Back to School

It feels like I just sent the first newsletter of summer and here we are already – back to school.

But if we’re coming into fall, let’s lean into it – and learn something new! Today we’re talking about how Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is evolving into Generative Engine Optimizing (GEO).

(And yes, that’s two em dashes so far. No, I’m not using AI to write this and you will have to pry those dashes from my sad, broken keyboard.)

What is GEO?

Before I explain GEO, let’s recap SEO. Many of you are familiar with the idea of creating or revising your website to ensure that it can be found in a Google search (or other search engines), especially for specific terms or keywords, that are important to you.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is an evolution of that idea, with website owners focusing on how to make AI models more likely to utilize and reference their web content. Note, that you may also decide you don’t want AI models to index your content at all, and that too, is an aspect of GEO (and SEO!) to consider.

How AI is Changing Search

While Google is certainly not the only search tool out there, it is still running at close to 90% market share, so I’m going to focus on this question from a Google search POV.

First, we’ve probably all noticed the AI Overview, which has taken over at the top of our search results, forcing organic (non-ad) results even farther down the page. The Overview is AI-generated content, frequently sourced from some of the top page results.

Not all searches result in an AI Overview, but between that content, YouTube previews, and other Google-generated snippets, users frequently find the info that satisfies their search without need to scroll. According to a recent search report, 58.5% of U.S. Google searches now result in zero clicks.

Meanwhile, there’s also this little thing called AI Mode now available in Google.

AI Mode is both an option when you initially type in your search, and it shows up as a tab to the left of the “All” tab in the results. It’s not the default – for now – so you would be forgiven for not noticing it, but as of early June it was on the the results page of every search in the U.S. Late last week Google extended the rollout to another 180 countries and regions.

AI Mode takes you straight into a prompting interface, but if you’re just looking for information, you’re better off staying over in the “All” tab with the AI Overview. AI Mode is intended to help with tasks, like finding the ideal restaurant or other recommendations. The AI Mode will – according to Google – use past Google searches and specific parameters you provide to deliver tailored solutions. You can also invite others to join your AI Mode and contribute to the conversation.

Takeaways

First, GEO is in many ways very similar to SEO. The core components that are required for Google to index your content remain key for being referenced in an AI response: secure hosting, clear and well-written content, quality references and linking, etc.

If you’re reading this determined to block Google and other AI tools from indexing your content, that is an option, but consider it with care. Blocking AI tools won’t undo what has already been indexed, and it will likely impact your ability to be included in Google search results.

You should also consider that this is an evolution in delivering content people want. Users often prefer working with generative AI to get their information and the process should ultimately be delivering users with higher intent to your site. This means that while you may have fewer visitors overall, the chances are much better that those users are deeply interested in your content. These users are likely to visit more pages in your site and are up to 23x more likely to convert.

It’s definitely a change to how we get “found” online but it’s certainly not all bad news. If you want to learn more, check out our SEO and AI class online, or get in touch!