SEO will never go extinct, but it is entering a new evolutionary phase.
As generative AI search engines reshape how people discover information, the definition of SEO needs to include optimizing for generative AI.
It’s time to rethink our framework of SEO as search everywhere optimization, with GEO as a core component of the strategy.
SEO with GEO: Same mission, expanding medium
SEO (search engine optimization) is optimizing for traditional search engines, like Google and Bing.
GEO (generative engine optimization) is optimizing for generative AI tools, like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
The engines may be changing, but the goal is the same – help answer users’ questions.
Users still want the best answer in the fewest steps.
Generative AI can shorten the path between the query and the action and make it a better experience for the user.
And as Will Scott said in his SMX session on tactical insights for mastering GEO, it all starts with a question.
Dig deeper: Will Scott on AI content reuse, schema and semantics, and generative engine optimization
A new engine appears
SEO was never just about Google, despite how much we might focus on Google as the default search engine, thanks to its current dominance in market share.
Search specialists have always had to learn how to optimize for each new relevant search tool, from Bing to DuckDuckGo.
The main differences between GEO and SEO are how factors are weighted in each algorithm and how and whether your content appears in each engine.
GEO is not a new shift
The move to all-in-one search and solution has been happening for years. The days of 10 blue links are long gone.
Generative AI is the natural evolution of search, from SERP features like featured snippets to tools and calculators embedded in search engines.
Now there is no such thing as traditional search vs. AI search.
It’s all different degrees of AI search.
All top search engines, including Google and Bing, are already integrating AI into how they build their algorithms and display results.
As LLMs have become more powerful, AI will continue to be more deeply embedded until there is no differentiation or separation between it and so-called traditional search.
Dig deeper: From search to answer engines: How to optimize for the next era of discovery
Overlap of GEO and SEO
The game is the same, but some of the skills are new.
With both SEO and GEO, you still need to follow the same best practices:
Understand users and what they want.
Answer user questions quickly and accurately.
Make your content easy to pull into search.
Create highly relevant, useful content.
Build pages with the right structure for users and crawlers.
Provide a fast, helpful online experience.
Increase your site authority to get more brand mentions.
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.
See terms.
What’s still relevant – and what’s not – in traditional SEO?
Some of the components that were a larger part of “traditional” SEO in the past have become less relevant.
For example, keyword-first strategies have become less relevant over time, as algorithms deranked sites for keyword stuffing.
But keyword research still matters because it tells you about the words people use when searching, and it helps you figure out what info people want to see on your site about a topic.
It can also help you quantify interest and search demand when prioritizing what topics to cover.
Strategies focused on user intent are still the most relevant in the current search meta landscape.
Social and forum searches influence GEO
Thinking beyond Google also means considering other places users are searching, including:
Social media like TikTok and Pinterest.
Forums like Reddit and Quora.
Users are already searching on social and forums, and now these platforms feed generative engine inputs too. Distributing content across platforms helps AI see and cite your brand.
The new search everywhere optimization needs to include all of these sources, too.
SEO specialists need to see how your site and brand are showing up on all platforms so you can strategize accordingly.
Actionable GEO strategies you can start today
Mastering GEO is no longer optional.
While generative AI has a small share of the overall search market, at the rate it’s growing, it may become 10% of website traffic by next year.
Start incorporating GEO best practices into SEO workflows now.
Content
Track key metrics and build reports for website/brand mentions and visibility in LLMs.
Build thorough pages with conversational responses that focus on topics first, not just keywords.
Implement anchor links with clear headings to make content easier to navigate and give structured answers.
Add reputable sources and references to validate data and improve authority.
Build a regular process for pruning underperforming pages and updating content frequently.
Add unique data and interactive tools to give users a reason to visit and return to your site.
Links
Use tools like Screaming Frog to calculate embedding relevance for keywords, link profiles, and page content clusters.
Audit vector embeddings and cosine similarity to measure the relevance of backlinks.
Build internal links to core and evergreen pages.
Technical
Maintain crawlability and indexability with llms.txt and robots.txt.
Add RSS feeds for news and blog posts for crawlability, indexing, and recency signals.
Improve page speed and rendering for efficient delivery.
Use markup for FAQs, detailed definitions, tables of stats, and embedded insights to influence snippet citations and summaries in search.
Optimize multimedia metadata for LLMs, including image alt tags and video transcripts.
Audit crawling, indexing, and retrieval of content on your website.
How to start integrating GEO into your SEO program
Another reason GEO should be included as part of SEO: we need less separation, not more.
We need to get closely aligned with other digital marketing initiatives and resources.
If you haven’t already had conversations with your marketing team and leadership, start with a few basic concepts:
Establish generative AI as part of the SEO umbrella.
Learn new best practices in optimizing for LLMs and start training your teams.
Start tracking generative AI traffic sources and building reporting dashboards.
Get buy-in to start testing new ideas in generative AI.
Share wins and learnings for generative AI as part of SEO strategy.
Dig deeper: How to integrate GEO with SEO
Future predictions for SEO
What could be in store for the future of search everywhere optimization?
New lingo
“Google” as a verb was named the word of the decade from 2000 to 2009.
For this decade, I predict we’ll see a rise in phrases competing to be as common as “Google it,” though “Ask ChatGPT” and “Perplex it” don’t quite roll off the tongue in the same way.
There’s an opportunity here for a catchy name to become the new defining verb of search.
(Maybe Ask Jeeves can make a comeback with a new AI?)
New tech
Check your site’s traffic sources by device in Google Analytics, and you might see a few sessions from smart TVs.
People are already asking questions of AI voice assistants built into their TVs, cars, and smartwatches – nearly any tech that can reach the web.
How would you optimize for a Subaru?
You’d include the right content on your website to make sure your local business is the top pick when a driver asks their car for directions to the nearest dog-friendly restaurants.
New formats
Agentic AI systems are the next phase of generative AI, with smart virtual assistants that can semi-autonomously handle tasks, processes, and user interaction.
SEO analysts will need to optimize for these systems too, both with your own site content and by partnering with development teams to build your own agents.
And before someone suggests we need a new acronym like AEO (agentic engine optimization), let’s all agree to include agentic AI as part of search everywhere optimization.
Dig deeper: Becoming AI-native: The next leap for SEO professionals
The definition of SEO needs to evolve as search behavior and tech evolve
Search engines have been building toward generative search engines for years.
And SEO pros already have the tools to master new generative AI systems.
Now we need to tune them for a different kind of engine.
The good news is we’re already great at learning new algorithms and models on a regular basis.
Generative AI could be the biggest opportunity in our industry right now, if you’re curious and brave enough to embrace it and master it.
Dig deeper: ‘Search everywhere’ doesn’t mean ‘be everywhere’