Generative Engine Optimization

It involves optimizing various aspects of the generative process, including data quality and model architecture, to produce high-quality, realistic outputs efficiently.

No, GEO complements SEO. While traditional SEO focuses on search engine rankings, GEO emphasizes optimizing content for AI-driven engines.

SEO aims to improve a website’s visibility in search engine results through techniques like keyword optimization and backlinking, whereas GEO focuses on optimizing content and advertisements for AI-driven search engines.

All right, so you’re ready to explore how AI is changing SEO. We’ll buckle up, because we’re going way beyond simple keywords today. Get ready to dive deep into generative engine optimization, where search engines are going through a major upgrade. Yeah, it’s a huge shift. Huge, yeah. We went from tricking those algorithms with all the keyword tricks to needing to write content that’s so good and insightful. Even an AI can see its value. That’s right. And we’re going to be using excerpts from a piece called Streamlining AI for effective search optimization to help us really break down this change. And one thing that’s really interesting is the rise of AI driven search engines. Right. Like Google’s Search Generative Experience. Yeah. Or SGE for short. Mm-hm. And Bing Chat. Yeah. And these aren’t your typical search engines. You know, they’re not just giving us a list of links. No, no, no, they’re going deeper. They’re actually reading and analyzing and then synthesizing that information to give users comprehensive answers. That’s really interesting. It’s like they’re doing all the research for us, but that means our content needs to be amazing just to be seen. Right. And that’s where GEO comes in. Exactly. Generative Engine Optimization. Yeah. So how is that different than traditional SEO? Is this just SEO on steroids or is there more to it? It’s definitely more nuanced than that. You see, traditional SEO was really focused on keyword matching. Search engines would rank websites based on how what they use certain keywords. And success was measured in things like click-through rates and how long someone stayed on a page. Right. Metrics we’re all familiar with. Yeah. But GEO is cracking something different, right? Totally different. GEO is about how your content is featured in those AI-generated responses. It’s about being the source the AI uses. So instead of click-through rates, you’re looking at things like impression metrics. So how often your content is cited. You know, how prominently those citations are displayed and how relevant they are to what the user searched. Okay, so content is still king, but the rules have changed. Our source really emphasized that context is queen now. Right. You can’t just throw a bunch of keywords in there anymore. No, you have to write with AI in mind. So how do we do that? Well, think about it this way. These AI engines are powered by something called large language models or LLMs. Okay. Google’s Lambda and Meta’s Lamae 3. These are LLMs. And they’re not just mashing words. They’re trained on so much data they can understand and generate human quality language. Wow. So they’re not just looking for keywords. They’re trying to really understand what we’re saying. Exactly. That’s a big change. And that’s why it’s so important to create content that is clear and well-structured and most importantly comprehensive. It needs to answer the user’s question. Fluff and clickbait won’t work anymore. Okay, so no more shortcuts. Yeah. Can you give us an example of how this actually works? Sure. Imagine someone searches best hiking trails near me. Now, an AI-powered search engine might still show a map with trails, but it’ll also create a summary of the top-rated trails and pull that information from all over the place. So if you have a blog post about hiking trails, but it’s poorly written, no details like difficulty level or trail length or good photos, the AI is just gonna skip it. Yeah, if it got hurt. Right. But if your article is well researched, visually appealing, really digs into what hikers wanna know. Then you’re golden. That’s the kind of content that makes it into those AI generated responses. The content that establishes you as an authority. So it’s not just about producing a lot of content, it’s about making something valuable, something that stands out. Exactly. Depth authority, real value for the user. And our source points out this might actually level the playing field a little bit. Well, that’s interesting. Are you saying the shift to GEO could be good news for smaller creators? I think so, yeah. I mean, in the past, SEO was really dominated by huge companies with all the resources to build backlinks and boost their domain authority. But GEO is all about the quality of the content. So you’re saying a smaller blog with really well written and insightful content could actually outrank a big corporation? That’s the potential here, yeah. If the AI thinks the smaller blog’s content is more relevant, comprehensive, and authoritative, it’s going to get prioritized in those responses. And that’s a huge change. Okay, I’m sold. Yeah. But how do we make this happen? What tools and strategies do we need to master this GEO thing? Our source mentioned AI writing tools. Are those helpful or are they just hype? I think they can be really helpful, but you have to use them the right way. Okay. Tools like GrammarlyJasperCopy.ai can help you polish your writing, make sure it’s clear. Think of them as assistance, not replacements for your own creativity and expertise. So we’re enhancing our work, not handing it over. Exactly. What about content clusters? How do those fit into GEO? I think content clusters are a great way to organize your content around specific topics. This helps the AI understand how different pieces of content on your site are connected and that boosts your overall visibility and helps you build authority. So instead of having all these random blog posts, we’re creating a connected structure. Right, exactly. So imagine you’re a travel blogger. Okay. Instead of having separate posts about flights, hotels, and attractions, you could create a cluster around backpacking Southeast Asia. You’d have articles on finding cheap flights, the best hostels, must-see temples, local food, all linked together. So it’s like a knowledge base, but it’s also showing the AI how much you know about this topic. Exactly. It’s great for users because it gives them all the information they need. And it’s great for the AI because it shows your depth of knowledge. Everyone wins. I’m really starting to see how all of this works together. Now there was one more term from our source that I wanted to understand better. Structured data markup. What is that and how does it relate to GEO? Well, it sounds complicated, but it’s basically a way to give those AI search engines a little extra help understanding your content. Like giving them a cheat sheet. Exactly. Structured data is adding extra information to your content that helps search engines understand what’s on the page. So if I’m writing a recipe, I could use structured data to specify the ingredients, cooking time and nutritional information. Yeah, exactly. And that makes it super easy for the AI to understand your recipe. And that means it’s more likely to show up in relevant searches. OK. Structured data content clusters. High quality content. It’s all starting