality rating guidelines (updated regularly through 2024), expertise and trustworthiness are the key methods for assessing content quality – and AI systems are trained to the same standards.
5. Present extensive expertise
Another part of credibility is demonstrating a deep understanding of your industry, product, and desired area of expertise. Here’s how:
Make your content comprehensive
One way to use tools to assess expertise is to look for comprehensive coverage of a specific topic on your website and content. For example, consider how HubSpot covers digital marketing and business growth and Healthline covers wellness.
Research from Clearscope shows that long-form content (more than 2,500 words with comprehensive topic coverage) received 3.2 times more AI citations than shorter, superficial posts. Semrush Additionally, comprehensive, well-sourced content has been found to generate 77.2% more backlinks than superficial content, benefiting both your GEO and traditional SEO performance.
So, go deep. That means:
- Cover multiple aspects of a topic.
- Providing real, unique examples and step-by-step instructions.
- Including data and statistics to support your points
- Answering common questions and edge cases
- Link to related resources for people who want to find out more
Conclusion: AI systems prefer sources that cover a topic in depth rather than providing quick, incomplete answers.
Create pillar pages
Credibility and comprehensive coverage tend to come naturally over time, but you can help. Consider Creating Pillar Pages on your core topicsthen supporting articles that delve deeper into specific aspects under that umbrella.
For example, if your main topic is “email marketing,” create supporting content about segmentation, automation, deliverability, metrics, and platform comparisons.
From there, Strategically link the pieces together. Linking is fundamental to effective content optimization in the age of AI because it signals to AI and search engines that pages are connected. Make sure each piece goes back to the column and down the column to each piece.
The goal is to be complete. Hobbyists scratch the surface. Experts go deep.
Pro tip: Topic clusters and pillars can get complicated. Use HubSpot’s topic clustering tool in the Content Hub and Marketing Hub to map your content and identify gaps where you may be missing important pieces.
6. Add images, videos and other visual content
Research by Princeton and Georgia Tech found that content with relevant images, charts, and videos received 40% more AI citations than text-only content. That’s a big advantage, but why exactly?
Visuals not only make content more engaging and memorable for your audience, but they also help AI systems understand context. They also signal that you’ve made a real effort to present information from many different perspectives in an accessible and clear manner. It’s a sign of being thorough, and AI loves thoroughness.
Include the following in your content:
- Custom images with detailed alternative text descriptions. This is not only for accessibility, but also because AI systems read this text to understand what the image shows.
- Charts and graphs make the data and trends easier to understand
- videos that explain complex ideas
- Infographics which summarize the most important points
- Screenshots that show step-by-step processes or examples of what you are discussing.
(This article is a good example of how to implement this tip.)
7. Write to a real person like a real person
Don’t you hate it when AI sounds like a robot? Ironically, it hates that too.
AI systems are trained on conversational questions and natural language. Content that is overly formal, technical, or stuffed with keywords is harder for AI to interpret and cite correctly.
Write as if you were explaining something to a smart colleague who might be new to the topic:
- Speak directly to the readers with “you”.
- Contain Personal experiences and insights with words like “I”, “My”, “Our”.
- Add questions readers might ask or leads usually ask.
- Define technical terms if you need to use them
- Don’t overdo it with jargon
This conversational style is not only better for GEO, but also more engaging for human readers and improves the performance of your content across the board.
Pro tip: If you’re using AI to actually write your content, make sure you edit and humanize it before publishing.
Search engines and AI machines claim that they don’t penalize AI-generated content, but they actually penalize unoriginal Content that poses an inherent risk with AI tools. More on this shortly.
8. Publish regularly and keep content current
Freshness is extremely important to GEO. AI systems prefer current content because it is more likely to be current. Content Marketing Institute study from 2024 found that organizations that published weekly or more frequently had a 67% higher AI citation rate than organizations that published monthly or less frequently.
Create a content refresh strategy:
- Review content quarterly to catch outdated information
- Update dates if you make significant changes
- Add new sections about new developments
- Replace old sources with current research results and data
- Track what you’ve updated So that AI systems notice the changes
Content that hasn’t been changed in over 18 months is much less likely to be cited, no matter how good it originally was.
Common Pitfalls in Generative Engine Optimization (and How to Avoid Them)
1. Be vague or contradictory about who/what you are talking about
The error: Switching between different names for the same thing (such as “HubSpot,” “the Company,” “the Platform,” “it”) without sufficient context, or using pronouns when it is unclear what they are referring to.
