If you’ve been online in any way, shape or form recently, chances are high you’ve stumbled across an AI search engine. From ChatGPT to Claude to Perplexity and beyond, AI tools have become seemingly omnipresent — and for good reason. With such a wealth of information, these platforms can serve as valuable tools for business owners and entrepreneurs hoping to improve workflows and save time.
Now that AI has become so integrated into search engines (Google’s AI overviews, anyone?), those good ol’ SEO practices you’re likely familiar with won’t always cut it. So, what’s a business professional to do? Adapt, of course! After all, it is possible to show up in AI search. You just need to get familiar with the new tools of the trade.
What is GEO?
While SEO (search engine optimization) is a familiar term, GEO is the newcomer on the block. GEO, or generative engine optimization, focuses on the best practices to show up in AI search engines. It’s important to note that GEO does not replace SEO; instead, the two work in tandem as strategies to improve web rankings in search.
GEO best practices
While SEO is all about structural elements such as keywords, internal and external links, and alt text, GEO leans more into content that search engines can cull through and use for search queries. In this regard, the following are key to support GEO:
- Accuracy: It sounds obvious, but accurate content by a credible source is more likely to be picked up by AI search engines.
- Statistics: Including statistics in content, especially content that is more searchable, provides hard information that AI search engines can pick up and present to users.
- Structured data: Think bullet points and numbered lists for this one. When information is presented clearly and itemized, it’s easier for AI search engines to utilize it.
Why should you care about GEO?
Like it or not, AI platforms are here to stay. For business owners, just appearing in search won’t cut it as a goal any longer. As AI becomes more prominent in search engines across the board, focusing on GEO strategies is critical to ensure your website not only continues to rank in search, but also begins to show up as a source in platforms like ChatGPT. (P.S. Curious about this? Check your Google Analytics to see how much traffic you’re getting from AI platforms currently.) It’s a fast-paced world out there, and it’s more important than ever for businesses to remain on the cutting edge of innovation.
Want to learn more about GEO strategies for your business? Contact TMCC’s experts at newbusiness@todaymediacustom.com.
