Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The future of SEO and search

Let's define a few things related to optimizing search in this new AI-empowered age

By Jason Oliver and Brian Birch
There is a lot of information floating out there on the internet about the 'death of SEO' (search engine optimization) and the rise of all sorts of AI-related replacements. Truth is, the internet in its current form will still exist, and people will still be searching for content in a myriad of ways. BUT, those search habits and tools are changing rapidly, and the scene is getting more complex. This article tackles a few key definitions and helps small businesses and organizations get started.

Generative Engine Optimization

According to ChatGPT (yes the irony is real), GEO is:
"Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of optimizing content specifically to be accurately interpreted, cited, or synthesized by AI-powered generative engines (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude) that generate answers based on large-scale data. Unlike traditional SEO, which targets search engine rankings, GEO focuses on making content discoverable, understandable, and re-usable by AI language models during content generation."

To sum it up, the focus is less on generating clicks, and more on having conversations with AI and the people directing the AI. Sounds easy, but there are a lot of things that underpin this need.

It makes sense, these AI tools are built on language models, right? So the key is to find what you are an expert at, and begin to create content that ties back to that in ways that AI tools can read and understand that you truly are an expert. Its hard and time consuming, there is no easy button, there never was (SEO consulants be damned!). 

How to get started with Generative Engine Optimization

GEO can be overwhelming, but the good news is there are places you can start that help you create better, more refined content that meets your audiences needs. You can set this in place today without a lot of technical knowledge, and marketing folks have been doing this for years, you should listen to them when they talk about personas, content strategies, long form content, FAQ's. All these things are going to matter more! Do a little research or hire someone who an audit your current content strategy and begin evolving it to meet the day.

Here is the example from ChatGPT
In the prompt, after asking a contextual and very specific (and important!) question, the response from ChatGPT comes through. Often, sources are cited, but in this case, not so much. So we asked; as you can see, Wikipedia owns the space for GEO when it comes to Harriers and their family tree. If you sell Harriers (which we are against hawks should be free!), you aren't even in the ballpark.

Another term that is being used and is very similar (maybe they will become the same thing?), is the term Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). 

Answer Engine Optimization defined:

"Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the process of crafting and structuring content so that it is selected and displayed by answer engines, including systems (like Google’s SGE, Bing AI, or Perplexity) that deliver direct answers to user queries instead of linking to websites. AEO aims to increase the chances that your content is chosen as the final response or source in these AI-generated answer boxes."

Let's use our amazing example of Harrier's because deep down, we are all bird lovers (or dinosaur lovers, which basically just turned into birds like a long time ago):

Wikipedia, dethroned as the endgame source of knowledge on Harrier ancestry, someone call them! But things are looking up for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (in Cody, Wyoming, an amazing museum and amazing town, I've been there!). 

So what is the lesson in all of this? Its three things we need to consistently think about in marketing and search:

1) What is the context and relevance of our expertise, and how do we understand that deeply?

2) Who is our core audience(s), and how are we aligning our expertise with their needs and quesitons, as if they were sitting next to us asking us dumb questions about birds?

3) Where do these tools that are growing exponentially in use get their information, how do they read and absorb new information, and how do we speak their language as well?

Lots to think about. I'll be outside, looking for hawks (and owls)! 

About the authors

Brian Birch is an experienced marketing and tech professional with 20+ years of experience helping small organizations grow and get noticed online. He is the Founder/Owner of Harrier LLC, a consulting firm specializing in marketing, tech, operations, and web presence for small nonprofits and businesses.

Jason Oliver is a seasoned business consultant and transformation advisor with over a decade of experience driving Lean, Agile, and AI-powered initiatives for enterprise organizations. He partners with executive teams to implement agile governance, optimize resource alignment, and accelerate continuous improvement using Lean Six Sigma methodologies. With deep expertise in operational excellence, AI strategy, and organizational agility, he empowers clients to adapt quickly in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

FAQ for these topics:

What is Search Engine Optimization?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) focuses on optimizing content to rank higher in traditional search engines like Google by using keywords, backlinks, and technical site health.(ChatGPT)

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO?
GEO aims to make content easily understood, referenced, and surfaced by AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity. GEO prioritizes context, clarity, and structured data so that AI models can accurately cite or summarize your content in generated (ChatGPT)