Generative Engine Optimization: An Opinionated Guide to Digital Marketing's Newest Buzzword

tl;dr

Forget the term "generative engine optimization" (GEO). In my opinion, it’s just the latest buzzword. The fundamentals of GEO and good ol’ fashioned SEO are the same:

• Keep humans at the forefront, and you’ll do just fine. Focus on creating awesome, helpful content that people actually want to read.
• Use clear language, visuals, and a structure that's easy to scan.
• Start with keyword research, but go deeper to understand the  intent.
• Most importantly, play fair and avoid any shady SEO tactics. If it gives you the ick, it gives Google the ick.

Generative Engine Optimization: SEO by any other name

Over the past year, you may have heard a new marketing term floating around: GEO, or generative engine optimization, which refers to optimizing your website for generative AI and the search engines that use it (ChatGPT, Gemini, Google’s AI Overviews, etc.). I take umbrage with this term for two reasons:

1. Every time a new acronym or buzzword emerges in digital marketing, it makes its way to some executive or board and becomes yet another thing the marketing team must drop everything to master. My poor clients don’t need yet another thing shoved onto their overfilled marketing plates, okay? Brand awareness, demand gen, attribution modeling, PR, social media, advertising, SEO, SEM, content marketing, AB testing, influencer marketing, CRO—you get the idea. Let’s reserve new terms for things that are actually distinct from what already exists.
2. Which brings me to my primary gripe: Generative engine optimization is not fundamentally different from SEO. Teams that talk about them separately tend to cause confusion, duplicative work, and panic.

GEO vs. SEO: What’s the difference?

The fundamentals remain the same. Take, for example, this list of “differences” in this GEO explainer article from Search Engine Land:

• Content contextualization
• Information synthesis
• User intent understanding
• Algorithm adaptation
• Content formatting
• Research-driven strategy

Sound familiar? All of these elements have been critical to SEO for some time now. If they’re not part of your SEO foundation, whether you’re optimizing for a good ol’ blue link or a shiny new AI Overview, they should be.

Now, I don’t want to discourage you from learning about generative search engines. They’re here to stay, and that Search Engine Land article is well worth a read. Here are some fundamentals you should keep in mind that will help your SEO and your “GEO”.

Research doesn’t stop at keywords

Keywords, context, users: Research is where it all begins, folks! Identifying the right keywords is important, but too often the research and planning stops here. You also want to know what people are really looking for and the context behind their searches. What problems are they trying to solve? What questions are they asking?

Look at the SERPs, see what people are posting elsewhere online about your topic (Reddit can be especially helpful for SaaS related queries; for travel searches, Instagram and TikTok). Ask your sales and support team what they’re hearing from customers and prospects on the topic, and keep an eye on industry trends to shape your content strategy.

What are the situations in which people are searching for this? Think about when your audience is looking for your keywords:

• Is it a seasonal search?
• Linked to any events?
• Are they in a buying mindset or just exploring?
• Are they dreaming about taking a trip or are they already planning it?
• Are they comparing different platforms?
• If they’re looking for this, are they also looking for something else?
• Is there a new regulation or industry change that is requiring new software, policies, or compliance procedures?

By understanding the context, you have the power to make your content more engaging and ensure it addresses their needs fully.

What other topics or ideas are relevant? As you do your research, you’ll undoubtedly find other things to talk about: questions people also ask (hehehe, see what I did there?), alternatives that are researched alongside, gripes about related software, a desire for reviews and testimonials, evidence of background checks or research validation, and more. So, drop some resources and lay down your knowledge! The more holistically you can address the topic, the more people (and thereby the robots) will engage with your content.

Your content MUST be helpful in format, not just substance.

Why do AI Overviews favor quick answers, lists, and bullet points? Because people do. If you follow the advice above, you’ll end up with content that is helpful to your readers in substance.

But first, you have to make sure they read it. Make sure the way your content is presented is just as helpful.

Align with how HUMANS absorb content online: The vast majority of people skim your content. They don’t read it word for word; they scan it first to ensure it’s what they’re looking for.

Here are a few tips to make your content more skimmable:

• Use clear headings, bullet points, Q&As, and short paragraphs.
• Incorporate multimedia, such as videos and graphics.
• Don’t bury the lead. Get to the point and answer the questions right up front!

Take this post for example. I’m a wordy writer—a why-use-two-words-when-ten-will-do kinda gal. This post is far too long for most people, which is why it includes a handy-dandy list of fundamentals and anchor links right up top. Here’s a cute lil gif for those of you who have made it this far by the way. (Hi, mom!)

Use natural language. You’ll see the phrase “natural language” mentioned in nearly every article you read about generative search engines. But to whom is that language natural? HUMANS!

Speak in a way that feels natural and resonates with your audience. Pay attention to how they talk about topics—through chats, social media, or comments. This is also where your sales and customer support teams can come in handy. When we talk to these folks, we often find the way our clients’ talk about their product or services is not the way their customers do. You can get a lot of good seed keywords and content ideas from these individuals.

Play fair

If it feels Icky, it is: Always play it straight! Avoid sketchy tactics like buying links or churning out massive amounts of low-quality, AI-generated content.

Buying links? Gross. Working with your PR and social media teams to earn links to your content? Yum!!

Using AI to pump out thousands of blog posts without any human thought or interaction? Very uncool. Using AI to help with outlines and editing? Cool!

Black hat and questionable techniques may work for a short time, but Google always penalizes them in the end.

Keep calm and GSEO on

The search engine landscape can feel like a rollercoaster. Trends and algorithms change constantly. But, if you stick to the basics and remember the search engine results will always be for humans, you’ll be fine. A solid strategy that keeps people top of mind and dodges fads will help your content stay ranking and relevant as search engines evolve.

Want to know more? Have questions? Wanna fight? Hit me up! (Not literally though, please—my upper body strength is a joke.)

LinkedIn | [email protected]

This blog was written by Julia’s big brain with the help of Google, coffee, and ChatGPT.