Why it hurts: AI systems identify specific people, places and things to understand and recommend content. Vague references create confusion and prevent possible citations.
Fix it quickly:
- Search your content for words like “it,” “they,” and “this.”
- Replace unclear references with specific names
- Create a style guide for consistent terminology
- Use structured data to explicitly define key terms
2. Schema markup is skipped or implemented incorrectly
The error: Publish content without schema markup, use outdated formats, or implement it incorrectly so it doesn’t work properly.
Why it hurts: AI systems use schemas as a reliable way to understand your content. A missing or incorrect schema can affect how the AI interprets what you say.
Fix it quickly:
3. Citing questionable or outdated sources
The error: Linking to unreliable websites, news aggregators or research from before 2024 where current information is available.
Why it hurts: AI systems evaluate the credibility of sources. Weak or outdated citations indicate low-quality content that should not be trusted.
Fix it quickly:
- Replace quotes older than 18 months
- Link to original or reputable sources rather than summaries
- Remove links or references to low-authority websites or voices
- Add publication dates to all citations
- Prioritize academic, government, and recognized industry sources
4. Publishing AI-written content without editing
The error: Use AI-generated content directly without adding a unique perspective, original research, your brand voice or expert input.
Why it hurts: AI systems detect and downgrade generic, AI-generated content that lacks original value. Ironically, AI-written content often doesn’t perform well for GEO.
Fix it quickly:
- Include real, unique examples from your experience
- Add your own data or case studies
- Add quotes and insights from experts on your team
- Include your personal perspective, commentary and emotions
HubSpot’s brand voice tool can help.
Read: How to humanize AI content to be rated, interacted with, and shared
5. Never update or revisit content
The error: Create content and never go back to it, even when information becomes outdated or new developments occur.
Why it hurts: AI systems strongly prefer current content. Outdated information will be skipped in favor of newer sources, even if your original content was of higher quality.
Fix it quickly:
- Set up a quarterly content review calendar for high-value and high-ranking articles (also known as historical optimization).
- Update statistics and examples to current year data
- Update release dates after large updates
- Review and replace examples and screenshots
- Add new sections on current developments
6. Omitting author credentials and authority signals
The error: Publishing content without author information, credentials, or organizational background that helps AI systems assess trustworthiness.
Why it hurts: AI systems are trained to judge credibility based on an author’s expertise and an organization’s authority. Anonymous or poorly attributed content is treated as less trustworthy.
Fix it quickly:
- Add detailed author bios to all content
- Associate bylines with credentials
- Create strong “About” and “Team” pages
- Link authors to professional profiles (LinkedIn, company pages)
- Include your editorial standards and fact-checking process
Read: Professional Bio Examples: 29 Work Bios I Keep in My Back Pocket for Inspiration (+ Templates)
7. You’re not tracking whether your GEO efforts are working
The error: Implementing GEO tactics without measuring whether they increase AI citations, traffic from AI platforms, or brand mentions.
Why it hurts: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Without tracking, you may be wasting time on things that don’t really help.
Fix it quickly:
- Set up Google Search Console to track the occurrence of AI overviews
- Monitor brand mentions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI tools
- Track traffic from AI platforms in Google Analytics
- Use tools like BrandWell’s AI Visibility Score to measure citations
- Create monthly GEO performance dashboards
8. Over-optimization for certain AI platforms
The error: Tailor content to a specific tool (e.g. ChatGPT or Perplexity) without considering how the landscape is changing.
Why it hurts: The world of AI search is evolving rapidly. Platform-specific tricks may not work as new systems emerge and existing ones change.
Fix it quickly:
- Focus on basic content quality and not platform hacks
- Build deep expertise that works across platforms
- Stay informed about new AI search tools
- Implement universal best practices (schema, credibility, sources)
- Avoid manipulative tactics in favor of truly useful content
FAQs on best practices for generative engine optimization
Does Generative Engine Optimization Replace Traditional SEO?
No, GEO does not replace traditional SEO; it complements it. Search engines still account for the majority of website traffic, so SEO is crucial. Additionally, many GEO and AEO methods are based on the same criteria as search engines.
They all value quality content, credible sources, technical excellence and user value. The main difference is that SEO focuses on ranking in search results, while GEO focuses on getting cited by AI tools that produce synthesized answers.
The smartest approach combines both strategies.
When you implement GEO best practices like thorough content, strong sources, clear language, and structured data, you also strengthen your traditional SEO. Think of GEO as SEO evolving for a world where AI plays a larger role, not as a replacement.
