As artificial intelligence plays a bigger role in how people find and use information, digital marketing is changing significantly. The growth of Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), has brought a new challenge. This challenge is called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

While traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has long focused on achieving high rankings on search engine result pages (SERPs), GEO focuses on making your content the preferred choice for generative engines. These engines don’t just list links. They generate answers and summaries based on their understanding of high-quality online content.

In this blog, you’ll learn:

• What Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is
• How it differs from traditional SEO
• Why GEO matters for your business in 2025 and beyond
• Content strategies for success in the age of generative AI
• Technical tips to increase the likelihood of being featured in AI responses
• How GEO impacts brand credibility, search intent, and user trust
• Practical steps to implement GEO in your marketing strategy

What Is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a content strategy that aims to increase brand or website visibility within AI-generated responses. GEO does not only focus on ranking in search engines like Google or Bing. It also aims for visibility in tools that use large language models (LLMs). These tools include ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google’s SGE.

These tools generate entire answers to user queries, often citing sources, summarising information, and making recommendations — all without requiring the user to click through multiple links. GEO ensures that your content is available in those generated outputs, which can increase brand reach, authority, and referral traffic, even when there is no clickable SERP involved.

Example:

A traditional SEO strategy might aim to rank #1 for the query:

“What are the best restaurants in Melbourne?”

But a GEO-focused strategy would aim to have your restaurant mentioned by ChatGPT or SGE when a user asks:

“What are some great places to eat in Melbourne?”

In this scenario, the generative engine would ideally pull information from your website or content and include your restaurant in the AI-generated answer.

SEO vs. GEO: Key Differences Explained

As digital search evolves, it’s crucial to understand how traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) differs from Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). While both aim to increase your online visibility, they operate on fundamentally different platforms, target distinct user behaviours, and rely on unique success metrics.

Goal:

The primary objective of traditional SEO is to help your website rank high on search engine result pages (SERPs) like those on Google or Bing. The goal is to attract organic traffic by appearing prominently when users search for specific keywords. On the other hand, GEO focuses on ensuring that your content or brand is cited within AI-generated responses. Rather than driving users to click a link, GEO aims to make your information part of the answer delivered by AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini (SGE), or Perplexity.

Platform:

SEO is designed around classic search engines — Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo — where results are ranked based on algorithms that consider factors like relevance, backlinks, and user behaviour. GEO, however, targets newer platforms powered by large language models (LLMs).

These include conversational AI systems such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, which generate content in response to user prompts rather than listing ranked results. The rise of these platforms has fundamentally altered how users discover and interact with information.

Metrics:

When measuring success, SEO relies on metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), organic traffic, bounce rates, and ranking positions. These help marketers understand how users find and engage with their websites.

GEO, however, is measured by brand mentions within AI-generated responses, source citations, and visibility within conversational answers. Because many generative engines deliver zero-click experiences, success is no longer just about getting traffic — it’s about being recognised as a trusted authority that AI tools rely on when formulating answers.

User Journey:

The user journey also differs significantly. In a traditional SEO model, a user types a query into a search engine, scans through the list of blue links, and then clicks through to the page that seems most relevant. This is a multi-step journey involving exploration and decision-making.

In the GEO landscape, the user receives a direct, AI-generated response, often within seconds, without clicking away to another site. Your content needs to be good enough — and reliable enough — to be embedded directly in that AI-generated output.

Content-Type:

The way content is structured also plays a major role in these two approaches. SEO content is typically crafted for both human readability and algorithm compatibility. This includes keyword placement, scannable headings, internal linking, and other best practices that support ranking.

GEO content, in contrast, must be designed for summarisation, clarity, factual accuracy, and semantic richness. It should be written in a way that generative engines can quickly interpret and rephrase, meaning concise explanations, clear formatting, and an authoritative tone are essential.

Strategy Focus:

Lastly, the strategic focus for SEO is rooted in keywords, link building, technical site health, and other traditional practices that influence search rankings. While these are still important, GEO demands an additional layer of strategy that centres on building authority, using semantically rich language, and conveying trustworthiness.

This includes publishing well-researched content, maintaining consistent brand messaging, and offering unique insights that AI engines deem worthy of citation.

In essence, SEO is about getting users to visit your website through search engine results. GEO, however, is about embedding your insights, brand, or recommendations directly into AI-generated answers — often without a click. As more users turn to conversational search and generative AI tools, businesses must adapt their content strategies to remain visible and authoritative across traditional and AI-driven platforms.

