An Intro to GEO Optimization for B2B Marketers

For a more detailed guide on GEO with screenshots and instructions, check out our full article here.

Key moments

Summary of Key Moments:

1. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): A new approach to SEO focused on optimizing for AI-driven tools like ChatGPT. This is an evolving area with no established best practices yet.
2. AI’s Reliance on Search Engines and Social Content: AI tools like ChatGPT depend on search engines (e.g., Bing) and user-generated content for recommendations and answers. Social content is becoming more important.
3. E-E-A-T for AI Optimization: The principles of Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) remain critical for AI, emphasizing the need for high-quality, credible content.
4. Five Steps to Optimize for AI Platforms:
   • Optimize for Bing and Google.
   • Query your brand offerings using AI and refine results.
   • Build your brand presence on forums and social media.
   • Secure mentions in credible media outlets.
   • Create content with context, citations, and a focus on user intent.
5. Current Opportunity in Gen AI: The AI space is a clean slate, offering brands a unique chance to establish early dominance, though it is evolving rapidly.

The Transcript

Can you find your brand on ChatGPT? While SEO isn’t dead yet, we certainly see a new rising star: GEO.

I did a short workshop about the proper use of GenAI for SEO, but what people really wanted to know is, how do I get my brand on ChatGPT? The SEO guide to how I get my brand on ChatGPT? No idea. And what I did is check in with the best SEO experts about how to do it.

Here’s the thing, if you hear people like me telling you they know how to do it, they’re lying.

There’s a new name for optimizing for AI: GEO, generative engine optimization or GAO, GenAI optimization, or LLMO, large language… you get the point. But since everything is so new, things are changing rapidly and no one really knows yet how to optimize for GenAI.

Timestamp: 00:54

It’s like Google releasing a new core update every single week. But here’s what we do know and what most of the folks in the SEO community managed to research and figure out:

AI is still reliant on standard search engines. At some point, ChatGPT will Bing a query, and that query’s stock result will suggest what ChatGPT will say. Perplexity will probably do the same with Google, even though they claim otherwise.

AI is more sensitive to user-generated content when it comes to recommendations, brand suggestions, and purchases. In SEO, we kind of ditched social networks because backlinks don’t work in social networks, but AI is actively listening to content generated on social.

We also know that AI will use more elaborate queries based on the user’s history. For example, if a user told GPT she’s an engineer, GPT will adjust the queries and the answers to match her preferences.

Timestamp: 01:48

But AI gives a lot of weight to its training data. So, it’s a lot more than just real-time searches that are being used. While not a surprise, same as in search engines, AI will use the E-E-A-T concept to evaluate content quality, relevancy, and validity.

Finally, AI loves to use a variety of sources from social media through known publications and a mixture of search engines and its training data.

Based on my own research, here’s what I believe you need to do in order to get your brand on gen AI platforms. I got five tips for you.

Number one, optimize for Bing as well as for Google. That should not be that hard, but not a lot of SEO folks are doing that as of now, and GPT is mostly counting on Bing.

Number two, use AI to query some of your offerings and see what comes up. Provide it with your persona and industry to refine the query and see what sources it uses.

Timestamp: 02:42

Then reach out to those sources and try to be listed there.

Number three, develop a strong brand in public expert forums, recommendation websites, and social media. If everyone will say your brand is the way to go, then AI will say it as well.

Number four, on the flip side, work with your PR team to make sure your brand is mentioned in non-publication sources and established media in order to establish credibility for AI.

And finally, number five, whenever you create content on your own website, keep in mind the following: be more descriptive and add related terms next to your brand. Don’t stuff keywords, but add context as AI is constantly building its knowledge graph.

Add citations and quotations. For some reason, it seems that AI loves—depending on the industry—statistics, which may help AI to trust your content more.

Put more emphasis on user intent. AI will be more specific with the queries.

Timestamp: 03:35

So long tail is more important than ever. And of course, follow the standard E-E-A-T concepts and signals and create quality content.

The next thing you should do, after liking this video, of course, is to ask your customers and prospects how they’re doing research and what AI platforms they use in order to optimize for the right one.

Then, research your solution in these AI tools like your prospect will do and see what comes up.

Now, is this the right time to optimize for AI? You can get a lot of a head start now even compared to giant brands because it’s almost like a clean slate right now.

But keep in mind that it’s so new that what is working now can completely change in a few months or even weeks from today.

So, is your brand mentioned in gen AI? When you search for your solutions, go check it out right now. Let me know what you found. Good luck.