GEO - Generative Engine Optimisation: The next SEO step in digital marketing
AI has changed how we search for information and how it is presented. While SEO strategies optimise websites for search engines, companies today need to pay attention to how their brands appear in AI and LLM responses. This is where Generative Engine Optimisation comes into play. GEO goes beyond SEO and focuses on visibility in AI-driven search landscapes.
What is GEO?
The introduction of AI-powered models (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Grok) has changed the rules of the digital marketing game. The old SEO model - which was about optimising your site to appear high up in search engine rankings - no longer works to the same extent as it used to. Today, it's about being mentioned and cited in the responses of AI-driven models rather than just appearing in traditional rankings.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is the answer to this new challenge. It is no longer just about keyword rankings, but about how often and in what way your brand appears in the responses of AIs such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Perplexity. This brings so-called zero-click searches to the fore.
Link to the Bain & Company study
GEO makes it possible to make brands not only more visible, but also more relevant for AI systems
- Visibility is shifting: traditional search engine results are losing relevance. Users are increasingly relying on AI-supported answers. If you don't appear in these answers, you are invisible - and this affects not only the content, but also the brand.
- Clicks are no longer the sole indicator: it's no longer just about the click, but whether your company, your brand, your product is mentioned - and when potential customers ask relevant questions.
- LLMs understand more than just keywords: While SEO experts used to optimise keywords, they now also need to understand how their brand is perceived by LLMs.
- With the introduction of Google AI Mode in Europe, the KPIs in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will change. Due to the zero-click results in Google, classic clicks will lose relevance in GA4. In addition to the classic channels Organic Traffic and Paid Traffic, two other channel groups will gain in importance: Referrals and unassigned traffic. In these channel groups, visits can be monitored via LLMs. Instead of clicks, impressions and the frequency of mentions in AI responses will become a more important metric in future.
GEO as a key technology
At MASSIVE ART, we have recognised GEO as a key technology from the outset and use it to improve the digital visibility of our clients in generative engines. Through our comprehensive as-is analysis, we determine how often and in what context your brand is mentioned in generative models such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, Copilot and Grok. This analysis is carried out over thousands of prompts, matching the brand, product, service, etc. and helps us to strategically position your brand so that it is present in the AIs' responses.
Based on this analysis, we develop customised GEO strategies for our clients based on subject areas in which your brand was previously not sufficiently represented. In this way, we help you to gain new brand insights and identify potential market opportunities.
My conclusion: GEO is the key to the future of digital visibility
GEO is not just a trend, it is the next evolutionary step in digital marketing. Those who do not engage with this new reality now will struggle to remain relevant in the future. AI-supported visibility is becoming the new standard.
FAQs on Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?
GEO is the process by which companies optimise their brand presence in generative AI models such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini and others. The aim is to be cited and mentioned more frequently in the AIs' responses instead of relying solely on traditional SEO methods.
Why is GEO important for companies in the digital sector?
With the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence for information search (especially by LLMs), the way users consume content is shifting. GEO helps companies to ensure that their brand appears in AI responses, leading to higher visibility and reach.
How does GEO work at MASSIVE ART?
At MASSIVE ART, we carry out a comprehensive ACTUAL analysis in which we measure the visibility of your brand in various LLMs. We analyse how often and in what context your brand is mentioned in the AIs' responses. On this basis, we develop customised strategies to improve your brand perception.
What are the advantages of GEO over traditional SEO?
While SEO is still important, GEO is about positioning your brand to appear in AI answers and summaries of LLMs. This leads to higher visibility in a world where zero-click searches and AI-powered answers are increasingly becoming the norm.
How do I measure the success of GEO?
Success is no longer measured by clicks alone, but by your brand's impressions and citations in AI responses. MASSIVE ART uses performance tracking and analyses of LLMs to evaluate the effectiveness of GEO strategies and to better position your brand in relevant subject areas.
What is Google AI Mode?
AI Mode in Europe is a Google function that enables complex search queries to be answered directly in Google Search with zero-click answers. This means that users can ask their questions and receive an answer immediately - without having to click on a website. These answers are generated by AI-powered models that access a variety of sources and data to provide the best possible answer. With the introduction of AI Mode in Europe, AI-powered answers are expected to play an even more central role in the user experience and permanently change the way search engines present results.
https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/16011537#zippy=%2Csupported-countries-territories
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