What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of structuring your content so it can be discovered and featured in AI-powered answers from tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot. Unlike traditional SEO, which helps your site rank in search results, GEO ensures your business shows up in the direct answers AI engines provide to users. By publishing authoritative content, enriching product/service pages with FAQs and reviews, showcasing human expertise, and optimizing video, businesses can increase visibility, credibility, and conversions in an AI-driven digital world.
GEO—or Generative Engine Optimization—is the next big leap in SEO.
Traditional SEO gets your site ranked. GEO gets your content featured in AI-powered answers. Together, they form a two-part strategy to stay visible in an AI-driven world.
Authoritative Publishing
AI engines tend to pull from trusted sources. Getting published—or syndicated—on high-authority domains increases your GEO reach.
Recent research shows that 30% of all AI Overview mentions on Google come from just the top 50 domains, proving the advantage of authority in this new ecosystem.
Smarter Product Pages
Enrich your product or service pages with details AI can use, such as:
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FAQs
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Reviews
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Pricing information
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Authorship or expertise markers
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Links to major retailers (like Amazon or Walmart)
The richer your page, the more useful it is to generative AI—and the more likely it gets featured.
Adding Human Touchpoints
AI favors content that feels credible and expert-driven. To build that trust:
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Show clear authorship
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Share real-world experience
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Encourage user comments or feedback
The more human your content feels, the more weight it carries in AI-generated results.
Visual & Video Signals
Video is becoming a powerhouse for both SEO and GEO.
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Video content is 53× more likely to rank organically than plain text pages.
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Pages with video see 157% more organic traffic, 2.6× longer visit times, and a 60% lower bounce rate.
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84% of people say a brand’s video convinced them to buy a product or service.
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Video now accounts for 82% of all consumer internet traffic.
AI engines increasingly pull video metadata, transcripts, and captions into their responses. Creating short, optimized video clips is one of the smartest ways to boost visibility in voice and chat-based search.
Key Takeaways: Why GEO Should Be on Your Radar
- GEO = The Next Evolution of SEO
It’s not just about ranking anymore—it’s about being the answer AI engines deliver. - Authority Is Everything
AI pulls from trusted, well-cited sources. Publishing on authoritative platforms boosts your content’s GEO reach. - Smarter Product Pages Win
Pages with rich details—FAQs, reviews, authorship, pricing, and retailer links—are more likely to be featured in AI-generated responses. - Human-Led Content Gets the Edge
Clear authorship, real-world experience, and user engagement help your content feel trustworthy to AI. - Video = Visibility
AI engines recognize video metadata. Optimized clips can enhance your content’s discovery in voice and chat-based search. - GEO + SEO = Total Visibility
Think of GEO as your SEO’s power boost—working together to get your brand seen, heard, and chosen.
GEO isn’t a replacement for SEO—it’s the evolution. SEO lays the foundation; GEO amplifies it. Businesses that adapt early will be the ones showing up not only in search results—but also in the AI-powered answers your customers trust most.
Want to see how GEO and SEO can work together for your business?
How is GEO different from traditional SEO?
SEO helps your website rank in search engines like Google. GEO helps your content show up in AI-generated answers—like those from ChatGPT, Google SGE, or voice assistants. It’s about optimizing for how people now ask and receive answers.
Do I need to stop doing SEO if I focus on GEO?
Not at all. GEO builds on a strong SEO foundation. Think of SEO as your groundwork, and GEO as the strategy that makes your content more discoverable in new AI-powered formats.
What kind of content works best for GEO?
Authoritative blog posts, FAQ sections, product pages with reviews, and videos with metadata. The more your content reflects expertise, clarity, and trustworthiness, the more AI engines will favor it.
Can GEO help my local business compete with big brands?
Yes. If you publish useful, localized, and expert-driven content, AI engines will surface your answers—even over larger competitors who lack that human insight.
How do I get started with GEO?
Start by updating key pages with FAQs, adding author bylines, integrating video, and ensuring your content is listed on trusted platforms. VanDenBerg Web + Creative can help you build a GEO-friendly content strategy that fits your brand and your audience.