A Comprehensive Guide to GEO: What Is It and How Does It Work?
Generative Engine Optimization is the process of shaping your content so AI-driven search engines can understand it and feature it in natural language answers. Unlike traditional SEO, which ranks pages in search results, GEO helps your brand get cited directly inside AI-generated summaries.
At Elevation Marketing, we help businesses navigate this shift by blending traditional SEO with GEO strategies.
If you’ve been around digital marketing for a while, you’ve probably heard your fair share of SEO talk. Everyone’s always using annoying industry jargon like “crawl budgets” and “latent semantic indexing keywords.”
However, a new acronym is recently emerging: GEO, which stands for Generative Engine Optimization.
So… what is generative engine optimization? And why are people suddenly talking about it like it’s the next big thing for search engines?Â
Let’s break it down in plain English. In this guide, we’ll cover:Â
- What GEO actually means (without making your eyes glaze over)
- How generative engines work compared to traditional search engines
- Why GEO matters for marketers, content creators, and brands
- Practical generative engine optimization strategies you can start using now
- How GEO and traditional SEO can work together instead of competing
- Tips for optimizing content for AI-driven search engines (without falling into keyword stuffing territory)
From Traditional Search Engines to AI-Driven Search Engines
In the days of traditional search engines, ranking was primarily about matching the right keywords with the right queries. You’d do your keyword research, sprinkle in some structured data, and hope that your page showed up high in search engine rankings.
Traditional SEO still works to some degree, but AI-driven search engines have changed the game.Â
Generative engines, powered by AI algorithms and large language models, don’t just pull results from relevant websites. They actually generate contextually relevant responses to user queries in real time.
Think of it as the difference between a librarian pointing you to a book and a librarian summarizing the exact chapter you need instantly.
Chances are, you’ve already experienced this yourself. When you type something like “how to fix a dripping faucet,” Google doesn’t just give you a list of plumbing websites. Instead, the search engine serves up a step-by-step repair guide right there on the page, complete with tool recommendations and safety tips.Â
That’s the power of generative search!
GEO vs. Traditional SEO Practices
Generative engine optimization is all about helping your content “speak” to generative search engines and AI search engines. Unlike traditional search engines, generative engines try to understand user intent before giving direct answers.
While traditional SEO practices focus on keyword targeting, meta tags, and search engine algorithms, GEO focuses on:
- Optimizing content so AI tools can interpret and present it in natural language
- Formatting with structured data for clearer AI comprehension
- Writing with user engagement in mind, so answers are helpful and credible
- Supporting content creation that delivers content quality as well as depth
In short, traditional SEO talks to search engines like they’re rule-following librarians. GEO chats with them like they’re conversation-loving experts.
| Focus | SEO | GEO |
| Where They Show Up | Competes for visibility in the familiar blue-link results on a search engine results page (SERP). | Positions your content so it can be pulled directly into AI-generated summaries and conversational answers. |
| How They Optimize | Leans heavily on keyword targeting, backlink profiles, and technical site health. | Prioritizes semantic meaning, structured data, and proving your brand’s authority as a trusted entity. |
| What the User Sees | Delivers a ranked list of websites for users to click through. | Serves up synthesized explanations, often blending insights from multiple sources (and sometimes citing them). |
Let’s look at how that works in real time.
How Generative Engine Optimization Works
Suppose someone searches for “how to choose the right HVAC system for a small home.”
In a traditional search engine, they’d get a list of search results to click through. In a search generative experience, the generative engine would use natural language processing to pull advice from multiple reputable sources and instantly deliver a summary. This would likely cover system types, energy efficiency considerations, and even average installation costs, right on the results page.
As an HVAC contractor, you’d want to secure a spot in that summary box, and GEO methods help you get there. That means creating user-generated content, including visual and interactive elements, and formatting pages so AI-powered search engines understand them.
GEO Strategies for Better Visibility
The shift toward AI-driven search engines means your content has to perform in conversations between users and machines.
Here are some practical generative engine optimization strategies to help you adapt, stay visible, and give both human readers and generative search engines exactly what they’re looking for:
(1) Write for Humans First, AI Second
Remember who you’re talking to! About 6 out of every 10 adults in a Pew Research Center study conducted at least one Google search in March 2025 that produced an AI-generated summary. You’re trying to reach real people, not just search engines.
Prioritize content quality and readability that your audience actually enjoys consuming. That means clear headlines, logical flow, and examples that make sense to real people.
Work relevant keywords into your copy naturally. That means no awkward keyword stuffing or sentences that sound like a robot wrote them.
(2) Use Structured Data
Think of structured data as a translator between your content and AI tools. It helps search engines understand exactly what your page is about, from product details to FAQs.
However, as this CBC article points out, “Generative AI can’t think or understand concepts the way people do. Instead, it makes predictions based on massive amounts of training data.”
That’s why we need to make content that’s as explicit and structured as possible. When AI-powered search engines can easily sift through and identify your content’s purpose, it’s more likely to appear in relevant (and accurate) search results.
(3) Create Content That Answers the “Why” and “How”Â
When addressing user queries, don’t stop at surface-level answers. Nearly all keywords (99.2%) that trigger AI overviews are of informational intent, according to Ahrefs. People are looking to learn something rather than find something.
Explain the reasoning (“why”) and the process (“how”) so your content becomes a go-to resource. This deeper coverage makes it easier for AI algorithms to pull from your work when generating contextually relevant responses.
However, keep in mind that the median scroll depth for AI overviews on search engines is only about 30%, according to Search Engine Land. Your content should be comprehensive, but also easy to scan quickly.
(4) Add Visual and Interactive Elements Where Possible
Images, charts, infographics, and interactive tools make a page prettier, help break up text, increase user engagement, and improve online visibility. Plus, some AI-powered search engines can reference and describe these elements in generated summaries, giving your content an extra edge.
GEO Doesn’t Replace SEO—They Work Together
While GEO is making headlines, it does NOT replace traditional search engine optimization.
Instead, think of it as adding a new layer to your optimization strategies. You still need solid search engine optimization basics, like SEO tools, clean site structure, and smart keyword targeting. Now, you’re also speaking the language of AI-powered search engines.
Done right, GEO helps you reach more people through both traditional search engines and generative search engines. You’ll meet your audience wherever they search.
From Theory to Action: Making GEO Work for You
The search space is shifting fast, and GEO strategies are becoming just as relevant as traditional SEO methods. If you want your brand to show up in search engine results pages, you’ll need to create content that connects with both human readers and AI algorithms.
The good news: GEO rewards those who are already producing high-quality, trustworthy, and easy-to-digest content. Keep that focus, add in some AI-friendly formatting, and you’ll be well-positioned for whatever search engines throw at us next.
Not Sure Where to Start?Â
At Elevation Marketing, we keep up with both traditional SEO and GEO, so you don’t have to decode every new update. Whether it’s optimizing content for AI-driven search engines or building an optimization strategy that boosts your online visibility, our team knows how to help you get found and stay found.
Let’s talk about your next marketing move. Contact us today!
What to dive further into the topic of AI search? Check out our blogs on Answer Engine Optimization and explore How to Stay Visible in the Age of AI.
