And that means your findability is influenced in a new way. That's why I now work not only with SEO, but also with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
What is GEO actually?
Put very simply: I ensure that content is written and structured so that AI systems understand it, trust it and use it in their answers.
In practice, GEO is very similar to SEO, but I notice a number of important emphases:
- Authority: AI is more likely to adopt information from brands and websites that are already known and reliable. A client of mine in the legal sector only really got visibility in ChatGPT after we more clearly linked their expertise to their brand name and we had built targeted backlinks.
- Structure: loose blogs work less well than well-organized content. For an e-commerce client, for example, I expanded product categories with contextual explanations and frequently asked questions. As a result, Bing's AI picked up those pages faster.
- Technology: AI tools simply extract content from your site. If your technical SEO is not in order, that content will also not come along (properly).
Why GEO is important
I see in practice that search behavior is changing. I increasingly hear clients say: "I use ChatGPT to figure this out instead of Google."
Companies that are responding to this now have a significant head start. A few examples:
- A B2B client of mine got the first leads through answers that were generated in ChatGPT.
- A local service provider saw organic traffic from Google stagnate, but at the same time the traffic that ended up on the site via AI tools grew.
In short: GEO is not a hype, it's simply where the market is moving.
How I apply GEO
I always approach GEO trajectories practically, with four fixed steps:
Content optimization
I rewrite content so that AI understands the connections better. For example, I recently merged all loose blogs into one knowledge base for a client in healthcare. The result: not only more overview for visitors, but also more visibility in AI answers.
- AI-friendly content structure
I implement structured data and knowledge graphs. For example, for a software company: by clearly placing their services in a schema, the content was picked up more often by AI tools. - Authority building
Link building remains important. For a client in the construction sector, I ensured mentions in industry platforms, so that their expertise is now also recognized faster by AI models. - Monitoring & optimization
AI changes continuously. That's why I measure how much traffic comes from AI tools and adjust the strategy accordingly. Just like with SEO, this is an ongoing process.
The challenges I see
Of course, GEO isn't always easy. AI models are sometimes unpredictable: why one page gets picked up and another doesn't isn't always clear. That's why I test a lot. Additionally, it's not yet possible to say which AI search engine will become the biggest player, so I always ensure a hybrid strategy: SEO and GEO.
Why I'm already focusing on GEO now
I believe this is the moment to get started with GEO. Many companies aren't doing it yet, which means you can gain an advantage with relatively small steps.
Clients who started with GEO last year are now much more visible in AI search engines than their competitors. And because this market is still growing rapidly, that advantage only increases.
The future of SEO and GEO
One thing is clear to me: SEO remains important, but without GEO you'll lose visibility in the long term. Companies that combine both are leading the way.
Want to know how I would approach this in practice for your company? Feel free to contact me! I'd be happy to show you what GEO can concretely deliver.