to make sense. But what about social media? Does engagement still matter in this world of GEO? Oh, absolutely. Social signals are still really important. Being active on places like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook can show authority and relevance to AI driven search engines. It’s a way to demonstrate your reach and your expertise. So all those like shares and comments are still valuable for the AI? More than ever, I think. Think about it if people are engaging with your content on social media that tells the AI that your content is valuable and worth paying attention to. It’s like social proof, but for the algorithm. I love that social proof for the algorithms. This has been so helpful in understanding the basics of GEO. But what about when things don’t go as planned? Even with a good GEO strategy, are there challenges we should be ready for? Of course, even with the best strategy, you’re going to run into some roadblocks. But the good news is most of these challenges can be overcome with a little troubleshooting. OK. So what are some of the most common issues and how can we fix them? Our source talked about low organic traffic as a problem. How do we get more people to see our content? Well, low organic traffic is frustrating, but it often means there are things you can adjust. You can start by reevaluating your keywords. Are you using the right ones for your audience? You know ones that really align with what they’re searching for. And are you mixing in long tail keywords to catch those specific searches? So we need to choose keywords carefully, not just pick the most popular ones. Right. It’s about finding the right keywords for your content and your audience. And once you’ve nailed your keywords, it’s time to look at your content. Is it really comprehensive? Does it go deep and provide those in depth answers? Remember those AI driven search engines love depth and authority. So don’t be afraid to get into the details and show off what you know. Quality over quantity. Exactly. Instead of a ton of short surface level pieces, focus on creating fewer, really high quality articles that really big into a topic. And what about backlinks? Do those still matter in the age of AI? They do. Backlinks are still a major signal to search engines old and new that your content is valuable and trustworthy. So even with AI, we still need to build good backlinks from reputable websites. More than ever. They’re like votes of confidence. OK, so we’ve got keywords, content quality and backwards. What if we’re having trouble with our keyword rankings? How can we improve those? Well, if you’re struggling with rankings, it might be time to optimize your on page elements. Think of it like sprucing up your shock window. Make sure your title tags and meta descriptions are clear, concise, and tell people what your page is all about. Those are the snippets you see in search results, right? Right. Those are important for first impressions, even for algorithms. So we want to make sure those snippets make people want to click. Right. And don’t forget about link building. Reach out to other websites in your niche guest blog on relevant sites and be active in online communities. So a lot of the SEO best practices still apply with GEO. They do, but the difference is the focus on creating really good content that serves a purpose, not just playing the system with keywords. Makes sense. OK, last issue we need to talk about. High bounce rate. What’s that all about and how do we fix it? Well, a high bounce rate basically means people are landing on your page and then leaving without engaging with your content. It’s like someone walking into a store looking around and then leaving right away. Not a good sign. Why does this happen and how do we get people to stay? One common reason is a bad user experience. Is your website slow? Yeah. Is it mobile friendly? People are impatient these days. They’ll click away if a site’s not loading quickly or looks bad on their phone. So site speed and mobile compatibility are super important. What else should we be thinking about? Another big reason is when what people are searching for doesn’t match what’s on your page. You know, if someone’s looking for how to bake a chocolate cake and they land on a page about banana bread, they’re going to leave. Make sure your content matches what people are looking for. Deliver what you promise in your title tag and meta description. No bait and switch. Exactly. And finally, look at your content. Is it interesting? Is it easy to read? Use pictures to break up long blocks of text. Use storytelling and make sure your writing is clear. So it’s not enough to just have relevant content. It has to be presented well and be interesting. We’ve talked about a lot today. So much great info about GEO. Is there one big takeaway, one piece of advice you’d give our listeners as they try to figure out this new world of GEO? Yeah, that’s a great question. What should people be asking themselves? Well, I think the question everyone creating content needs to ask is this. Is the content I’m making really serving my audience and the AI that’s kind of deciding what they see? If not, what can I change right now to make sure it works for both? That’s a great point. It really emphasizes how we need to be aware of both our human audience and those AI algorithms. Right, it’s about finding that balance. Creating content that’s engaging and informative and valuable to your audience, while also making sure it’s structured so that AI can understand it. It’s like a dance between creativity and algorithms. We’ve covered a lot in this deep dive, but our listeners are probably wondering where they can learn more about GEO. What resources would you recommend? There’s tons of information out there. You can start by checking out industry blogs and online communities where SEO professionals and content creators share their experiences. There are also some really great online courses that go into more detail about the technical side of GEO and AI search. And there are also AI powered tools that can analyze your content and suggest improvements and even keyword strategies. And those can be really helpful, but you have to remember they’re just tools. They can help you with GEO, but in the end, it’s your expertise and creativity that will make your content stand out. It’s about using the tools wisely, not letting them take over. So besides exploring resources and tools, what’s the most important thing to keep in mind as we navigate this ever changing world of GEO? Be open to change. SEO is always changing and AI is making it change even faster. So don’t be afraid to try new things and learn from your mistakes. That’s great advice. It’s about being flexible, staying curious. And remembering that good content is about connecting with your audience. Whether it’s a person or an algorithm, good content will always be noticed. I think that’s a great way to put it. Create content that matters and everything else will fall into place. Well, this has been a fantastic deep dive into the world of generative engine optimization. A huge thank you to our expert for all the insights. It was great to be here. I always enjoy talking about the future of content and how AI is changing things. And to our listeners, thank you for joining us. We hope you learned a lot and are feeling inspired to use the power of GEO in your own work. Until next time, keep exploring and stay creative.