In the whirlwind of AI advancements, one pressing challenge stands out for marketers: staying visible. The surge of AI-driven search has disrupted traditional SEO dynamics, setting a precedent where brands must rethink their visibility strategies. From my own experience navigating several startups through shifting marketing trends, I’ve found that adaptability is everything. Today, it’s no longer enough to just rank high on search engines; you need to shift focus toward becoming an entity that generative AI references in its outputs.
What Is GEO and Why Does It Matter?
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a concept that pivots the spotlight away from keywords and clicks, focusing instead on how entities like brands, products, or services show up in AI-generated search snippets. Just imagine this: someone asks an AI platform about a product in your niche, but you’re not cited in the response. You've lost visibility before the user even considers further engagement.
Here’s why this matters. Traditional search engine optimization relied heavily on blue links and organic content. Now, AI engines are summarizing results directly into conversational outputs, oftentimes limiting the need for people to click further. According to a study, over 50% of internet users rely on rich, direct AI responses rather than manually browsing search results. That reality forces marketers to evolve.
Steps to Shift From SEO to GEO
Drawing from my own projects in deeptech and blockchain, industries notoriously tricky to market, I’ve outlined practical steps that every brand can follow to make this transition.
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Double Down on E-E-A-T
Search engines, and now AI, value Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Brands need to emphasize these aspects in their content. For example, if you’re selling sustainable fashion, work with designers whose credentials boost your expertise and publish well-researched pieces speaking to your brand’s commitment to ethical practices. -
Optimize for Structured Data
Use schema markup to make your website crawler-friendly. AI models rely heavily on structured data to identify entities and their attributes. Including proper metadata helps AI interpret your content and positions your brand for inclusion in high-visibility snippets. -
Target Generative Outputs
Focus on creating content that AI models like GPT and Bard can easily integrate into their narrative responses. Structure your content using tables, lists, and clearly labeled sections to improve its usability in AI-generated summaries. -
Align With Emerging AI Platforms
Understand that platforms are rapidly innovating. It’s worth keeping tabs on how tools like Bing Chat cite information versus how Google’s Perspectives displays conversational answers. Testing your visibility across these platforms ensures you evolve faster than competitors. -
Rethink Metrics
Previously, metrics like organic traffic and click-through rates dictated success. In this AI era, visibility means counting how frequently your brand is cited by AI engines. AI-citation trackers are emerging as a useful tool to measure this metric.
Why Structured Content Wins the Race
In my work with multinational teams spread across Europe, the U.S., and Asia, I’ve frequently seen a lack of attention to structured data hinder content reach. Generative systems inherently favor clarity and hierarchy, structured layouts win against dense, unorganized content every time. For example, in 2024, over 60% of zero-click searches drew their information exclusively from schema-based data. If you don’t incorporate structured elements, generative AI may bypass your content entirely.
Mistakes I See Too Often
While coaching through my online incubator for startups, I’ve noticed businesses fail at the basics of GEO because they either overcomplicate the shift or rely entirely on old strategies. Here are the most common pitfalls:
- Ignoring Collaboration: Your technical and marketing teams need to work hand in hand. SEO strategists must sync with developers to implement schema or structured data practices seamlessly.
- Relying on Outdated Keyword Strategies: Keywords matter less when conversational AI parses entire statements. Update your approach by aligning content with natural language patterns.
- Failing to Monitor AI Trends: AI models update their algorithms frequently based not only on usability but also ethical shifts. Staying informed keeps your visibility consistent.
A Quick How-To on GEO
Ready to get started? Here’s a beginner-friendly guide:
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Audit Your Website for Schema
Tools like Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool help identify gaps. This ensures AI engines fully grasp your services or products. -
Enhance Entity-Level Content
Focus less on search results and more on “brand mentions” by AI. Articles centered on thought leadership or answering niche comments work better than generic blogs. -
Test Periodically
Regularly search for your brand’s presence within generative responses from tools like Google Bard or ChatGPT. Adjust content based on what you find and improve potential citations. -
Audition for Authority
Contribute original research or collaborate with industry experts to gain reliable mentions, both in human-readable searches and AI-generated summaries.
Why This Change Is Non-Negotiable
As someone who’s worked with global teams, I know the resistance teams can face when adapting to new trends. GEO might seem like tech jargon for SEO wrapped with a bow, but it’s really an inevitable pivot. Surveys predict that by 2027, 75% of all search traffic will move through AI-optimized systems. If you don’t empower your brand to compete now, reclaiming the space later becomes an uphill climb.
Final Thoughts
Shifting from SEO to GEO isn’t just a necessity, it’s an opportunity. Entrepreneurs, especially the scrappy kind running lean startups, have a chance to pivot faster than legacy companies weighed down by outdated marketing hierarchies. These newer AI practices fit my startup game methodology because change always favors small, dynamic teams over lumbering corporations.
Remember, the goal isn’t to dominate keyword rankings but to build your presence as an entity AI can’t ignore. Whether you operate in fashion, SaaS, or manufacturing, focusing on structured data and AI-friendly content is your best bet to stay visible and credible. Keep adapting, it’s where resilience builds future wins.
FAQ on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
1. What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) shifts the focus from keywords to optimizing entities like brands, products, or services to show up in AI-generated search snippets. Learn more about the concept of GEO
2. Why has SEO transitioned into GEO for marketers?
SEO relied on organic search results and click-through rates, but AI engines summarize information into direct answers, bypassing traditional links. GEO ensures your entity is directly referenced in AI responses. Understand the transition from SEO to GEO
3. How can structured data improve GEO visibility?
Using schema markup and organized metadata helps AI engines interpret your content, increasing chances of inclusion in generative search results. Explore schema markup and its importance
4. What is the role of E-E-A-T in GEO?
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) remains critical for content as both search engines and AI models prioritize these quality signals. Read about E-E-A-T principles
5. How do AI platforms differ in citing information?
Platforms like Bing Chat and Google’s Perspectives display and cite sources differently, requiring brands to actively test visibility across each system. Discover GEO adaptation methods
6. What are some actionable steps to adopt GEO practices?
Steps include auditing structured data, crafting clear content usable by AI, collaborating across teams, and monitoring AI-generated visibility metrics. Explore beginner GEO strategies
7. How is GEO impacting website metrics?
Success metrics like organic traffic are becoming secondary to tracking brand citations in generative AI responses and consumer conversion rates. Learn how GEO is transforming metrics
8. What is the risk of neglecting GEO strategies?
Without GEO strategies, brands risk invisibility in AI-generated answers, losing engagement opportunities before users even consider clicking. Discover why GEO is non-negotiable
9. How important is content structuring for GEO optimization?
Clear content formatting with tables, lists, and headers ensures LLMs (Large Language Models) can easily reference your material. Learn more about structured content benefits
10. Why must startups pivot faster to GEO strategies?
Lean startups can adapt quickly compared to corporations bound by legacy structures, allowing them to stay ahead in the AI-driven search landscape. Explore why GEO favors agile startups
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.