What is GEO?
GEO, or Generative Engine Optimisation, is the next evolution of search strategy, designed for the era of AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT and Gemini.
Unlike traditional SEO, which aims to boost rankings in search results, GEO focuses on optimising your content to shape the AI-generated overviews - an innovative feature of contemporary search that more and more users are becoming reliant on to quickly source information online. The goal of GEO is ultimately to make sure your content informs clear, accurate, and helpful AI summaries - putting your brand front and centre in the answers people trust.
Below, you’ll find screenshots from two Large Language Models (LLMs) - a type of AI designed to process, understand, and generate human language. One shows Google’s search engine alongside an AI overview provided by Gemini, while the other highlights a response from Chat GPT. This type of user interface has become increasingly familiar to the average person over the past year. When we talk about GEO, we’re referring to optimising content specifically for this area of search.
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AI Overviews have become an essential tool for the everyday internet user, seamlessly integrated into the standard search experience by platforms like Gemini. While the information provided is often quick and helpful, it isn’t generated out of thin air. AI relies on existing online content to build its responses. Though each AI platform has its own methods for selecting data, they all prioritise high-quality, accurate sources. To avoid spreading misinformation, these systems follow strict rules and content preferences when deciding what to feature in their answers.
This is where GEO comes into play. By aligning your content with AI’s selection criteria, you increase its chances of being featured in AI-generated overviews. If successful, your content won’t just inform the AI’s answer - it will be linked as a core source, directing users to your site and content for deeper insight. Because, despite what we may have been led to believe, AI isn’t here to replace human curiosity - it’s here to guide it.
AI overviews function as starting points for knowledge discovery. They offer users a clear, concise snapshot and then point them toward the most valuable information available via clearly highlighted links and resources. With GEO and AI preferences taken into consideration, your organisation has the opportunity to become that trusted resource, turning AI-driven search into a powerful tool for increased content visibility and business growth.
What are the basic principles of GEO?
Now that we’ve established that LLMs follow specific criteria when selecting content for their AI overviews, the next step is understanding these criteria in detail. The following principles serve as a collection of key and started guidelines for creating content that aligns with GEO best practices.
Maintain structure and clarity.
AI favours content that’s simple, structured, and accessible - helping users grasp key information at a glance.
AI LLMs are designed to simplify our experience and speed up access to information. To do this effectively, they prioritise content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. If AI overviews were cluttered with complex language, dense explanations, or jargon-heavy terms, they would lose their value as quick, user-friendly tools.
- Keep sentences short and clear.
- Break down complex ideas into digestible sections.
- Use plain language - skip the jargon unless your audience expects it.
Context and depth.
AI favours content that fully answers a question, offering context, clarity, and value - not just a quick take.
The phrase ‘less is more’ doesn’t apply to GEO. While AI overviews aim to be concise, they rely on comprehensive content to deliver clear, complete answers. If your content only scratches the surface or offers partial information, the LLM is likely to bypass it in favour of something more in-depth and informative.
- Go beyond the basics - cover the topic in-depth.
- Support your points with facts, figures, and real-world examples.
- Aim to answer the “what,” “why,” and “how” wherever possible.
Conversational tone.
AI tends to surface content that mirrors natural, human conversations.
AI LLMs are designed to mimic human behaviour and tone - that’s why AI responses sound more natural and conversational. We naturally engage more with content that feels familiar, relatable, and human. AI picks up on this, prioritising content that reads like a conversation, not a cold, robotic script. When writing for GEO, it’s crucial to craft content that feels engaging, approachable, and tailored to the user - though let’s be honest, this should be standard practice for any good marketer!
- Write like you’re speaking to someone, not at them.
- Use an engaging, relatable tone.
- Consider your audience’s needs, preferences, and level of understanding.
Structured data and formatting.
AI prioritises pages that are easy to scan and contain well-organised information.
To optimise your content for AI, it's essential to provide a clear structure and hierarchy. AI relies on these elements to accurately process and understand online content. To increase the chances of your content being selected, focus on improving readability, accessibility, and organisation - use Heading tags, bullet points, and other formatting tools. Additionally, ensure you're leveraging schema markup in the backend of your website.
- Use headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to break up the content into clear sections.
- Incorporate bullet points and numbered lists to enhance skimming and readability.
- Implement Schema Markup.
Trust and credibility.
AI prioritises content from trustworthy sources to avoid spreading misinformation.
If AI operated without regulation on content selection or what it considers ‘authoritative,’ misinformation and misleading narratives could easily become the norm. That's why LLMs put in significant effort to evaluate the trustworthiness of content. To ensure your content is recognised as reliable, always include credible sources, do thorough research, and showcase authority in your field. For businesses regularly producing content, staying current is key. AI tends to prioritise fresh, reliable information over outdated content, so revisiting older blogs or articles and updating them with relevant, up-to-date insights is essential. Is the information still timely? Does it need new data or perspectives? Keeping your content current helps it stay trusted in the eyes of both AI and your audience.
- Cite trusted sources and include facts/research/ expert input to back your statements.
- Share your credentials, knowledge, and proven experience in the subject matter.
- Refresh your content regularly, as AI favours the latest, most accurate information.
Watch our webinar.
Interested in learning more about GEO? I hosted a webinar that breaks down the basics, clarifies the difference between SEO and GEO, and explains why it's crucial to start incorporating this type of optimisation into your search strategy sooner rather than later. If you would like to chat with our team about how we can optimise your content for AI overviews, please get in touch.
