AI Is Changing How We Google: Are You Ready for GEO?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is when you optimize your website’s content for AI search engines. AI-driven platforms like Chat GPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity differ from traditional search engines, since their main purpose is to generate unique answers tailored to user queries.

For example, if a user enters “what are the best outdoor walking shoes?” into an AI search engine, the AI will generate a detailed response to this query. It may include website links, visual data, images and videos in its response as well.

Your goal is to have your website’s content cited in these AI-generated responses, since it’ll help your business to increase its visibility online. To achieve this, you’ll need to optimize your website, making it easy for the AI search engines to discover your content and relay useful information back to its users.

💭 Curious about how AI is evolving elsewhere? Read our guides to AI-powered SEO and AI in ecommerce to find out – this knowledge can also help your business to achieve its goals!

How is GEO Different From SEO?

In contrast to GEO’s AI focus, SEO is a traditional digital marketing strategy that helps brands get their content seen on classic search engine results pages (SERPs). For example, this image showcases a Google results page for an ecommerce-related query:

Think of GEO as the natural evolution of SEO. With AI searches becoming more prevalent, it’s wise to adapt your content to appear in both traditional search results and AI-generated responses. 

The table below will show you the biggest differences between them:

Before you dive into GEO yourself, remember that traditional search engines and AI generative engines handle user queries differently. Here’s a quick summary:

1. Traditional search engines… focus on specific keywords when looking for relevant content display
2. AI generative engines… are more interested in finding high-quality sources to reference and cite in their responses

🤔 Want to learn how Google ranks content in traditional searches? If so, it’s time to read my article on understanding the Google algorithm.

You can’t ignore the rise of AI, since it’s popularity will continue to grow in the coming years. According to Statista, it’s predicted that around 36 million online users will be using AI search tools by 2028. If you want to tap into this growing audience and reach more customers, increase brand awareness, and boost online sales, you need to take action now.

The rise of AI and GEO can also help you better understand your target audience and their needs. Unlike traditional search queries, AI search queries tend to be longer and more detailed. 

For example:

• Traditional search query: “best yoga mats”
• AI search query: “where can I find the best yoga mats? I need a non slip mat that’s ideal for my travels abroad”

The second query is not only longer, but it sounds more natural and conversational in tone too. Once you’ve gained a clearer understanding of common queries your customers might ask, you can better tailor your content around their unique needs and boost your business’ chances of appearing in AI-generated responses.

Now that you understand the fundamentals of GEO, it’s time to start optimizing your website’s content for AI search engines. Follow the six easy steps below.

1. Experiment With AI Generative Engines Yourself

If you want to understand how AI search engines work, you need to use them yourself. As you test out the different platforms available, from ChatGPT to Perplexity, I recommend completing the actions below:

• Search for queries related to your industry – Take a look at the AI-generated responses. What kinds of website sources are cited in the results? And how has the AI model structured its answers?
• Take note of any clear patterns – During this experimentation phase, see if you can recognize patterns in the AI-generated responses. For example, you might find that the AI tends to create bullet pointed lists or cite stats from different websites.

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the different kinds of AI-generated responses, think about how you’ll tweak your current content to reflect these findings. For example, if you notice that different AI platforms tend to use bullet point lists, you could start bullet pointing key product details if you’re selling online.

2. Conduct In-Depth Customer Research

As part of your Generative Engine Optimization strategy, you need to have a good grasp of what audiences are typing into AI generative engines. With this knowledge, you can tailor your content around users’ needs and ensure the information you feature is relevant to them.

During customer research, keep these crucial questions in mind:

• What is the user intent? Your customers will use AI search for different reasons. For example, to find specific information, make a purchase decision, or look for a brand. Think about your customer’s key needs and tailor your content to them.
• What keywords are they using? In AI-powered searches, it’s common for users to include longtail keywords or question-based keywords in their queries. So, if you’re conducting keyword research, watch out for longer keywords such as “the best running shoes for summer” or “which brands have the best running shoes for summer?”

3. Adopt a Human Tone of Voice

AI generative engines use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand human search queries and the context behind them. So, you should be creating content in a conversational tone of voice that’s easy for the AI to understand.

You can achieve this by:

• Leaving out the technical jargon (unless it’s required in a specific industry) and using everyday words that everyone can understand
• Adding question-based headings that reflect the questions your customers might be asking
• Writing like you speak, so your content reflects the natural speech patterns that AI models are attuned to

🤔 Need extra help creating readable copy? Refer to our in-depth guide on writing for the web

4. Create High-Quality Content With E-E-A-T

To generated responses for users, AI generative engines and AI Overviews will look for informative, trustworthy sources to cite. If you want your own business to make the cut, you must be creating high-quality content that the AI models can use to create comprehensive answers for users.

When creating or updating your website’s content, I recommend following Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines. Google uses these principles to assess content quality, so they’re a fantastic way to make sure that you’re on the right track.

Here’s a quick summary of E-E-A-T, with actionable examples included: 

5. Improve Your Website’s Performance With Technical SEO

AI generative engines and search responses will retrieve information from different data sources, so it’s important that they can easily access your website’s content. If AI models encounter technical issues, like a page that won’t load, they then can’t collect and process specific information on your website. 

To prevent any issues, double check your website’s technical SEO, since this will impact the discoverability of your content.

A couple of steps you can take include:

• Improving your website’s speed – To help AI models process your website’s content, make sure that your webpages are quick to load. If you’re having issues, try compressing images, videos, and code, or making sure that you’re using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) which speeds up load times by storing your content on local servers.
• Checking your website’s structure – Your website’s navigation must make it easy for the AI to find what it’s looking for. Important pages should only be a few clicks away, while your navigation bar should separate different webpages into clear categories.

6. Combine Different Kinds of Website Content

AI-generated responses won’t just include text, but images, videos, and visual data like tables, too. Because AI generative engines can deliver information in a range of different formats, it’s worth making sure that your content has some variety.

When creating content, consider adding:

• Varied website imagery, such as your own photos or infographics
• Optimized video content that answers different user questions or clearly breaks down a topic
• Visual data like graphics or charts, which can also make complex information more digestible for users

Though the rise of AI-powered searches might sound intimidating, your business doesn’t have to fall behind. Now that you’re equipped with a deeper understanding of Generative Engine Optimization and know how to adapt your content accordingly, you’ll be able to increase your chances of appearing in AI responses to user questions.

Because the technology is evolving fast, make sure you don’t forget to stay updated with the latest industry news. Experiment with new AI features, set up Google Alerts for notifications on the latest stories, and follow AI experts on platforms like LinkedIn. Sustained, long-term effort is the key to success.

💡Did you know that you can use AI to create your next website? For more information, read our guides to AI website builders or the best AI prompts you can use to speed up the process