We’re just learning AEO…now what is GEO?!

Let’s start with what we do know. 

We know what SEO is. We’re learning what AEO is (if this is the first you’re hearing of it, check out our blog post on AEO basics). We know that people are increasingly searching for answers on AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Calude. 

So let’s meet the new kid on the block, GEO, or as our new friend is formally known, Generative Engine Optimization. GEO is the practice of creating content that AI systems can find, understand, trust, and reference when answering user questions.

Here’s how it all works together:

• SEO, Search Engine Optimization
  Goal: To rank in traditional search results
  Optimized for: Google, Bing, etc.

• AEO, Answer Engine Optimization
  Goal: To become the answer provided by AI assistants and overviews
  Optimized for: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.

• GEO, Generative Engine Optimization
  Goal: To influence how generative AI systems use and cite your content when creating responses
  Optimized for: AI-generated answers from LLMs and AI search engines

GEO focuses on answering the question “how do I become the source AI cites?” Those who excel at GEO become trusted sources of information. The rise of AI summaries, zero-click content, and the use of AI tools for information searches have made GEO an essential component of digital marketers' strategies. 

What is AI Looking for?

We’ve been doing a lot of writing about what the AI likes, so we’ll just give a high-level overview here. For a deeper dive, check out How Can B2B Marketers Get Started with AEO?, AI Didn’t Kill Blogs, They’re Just Having a Midlife Crisis, and Everyone Has AI. Now the Differentiator is Human. 

The AI likes things that seem human. It likes homegrown authority that can be driven by producing your own first-party research, insights, and education. In summary, AI doesn’t value generic AI slop. 

In addition to strong content, it’s looking for structural signals such as:

• Clear headings

• Direct answers

• Definitions

• Lists

• FAQs

Topical depth is also critical. If your brand is trying to own a specific conversation, you should create many articles about it that are unique, human, contain your own insights, and have a clear structure that the AI likes.

So how is GEO different from SEO? Well, it’s definitely not a replacement. GEO builds on a strong SEO strategy to amplify visibility. Think of GEO as SEO’s kid, sitting on SEO’s shoulders.

Traditional SEO

• Ranking for keywords

• Search engines

• Click-through rate

• Keyword optimization

• Individual pages

VS GEO

• Being cited in answers

• AI engines

• Citation visibility

• Entity and topic authority

• Topic ecosystems

Content That Performs Best for GEO

The content most likely to earn AI citations includes original research, expert commentary, comprehensive guides, and case studies, ya know, all the stuff that’s difficult to make and requires subject matter expertise.

These formats provide unique insights, firsthand experience, context, and evidence that AI systems cannot easily find elsewhere. The good stuff. The human stuff.

Here are some tips to get started optimizing your digital properties for GEO:

• Use question-based headings. The kind of questions that you know your prospects are asking ChatGPT. “What are the best B2B animal health marketing lead generation campaigns?”

• Create topic clusters such as

  • B2B animal health lead gen vs. brand building

  • B2B animal health KPI measurement

  • B2B animal health content strategy

  • B2B animal health CRM optimization

  • B2B animal health case studies

• Publish original data and research.

• Include statistics and expert testimonials.

• Use a proper technical content structure that includes:

  • Headings

  • Bullets

  • Tables

  • FAQs

  • Summaries

Before We Say Adeiu

We’re going to leave GEO success measurements for another blog. The simple reason why: how we measure GEO outcomes is still evolving. So for now, our advice is to focus on producing good content. If you’ve read our other blogs, you might be noticing a theme…

The theme is that there’s no magical way around the cold, hard truth that the most visible brands are the ones that provide the most useful information. Boom. Knowledge bomb. I mean, not really, feels pretty obvious.

As we navigate this new world of “EO’s”, the Red Brick team is here to help you create quality content to drive leads, demand, and visibility with the AI overlords. Contact us for help!