Why Does GEO Matters in Today’s Search Landscape?

As digital search undergoes a seismic shift, GEO has become increasingly important for brands and content creators. The way people search — and the way they expect answers — is fundamentally changing. GEO represents a proactive response to this shift, helping businesses remain relevant, visible, and authoritative in a world where AI-generated responses are becoming the norm.

Changing User Behaviour:

One of the most significant changes driving the rise of GEO is how users interact with search engines and information platforms. Instead of typing short keyword-based queries like “best pizza Melbourne,” users are now entering longer, more conversational questions such as “Where can I find the best Neapolitan pizza near Chapel Street with vegetarian options?”

Generative engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google’s Gemini are designed to interpret these nuanced prompts and deliver direct, human-like responses. These tools can summarise broad information, make recommendations, and even compare options — all within a single answer.

As a result, users increasingly expect immediate, accurate, and conversational answers, bypassing traditional search listings. GEO ensures your brand or content is part of those direct responses, positioning you where your audience is actively seeking information.

Featured Snippets Are Evolving:

In the past, SEO professionals aimed for the coveted featured snippet spot — the box at the top of Google’s results that offered a summary of the best answer to a query. Today, those snippets are being replaced or supplemented by AI Overviews and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE).

Instead of offering users a list of links to explore, these new formats provide summarised, AI-generated answers, often citing only a handful of sources or none. This is a radical departure from traditional search. GEO is your strategy for getting your content selected and summarised within these AI overviews. It’s not about ranking #1 anymore — it’s about being trusted enough by generative engines to be included in their answer box.

Without GEO, even high-ranking content may never be seen or clicked, especially if AI-generated content satisfies the user’s query before they ever look at the organic results.

Impact on Clicks and Conversions:

Understandably, many marketers are concerned about reduced click-through rates in a generative search environment. If AI answers the user’s question directly, why would they visit your website? While it’s true that GEO may lead to fewer direct clicks, the value lies in visibility, authority, and brand trust. When a generative engine mentions your brand in its answer — whether citing your blog, referencing your data, or quoting your product — it builds recognition and credibility.

Over time, this trust increases the likelihood that users will seek out your brand in future searches, click on your links when they do appear, or recall your name when making purchasing decisions. GEO helps you stay top-of-mind, especially during the crucial awareness and consideration stages of the buyer journey. In many ways, it complements SEO by supporting long-term conversions through brand familiarity and thought leadership, even when immediate traffic isn’t guaranteed.

How to Optimise Content for GEO

In the era of AI-powered search engines and conversational interfaces, traditional content strategies need to evolve. If your goal is to stay relevant and maintain strong content visibility, your optimization strategy must go beyond traditional search engine rankings.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is all about creating content that gets cited or used as source material by AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT, Google’s SGE, Perplexity, and Gemini. These tools, powered by large language models, don’t just index pages — they read, understand, summarise, and then generate responses based on the most useful, trustworthy information available.

Here’s how to create content that gets surfaced by AI and aligned with evolving user intent.

1. Use Natural, Conversational Language

Unlike traditional SEO, which often focuses on keyword density and rigid structures, GEO content should reflect natural language and answer-focused writing. AI-driven platforms are trained on conversational data, so your content should mimic how people speak and ask questions.

Avoid keyword stuffing, and instead, write clear, user-centric answers. For example, rather than writing: “Our services include content creation and social strategy,” consider: “We help businesses grow online by creating high-quality content and developing effective social media strategies.” This not only improves readability but also supports improving user experience, which is crucial in digital marketing today.

2. Answer Specific Search Queries

A critical part of GEO is understanding and matching long-tail search queries — the kinds of questions users are now typing into AI tools. These queries are specific, contextual, and formatted like natural language. Create pages and blog posts that use question-style headings such as:

• What is the best way to increase website traffic?
• How does generative AI affect SEO?
• Benefits of AI tools in content marketing

By structuring your content this way, you directly align with user intent and increase your chances of being selected by AI-powered search engines for inclusion in their generated summaries. This method also complements traditional SEO by enhancing both visibility and relevance.

3. Include Factual and Structured Data

Large language models favour content that is easy to summarise and verify. Incorporating structured data like bullet points, numbered lists, statistics, and clearly defined sections makes it easier for these systems to identify and reuse key information. For example, using tables to compare tools or summarise pros and cons can increase your chances of being cited.

