What is GEO and Why Should You Invest In It?
Generative Engine Optimization or, GEO, is the process of optimizing digital content for maximum reach in Generative AI engines such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, AIO SERP features, and others. These AI engines present an exciting new opportunity for brands to increase exposure and get in front of the right audience at the right time. With search engine user behavior rapidly shifting, GEO presents an opportunity to adapt with the change in user-behavior. While AI engines and GEO tactics are still evolving, brands that invest in this shift now, will see long term success by staying ahead of the changing search landscape.
GEO vs SEO
GEO is not intended to replace your traditional SEO efforts, but rather to compliment them. We are not leaving the exposure, engagement, and revenue from traditional SEO efforts on the table. GEO is an additional way to build on your SEO efforts, and reach your audience at the right time, with content that matches their stage in the funnel and in the customer journey. Ensuring high brand visibility across all sources of information has never been more important.
GEO Strategies:
GEO is not here to replace SEO, but to compliment SEO efforts. The two share a lot of similar optimization tactics:
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Overseeing the company’s technology infrastructure and keeping everything running smoothly.
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Aligning tech initiatives with the broader business strategy.
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Leading digital transformation efforts to make the company more competitive.
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Keeping up with data security and compliance with industry regulations.
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Working with other C-suite members to push their company’s innovation and growth.
Essentially, what is good for SEO is good for GEO. However there are additional factors that are unique to GEO, such as:
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First hand user experience signals with brands that signal credibility are of high importance
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Accurate brand positioning in the market you are doing business is essential, both on your website and on websites where your brand is mentioned. The AI engine is looking to match how the brand is positioned on its own website with how it is being positioned on websites across the web.
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Optimizing for 1-3 term keywords are for SEO while optimizing for full sentence queries that would be asked of an AI engine is what is required of GEO.
Determining the effectiveness of GEO efforts is not going to be the same and will have a different set of success metrics than SEO.
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While SEO success is measured by rankings, click-through rates and onsite conversions and engagement, GEO success is measured by citation frequency, visibility across relevant AI generated answers, and how the AI engine portrays your brand. And of course, are those mentions and is that visibility doing the job we need it to do as we move users along the customer journey.
Leveling up Your GEO Efforts
Successful SEO campaigns start with knowing where and how your audience is finding information about your product or service offering, and then being there to provide the valuable information. The same applies to leveraging the opportunities presented through GEO, creating valuable touchpoints with an audience, while they are seeking information. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, you will have to have a deep understanding of your customer, their needs, and craft messaging about how your product or service addresses those needs. Having an agency partner to navigate this shifting search landscape is more important than ever and 97th Floor is the agency partner that can help you understand your audience, and craft messaging that is optimized for LLMs and Generative Engines.
