The way we search for information online is changing fast. We used to type questions into Google and scroll through blue links. Now, we ask AI tools like ChatGPT or rely on generative search engines like Perplexity AI that give us instant, conversational answers without needing to click at all.
This shift is already having a big impact. Website traffic is dropping, visibility is being redistributed, and marketers are scrambling to keep up.
Enter Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
It’s the next evolution of SEO, designed to help you create content that shows up in AI-generated responses.
If you’ve never heard of GEO, now’s the time to get familiar.
What is GEO?
Put simply, Generative Engine Optimisation is about having content that’s findable, readable, and quotable by generative AI.
Traditional SEO focuses on ranking in search engines like Google. You optimise with keywords, build backlinks, and keep your content crawlable. GEO, on the other hand, is about getting picked up by generative engines, the AI tools that summarise content and serve answers directly, without users needing to click.
Think about this: when ChatGPT or Perplexity answers a question with a tidy paragraph, where is that information coming from? It’s drawn from a mix of sources, often paraphrased, cited (if you’re lucky), or simply inferred. Your content might be in the mix, but unless it’s written in a way that AI can easily digest, it might as well be invisible.
This trend is already reshaping marketing. Brands like Mailchimp have seen a steady drop in web traffic as generative engines serve users direct answers, bypassing traditional search listings. That’s the new reality, and GEO is how we adapt.
Why GEO matters now
There’s no sugarcoating the fact that if your business relies on visibility, GEO is a big deal.
AI tools are changing how people find and trust information. Beyond just crawling content, they interpret, summarise, and repackage it. And because these engines aren’t just listing sources but answering questions, the stakes are higher than ever.
Take Google’s AI Overviews. These new summaries use generative AI to compile instant answers from multiple sources. If your content isn’t structured and written with GEO in mind, it might never be surfaced (scanned in real-time by the AI model), let alone cited. In this new search environment, being helpful isn’t enough. Your content needs to be optimised for interpretation.
This presents a challenge and an opportunity. If your content is trustworthy, structured, and speaks clearly to a human audience, it’s more likely to be picked up and shared by AI.
That’s why focusing on off-page credibility, like mentions and reputation, is still so critical. Search engines might be changing, but trust signals are still central to how information is ranked and reused.
How to get started with GEO
Here’s the good news: you don’t need to throw away everything you know about SEO. Most of the same principles still apply, but you’ll need to tweak your approach. Here’s what that looks like:
1. Write like a person (but think like a machine)
Generative engines are trained on natural language. So speak plainly. Use questions, clear headlines, and direct answers. Anticipate what people might ask, and answer them right there in your content.
2. Structure matters more than ever
Forget chunky paragraphs. Use subheadings, bullet points, and summaries. The more logically structured your page is, the easier it is for AI to understand.
And yes, internal linking still plays a big role in navigation and context. Linking related articles helps reinforce your authority and clarify how your ideas connect.
3. Don’t ignore the technical side
Fast websites. Mobile optimisation. Clean code. These are still non-negotiable, and they can influence whether or not your content is considered usable by AI-powered engines. For example, if your site’s not mobile-friendly, you’re already at a disadvantage.
4. Focus on semantic relevance, not keyword stuffing
You don’t need to obsess over keyword density anymore. What matters is meaning. AI engines look for content that aligns with user intent, not just keywords. That means using natural language, being specific, and delivering real value.
Who decides what’s true?
Sadly, with great power comes questionable AI answers. The rise of GEO raises important questions around trust, bias, and accuracy. Generative engines often prioritise content that looks relevant, even if it’s not actually correct. This can lead to well-written but misleading information rising to the top, not because it’s true, but because it’s optimised.
That’s backed up by recent research. A 2023 study from a team at IIT Delhi and Princeton University coined the term Generative Engine Optimisation and tested what actually makes content more likely to appear in AI-generated answers. Using 10,000 real queries, they found that certain tweaks, like including stats, using a confident tone, or adding structured summaries, could boost visibility in chatbot responses by up to 40%.
But here’s the catch: the content didn’t always need to be accurate.
That’s what makes this a balancing act.
GEO can help your content surface, but integrity matters just as much as optimisation. The authors don’t offer this as a blueprint for gaming the system but as a warning. How we present information matters just as much as what we say. In a world where AI decides what surfaces, clarity and integrity are critical to being seen and believed.
Think of generative AI as a well-meaning but slightly chaotic librarian. It wants to answer your questions fast, but it doesn’t always know how to judge which books are accurate. GEO helps you make sure your book is on the right shelf, with a bold title and clear index. Without it, your insights risk getting misquoted, paraphrased incorrectly, or simply lost.
Generative Search, Generative Strategy
Search is evolving fast, and so are the rules for staying visible and trusted. GEO is a practical response to a changing digital reality where content needs to speak clearly to humans and machines. The brands and voices that adapt early will be the ones shaping the conversation, not chasing it.
If you’re ready to make your content work smarter in an AI-first world, we’re here to help. At Viaduct Generation, we combine deep SEO knowledge with a creative, strategic approach that puts your message where it matters. Get in touch today to future-proof your visibility.