This is where structured data plays a dual role — not only does it support traditional SEO practices, but it also strengthens your presence in AI-powered search summaries.

4. Build Topical Authority Through Consistency

Just like in traditional SEO, consistency matters. To build topical authority, you should publish multiple interrelated content pieces around the same subject. This helps generative models and traditional algorithms understand that your site is a trusted source. If you’re aiming to be featured in answers about “AI tools,” your optimization strategy should include content like:

• Blog: Top 10 AI Tools for Video Marketers
• Blog: How Generative AI Improves Real-Time Content Creation
• Guide: The Future of Digital Marketing with AI Tools

This approach shows both AI and human users that your site has quality content in specific topics. This can improve your chances of being chosen by AI-driven search engines.

5. Get Referenced by Others

In GEO, as with SEO, external validation matters. Getting mentioned or cited by other websites, influencers, or media reinforces your credibility. These references help large language models assess your authority and determine whether to include your content in generated answers. 

Encourage user-generated content, digital PR campaigns, collaborations, and expert quotes. These efforts increase your domain authority and help you get selected not just in traditional search engine results but in generative summaries as well.

Technical GEO Best Practices

Good writing and structure are important. Technical optimization strategies help make your content easy for AI systems to find and understand. Below are essential steps to strengthen your site’s technical foundation for Generative Engine Optimization.

1. Improve Content Discoverability

Before your content can be cited, it must be discoverable. Ensure your pages are crawlable and indexed properly by following standard search engine optimization (SEO) practices, such as:

• Creating and submitting XML sitemaps
• Writing concise and relevant meta tags (titles and descriptions)
• Using semantic HTML5 structures
• Organising your content using clear H1, H2, and H3 tags

These steps help traditional search bots and AI-powered search engines understand and index your content more effectively.

2. Implement Schema Markup

To further enhance structured data, implement schema markup using JSON-LD. Schema provides context about your content, making it easier for AI systems to understand and classify your pages. Depending on your content, you can use:

• Article schema for blog posts
• FAQ schema for question-answer formats
• Product schema for e-commerce content
• Local business schema for geo-specific content

This level of structure helps your search engine optimization (SEO) and boosts the chances that AI models will use your data.

3. Optimise for Page Speed and Mobile Usability

A fast, seamless user experience supports both GEO and SEO efforts. AI systems are more likely to cite content from websites that load quickly and perform well on mobile. Focus on:

• Compressing and optimising images
• Enhancing server response time
• Meeting Google’s Core Web Vitals thresholds
• Ensuring responsive design and accessibility across devices

All of these factors contribute to improving user experience, which indirectly influences whether artificial intelligence platforms treat your site as a trusted source.

Unlock the Power of GEO with DigiFix — Melbourne’s Leading SEO Agency

At DigiFix, we don’t just keep up with digital trends — we stay ahead of them. As the best SEO agency in Melbourne, we’ve spent years helping businesses dominate traditional search engine results.

Now, we’re leading the way into the next frontier: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

With the rise of AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Google’s SGE, Gemini, and Perplexity, it’s no longer enough to rank on Google. To remain competitive, your brand must be visible in AI-generated answers — and that’s where DigiFix excels.

Why Choose DigiFix for GEO?

Proven Expertise: With years of experience in search engine optimization (SEO), our team understands the technical and strategic nuances of visibility — whether for traditional rankings or AI-generated responses.

GEO-Centric Strategies: We craft semantically rich, fact-based content to meet evolving user intent and align with how large language models select, summarise, and cite information.

Technical Excellence: From implementing structured data to enhancing mobile performance, we ensure your website is fully optimised for humans and machines.

Content That Gets Picked: We don’t just create content — we build authority. Our approach is focused on building topic clusters, encouraging user-generated content, and increasing your chances of being mentioned in AI summaries.

End-to-End Optimisation Strategy: Whether you need content auditing, keyword planning, technical SEO fixes, or full-scale GEO implementation, we’ve got you covered.

Ready to Future-Proof Your Visibility?

To keep up in today’s fast-changing search world, you should add Generative Engine Optimization to your digital strategy. Now is the time to do it. Partner with DigiFix, and let us help you rank on traditional platforms and appear in the answers your audience trusts most.

📞 Contact us today to discuss how we can elevate your brand through GEO and SEO — and claim your space in the future of search.