How long does it take to display results from GEO?
Typically, you will begin seeing GEO results within 4 to 12 weeks of implementation. However, the timing depends on the quality of your existing content, the authority of your site, and the extent of your optimization.
Quick results (2-4 weeks):
- AI platforms start citing your newly optimized content
- Better structured data helps AI understand your content more accurately
Medium-term results (2-3 months):
- More frequent citations as AI systems recognize your expertise
- Greater visibility of AI answers for your target topics
Long term gains (6+ months):
- Established authority ensures consistent citations
- Comprehensive topic coverage makes you a one-stop shop
Unlike traditional SEO, where ranking changes can take months, GEO can show results faster because AI systems continually update their source preferences. However, building sustainable GEO performance requires the same long-term commitment to quality that SEO requires.
How can I be cited more often by AI tools?
TLDR: Getting more citations from AI tools requires a combination of content quality, technical setup, and strategic positioning.
Important citation drivers:
- Show clear competence: Include the author’s credentials, your organization’s history, and evidence of your overall knowledge of the topic. Present social proof.
- Cover the topics thoroughly: Create in-depth content that truly explores topics rather than just skimming the surface.
- Use credible sources: Link to and work with trusted, verifiable references that can be validated by AI systems.
- Add structured data: Use schema markup to make it clear what your content is about.
- Optimize your technical performance: Speed and functionality are quality signals.
- Keep the content current: Regular updates with current data and information
- Create connected content: Develop related articles that provide comprehensive expertise
Accordingly Arizona State University Research Released in 2024, the strongest predictors of AI citations are content depth, source authority and technical quality – not keyword stuffing or link volume.
Tactical approach: Start with your highest authority content (based on backlinks, traffic, and engagement) and then optimize those pieces first using GEO best practices. This creates momentum that extends to newer content as AI systems recognize your website as reliable.
Which schema should I start with for GEO?
If you’re just getting started with schemas for GEO, focus on these four types that will have the most impact:
1. Article scheme: Informs AI systems about your content type, author, publication date and heading. This is the basis for all editorial content.
2. Organizational scheme: Establishes who you are and why you should be trusted as a source.
3. FAQ schema: Adapts directly to the way people ask AI tools questions, making your content highly relevant to conversational searches.
4. Breadcrumb scheme: Helps AI understand how your content is connected and related, which is important for providing comprehensive coverage.
After setting up these core types, extend them into a more specific schema:
- HowTo scheme for instructions and tutorials
- Product scheme for reviews and comparisons
- Person scheme for the credibility of the author
- VideoObject schema for video content
Use Schema.org for reference and validate your implementation with Google’s Rich Results Test. HubSpot’s Content Hub includes built-in schema tools that simplify implementation without requiring technical expertise.
Do I need separate GEO workflows for enterprises and SMBs?
The key GEO best practices work universally, but how you implement them should fit your resources, scope, and organizational structure.
Enterprise GEO workflows should emphasize:
- Centralized standards: Consistent schema templates, content guidelines, and quality controls across teams
- Dedicated resources: Specialized roles for GEO implementation and monitoring
- Automated processes: Programmatic schema deployment and content testing
- Cross-team coordination: Integration between SEO, content and technical teams
- Advanced tracking: Sophisticated measurement and AI citation monitoring
SMB GEO workflows should focus on the following:
- Priorities with high impact: Start with the core schema types and your best content first
- Scalable processes: Template-based approaches that do not require large resources
- Integrated tools: Platforms like HubSpot’s Content Hub that bundle GEO functions
- Simple measurement: Track AI referral traffic and brand mentions instead of complex attribution
- Step-by-step expansion: Start with the best-performing content and grow from there
Regardless of the size of the organization, the goal is the same: create trustworthy, well-structured content that is cited by AI systems. The path just needs to fit your resources and setup.
Generate Generative Success
I understand it. Although AI is not technically new, it feels like it. With response engines and generative engines, we have never seen artificial intelligence at this level and so easily accessible to the general public.
But don’t let the marketing tabloids scare you away. Your old SEO playbook isn’t useless; In fact, much of generative engine optimization is based on the same principles.
Start with your most important content, get the technical foundations right (like schema and clear language), and commit to keeping your expertise fresh, current, and valuable. Organizations that view GEO as a strategic priority rather than a checkbox will maintain their visibility as search evolves.
Ready to implement these GEO best practices at scale? HubSpot’s Content Hub provides integrated tools to create, optimize, and measure AI-enabled content without the need for a technical team.