GEO Vs. SEO: Shifting From Google Rankings To AI Citations
I still remember the hype around search engine optimization (SEO) in my early days. Marketers were in hot pursuit of keywords and backlinks, trying to make their content as rich as they could to snag the top spot on the search results page. Although target audiences were always a core part of the equation, satisfying search criteria to climb the ranks felt like a bigger responsibility.
Fast forward to today, and the pursuit is still on. But now, we're on the cusp of a revolution—one that's redefining the present and future of search marketing. You can no longer simply take a bunch of high-search-volume keywords and create content around them, or build backlinks through silver-bullet outreach campaigns, to win in the search space.
And it all comes down to one fact: People are no longer searching for information using just specific keywords or generic phrases. They now often type full-length queries, expecting quick yet comprehensive responses on the results page. Yes, I'm talking about Google's AI Overviews—or AI citations, as they're coming to be known.
Moving From Ranks To Recognition
AI Overviews are stealing the show, and for good reason. Ever since the arrival of generative AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini, there has been a change in the way people use search engines. And I see this change in my own habits. I no longer just type a few words in the search bar and expect to be shown a list of links. I expect definitive answers to my questions, no matter how long or short, because I've started to talk to Google as if I'm talking to another human. I'm sure most of us do now.
According to a September 2024 study by Semrush, 80% of desktop searches and 76% of mobile searches that triggered AI Overviews had informational intent. AI Overviews are making Google far more useful for people to get everything from quick comparisons to summaries of long-winded articles. This led me down a rabbit hole trying to figure out what's behind these AI-generated answers and why a handful of links appear next to them. This is where the concept of generative engine optimization (GEO) became clear to me.
How AI Overviews Have Changed SEO
If SEO is about getting clicks, GEO is about being seen as an authority. It's about becoming a trusted website from which Google's generative engine can source information. With GEO, the goal is to have your brand cited in AI Overviews.
Smart marketers, who are always on the lookout for novel ways to position their brands for success, are already making the shift. They understand that GEO is not a departure from what they've been doing for years, but they just need to layer their SEO practices with a few additional considerations. They understand the rules of the game have changed, and it's now about influence, not traffic and rankings. According to Search Engine Journal, if your brand gets featured in Google's featured snippets, there is a more than 60% chance that AI Overviews will feature it, too.
How I Steered My Team Through This AI Revolution
Although my team and I have lived by SEO rules for a long time, we knew we had to take a leap of faith. We started experimenting. We are now focusing less on the box-checking approach of SEO and more on creating content that offers unique insights.
Now when we write content, we ask ourselves, 'Will this piece be truly helpful?' and 'Will it get cited by AI in the generated response?' We are doubling down on original research and sharing our own experiences more than before. Will it earn us trust signals? Probably. Will we be seen as an authentic resource? Definitely.
We don't have all the answers yet, but one thing's for sure: SEO is still incredibly important, but providing genuine value is far more important than implementing technical tricks. We aren't just counting on being visible—we're counting on being counted on by fully embracing the E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness) principles.
How Can You Integrate GEO Into Your Workflow?
Instead of rankings, you need semantic positioning to win with GEO. You need to be top-of-mind even without getting clicks. Here's what you can do to get started:
Unlike SEO, GEO involves long-tail, conversational queries. Think about how your audience searches for information because more people are targeting searches with queries like 'How can AI improve my marketing efforts?' Front-load key information (like definitions, key facts, etc.) for AI ingestion. Use descriptive header text so AI can quickly recognize sections.
Generative AI taps into all content types, including images and videos, to synthesize overview responses. Build definitive resources on industry topics using different formats to signal authority to AI. Present information directly, furnished with verifiable facts and figures and structured clearly with heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.). Use bulleted or numbered lists. Use tables to make key information easily scannable for AI and your readers. After all, the goal is to become a trustworthy source and get cited in AI Overviews.
AI search algorithms don't just target what's on your website; they cull information about your brand's authority from all over the internet. This means that securing online reviews and mentions in industry publications through strong thought leadership pieces is important. I'm now putting more emphasis on digital PR and building a consistent brand narrative across different platforms.
Conclusion
In the end, GEO is not about throwing everything we've learned about SEO out the window. It's about augmenting our SEO efforts to better align content with AI-driven search algorithms. Frankly, it feels like we have a chance to circle back to what matters most: sharing what we know and helping people find the answers they seek.
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