Years of:
written to game the system gave way to
bad information and a crappy experience.
The right answer wasn’t located in the first two or three results, and it definitely wasn’t a sponsored result.
All that SEO content was basic, 101 stuff that underestimates your audience’s intelligence and need for information.
AI answer engines built on large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity to give you better, faster and (mostly) more accurate answers—more to-the-point than what Google spits out.
LLMs appear to be smarter and more confident.
They extract facts, interpret tone and assemble answers based on patterns and relationships between words or word fragments. They craft responses and ask follow-up questions. They try to predict why you’re asking a specific question.
This is the future of “search,” and now’s the time to get optimized.
It’s no longer enough to be on the first page. Generative engine optimization (GEO) is an opportunity to be the first answer.
Optimize your own site first or be forgotten
Your website is still home turf—it needs to educate humans reading it and also be structured in a way that machines can easily digest it.
LLMs don’t scan your entire page—they extract information from concise, clearly written sections. Make sure each paragraph or section answers a specific question or idea. (This is mostly good, clear writing!)
Another win for content folks everywhere. Write the way your customers ask questions.
These are gold for LLMs. They provide clarity, hierarchy and context—exactly what models look for when deciding what to quote or summarize.
LLMs don’t scan your entire page—they extract information from concise, clearly written sections. Make sure each paragraph or section answers a specific question or idea. (This is mostly good, clear writing!)
Another win for content folks everywhere. Write the way your customers ask questions.
These are gold for LLMs. They provide clarity, hierarchy and context—exactly what models look for when deciding what to quote or summarize.
GEO is fueled by media relations
Increasing your firm’s presence across the internet gets you two big benefits, simultaneously:
Coverage (and eyeballs) in publications your customers are reading
Mentions in AI answers with references to your website
Identifywhich websites your firm should be featured on based on where LLMs are pulling query answers from
Create
thought leadership content and commentary to appeal to media outlets
Build
relationships with editors and journalists to secure placements on these sites
Get articles published
Amplify those placements through your website, social and other marketing channels
Rinse. Repeat.
Yes, technical SEO still matters. So does schema markup. It’s vital to make sure LLMs can easily read your content.
But appealing to LLMs means that firms focusing on authentic, accurate, clear content win out.
GEO isn’t about gaming the system—it’s about showing off your deep industry knowledge and being rewarded for it.
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