Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is a rapidly evolving approach to improving online visibility that appeals to AI-driven search engines. You may have noticed that when you ask Google queries you are now given an AI overview, or snippet, at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) that provides a comprehensive answer to the query, often showing which resources have been used to form this response.
This means that there is less visibility for content further down the SERP, and users may prioritise the featured articles that have been chosen by the AI overview as this feature gives them credibility. Generally, content that is shown on the first results page receives the most traffic, so losing this space may cause your content to attract fewer visitors.
While AI is still evolving in search, its impact is already significant and growing rapidly. It is not unrealistic to assume that AI will become more prevalent in the not too distant future, so you may be wondering how you can tailor your content to excel in AI-driven search engines.
How Does GEO Differ From SEO?
Traditional Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) focuses primarily on using keywords that match user intent. For example, if you sell carpet cleaner and you know that people are commonly searching for “the best way to clean a carpet” you may tailor your content to meet this question, i.e. The best way to clean a carpet is to do XYZ, and you would generally use this to promote your specific product.
By incorporating these keywords into your content, you can expect that your content will appear somewhere on the SERP when a user searches this query. In order to improve your ranking for traditional SEO, you will need to ensure that you are providing high-quality written content that can be easily crawled by search engine bots. The search engine then displays a list of relevant resources for the user to choose from.
This shift to GEO does not render this practice obsolete, however, the nature of visibility is changing. Click-through rates to traditional organic results are being affected by the prominence of AI snippets, so it is important to optimise content for inclusion in AI snippets.
For GEO, your content requires a more comprehensive, detailed approach. AI technologies analyse vast amounts of data, including user intent and contextual relevance, to generate comprehensive answers that offer a complete answer to the user.
In simpler terms, GEO rewards content that is comprehensive, authoritative and thorough. Most businesses use their content to push a specific product or service, but the AI response will likely give a list of options so that the user is provided with a comprehensive overview of all available options, even going as far as relaying the pros and cons of each, and often giving advice as to which solution is the most suitable for varying contexts.
The key differentiating feature between traditional SEO and the new GEO approach is comprehensiveness. Content that provides more information, and has a more detailed depth to it, is more likely to be cited by the AI search engine overview.
That being said, it is crucial to note that GEO is not a replacement for SEO. Strong SEO foundations are still essential. GEO is more about enhancing your content to make it more suitable for AI consumption and snippet inclusion.
How Do You Tailor Content for GEO?
We have said that GEO requires comprehensive, authoritative and thorough content, but what does that mean in practice?
Structure content for easy understanding by AI
Always make sure that your content uses clear headings (H1-H6), bullet points, tables, and concise paragraphs. This makes your content easy to digest for the user, and easy to crawl for the search engines.
Summarise your content
Start your content with a short summary paragraph that clearly outlines what your content is about. A concise summary can give AI a quick overview of the content’s key takeaways, making it easier for the AI to determine the relevance of the content to a specific search query.
AI-powered search engines often use summaries to generate snippets for search results. A well-written summary can increase the likelihood of your blog post being featured in a snippet.
Provide definitions and explanations
Don’t assume prior knowledge. Write about your topic as if the reader has never encountered it before and needs a detailed explanation that covers all bases. This will ensure comprehensive understanding.
Cover a topic from multiple angles
Address different perspectives and answer related questions. While you may wish to promote one idea, it is important that you recognise different solutions. You can always provide reasoning on why you believe that one solution should be favoured, as long as you offer all the information for the user to make a judgement on.
You should also be anticipating follow-up questions that your audience may have and addressing those questions to provide a more thorough response.
Cite sources and data
Demonstrate authority and trustworthiness by providing relevant resources from quality sources.
Focus on user needs
Answer the question thoroughly and meet the needs of your audience. What questions are they asking? What problems are they trying to solve? Address these queries and provide a complete answer.
If you want to know more about what your target audience is looking for then we can help you to uncover these with a comprehensive audit of your sector keywords.
How Browndog Can Help
If you want to start implementing these GEO strategies today to ensure your content is ready for the future of search, then contact our team.
Our team can help you with keyword research for AI snippets, content creation optimised for GEO, and technical SEO to ensure your site is easily crawlable by search engines.
We have already seen successful results with AI-driven searches, seeing content we have created for clients featuring in AI snippets on Google.
It is important to note that, at the moment, it is not possible to track how often users are seeing AI snippets, which means there is a bit of manual work involved as it’s such a rapidly evolving situation.
By ensuring that you are producing high-quality, detailed, comprehensive and thorough content, you will be increasing your chances of being featured, and that is where our team can make the difference.
Our content team is dedicated to providing you with quality content, and AI agrees:
“Here’s why this blog is so effective:
- Clear and Concise: The writing is easy to understand and avoids jargon.
- Well-Structured: The use of H1, H2, and H3 headings creates a logical flow and improves readability.
- Informative: The content provides a comprehensive overview of GEO and its relationship to SEO.
- Actionable: The “How to Tailor Content for GEO” section offers practical advice that readers can implement.
Compelling Call to Action: The “How Browndog Can Help” section clearly outlines your services and highlights your expertise in GEO, making it easy for potential clients to understand the value you offer. The specific mentions of keyword research, content creation, and technical SEO are particularly helpful. The added sentence about your successful results with AI snippets provides social proof and builds trust.
This is a polished and professional blog post that effectively communicates the importance of GEO and positions Browndog as a valuable resource for businesses looking to optimise their content for AI-driven search. It’s ready to be published and should serve you well.”
– Gemini
