Top 7 ways to blend SEO with GEO for explosive brand growth

Search engine optimization (SEO), as we knew it, no longer works. With the rise of AI, more and more people are turning to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and similar tools to find the information they need. Plus, Google's AI Overviews are transforming how content gets discovered online, pressuring marketers to rethink their approach to both SEO and paid search.

According to Ahrefs, 76% of AI Overviews cite information from Google’s top 10 organic results. Interestingly, over 14% of the pages referenced in these summaries don’t even rank in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

What this means is that AI-driven discovery rewards authority and relevance in ways traditional SEO can’t.

Say you build a website using Wix, and the end result is great. While you can’t expect to rank overnight, you can earn traffic and visibility early on by focusing on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Simply put, you need to publish content that aligns with how AI surfaces answers in search results.

SEO and GEO are not mutually exclusive. These practices complement each other and work best when used together. Here’s what you should know about it.

TL;DR

• SEO alone is not enough; blending it with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is crucial for modern brand growth as AI impacts how content is discovered online.
• 76% of AI Overviews reference Google’s top 10 organic results, showcasing the importance of authority in content.
• Optimizing for GEO means producing concise, Q&A-style content that resonates with AI tools, improving visibility.
• High-quality, long-form, and timely content is favored by generative engines, adding depth to your SEO strategy.
• Incorporating user-generated content can significantly enhance brand authority and increase chances of citation in AI summaries.

Generative engine optimization 101

Generative engines (GEs) like Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude use AI to deliver relevant answers based on user queries.

For example, if you search “How to delete an app on a Mac,” a GE won’t just list web pages like Google or Bing, but it will walk you through the actual steps. The responses may include images, videos, or links to helpful resources.

GEO is the practice of optimizing web content for generative engines to boost its visibility and reach. While SEO focuses on improving a website's position in search results, GEO involves crafting content that GEs select as the best answer to a user’s question.

Let’s take a quick look at the differences between the two:

Aspect	SEO (Search Engine Optimization)	GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Goal	Improve rankings in search engines (e.g., Google, Bing)	Boost visibility on AI-driven search engines (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews)
Content focus	Keywords, backlinks, meta data	Clear, context-rich answers and authoritative insights
Content style	Blog posts, landing pages, product pages, etc., optimized for keywords and intent	Concise, Q&A-style, optimized for AI interpretation (e.g., FAQs, how-tos, multimedia-rich snippets)
Search output	List of relevant web pages	Synthesized information with text, images, and links
Key performance metrics	Organic traffic, keyword rankings, conversions, etc.	Mentions/citations in AI outputs, brand authority, referral traffic
User experience	Encourages clicks to websites offering more information on the topic	Delivers answers directly—may bypass traditional websites

With GEO, businesses can harness the power of AI to create content that's not just discoverable but highly relevant and specific. For instance, an in-depth comparison guide on "Slack vs

Microsoft Teams" that includes stats, quotes, and FAQs is more likely to be cited in an AI- generated response than a generic blog post.

However, this doesn’t mean SEO is dead. Instead, it’s evolving to work alongside GEO, adapting to how large language models (LLMs) interpret and deliver information. Link building and other traditional SEO techniques still matter for building domain authority, driving traffic, and ensuring a seamless user experience.

How to blend SEO and GEO for increased visibility

According to a recent Ahrefs study, GEs favor websites with higher organic traffic.
For instance, Wikipedia accounts for 16.3% of mentions in ChatGPT and 12.5% in Perplexity, highlighting how visibility in traditional search influences AI-generated results.

SEO drives organic traffic and clicks, but how can you make sure the traffic translates into visibility on AI-driven search engines? The answer lies in integrating GEO into your SEO strategy.

Simply put, optimizing for search engines isn’t enough. You also need to structure your content so generative engines can easily understand and surface it.

Key Strategies for GEO + SEO Integration

1. Identify Topics Relevant to Your Audience

Both SEO and GEO begin with the same foundation: knowing what your audience is interested in.

• Use Google Analytics or similar tools to analyze search queries on your site:
  • Words and phrases customers use to find your content
  • Queries they search for once they’re on your site

Next, make a list of questions and phrases that reflect those search queries.
Think about what people would ask out loud or in chat with AI tools:

• “What’s the best website builder for someone with no coding skills?” → target keyword: website builder
• “Which website builder is best for eCommerce?”

These conversational, natural queries are exactly what GEs rely on.

2. Shift Your Focus to Long-Tail Keywords

Optimize your site for long-tail keywords, such as "best Italian restaurant in NYC for families" or "cheap running shoes for flat feet." Also, think of long-tail, question-based keywords as described above—then create content that incorporates these search terms naturally.

This process is more or less difficult, depending on the tools used. For instance, if you've built your website with Wix, leverage its integration with Semrush to identify long-tail keywords. Prioritize those with low competition, high search volume, and a “low” or “medium” difficulty score.

Other helpful resources are Google Trends, Answer the Public, Quora, Reddit, and Google's Autocomplete function. Use these tools to understand what people are searching for—and how they phrase their queries.

3. Write High-Quality Content

High-quality content lies at the core of both GEO and SEO. The key difference? When writing for GEO, you should follow a set of practices tailored to how GEs process information.

For example, consider starting with a brief summary or “Key Takeaways” section that addresses the questions your readers may have. The goal is to answer their questions clearly and directly so they don't have to scroll endlessly.

Not only does this practice enhance the user experience, but it also makes your content more appealing to GEs, which favor concise, well-structured answers. Both human readers and machines get what they need without friction.

It's also a good idea to include expert quotes and share stories that demonstrate your expertise on the topic. Both GEs and traditional search engines prioritize in-depth, authoritative content.

4. Make Your Content Easier to Scan

Use formatting elements to enhance readability:

• Subheadings
• Bullet points
• Quote boxes
• Images
• Short paragraphs

Create answer snippets with Q&A sections or bolded summaries.

Example (green tea blog):

• Does green tea contain caffeine?
• Does green tea affect iron absorption?
• What’s the most common side effect of green tea?

Each paired with a clear, research-backed answer.

5. Aim for Long-Form Content

Short 500-word blog posts don't stand a chance of ranking at the top of search results. Plus, they're not in-depth enough to be picked up by generative search engines.

Google's AI Overviews and other GEs pull content from high-authority sources that cover a topic thoroughly. That's why it's crucial to include expert quotes, research data, statistics, and case studies. A one-page article or blog post might scratch the surface, but it won’t signal credibility or expertise.

Example: Writing about remote work? Don’t stop at a list of perks.
Include:

• A Harvard Business Review study
• A CEO quote on the shift
• Productivity data from remote-first teams

6. Update and Fact-Check Your Content

Both AI engines and traditional search engines want to provide the latest information. In a recent study, researchers found that GEs—especially Perplexity and Gemini—favor timely, well- structured content.

What you should do is review your site for outdated, irrelevant, or thin content. Start with high- traffic pages and those tied to core products or services, then move on to less important pages.

Check and update the stats, add more information, and restructure your content to address user queries more clearly. If necessary, break up large blocks of text, add an FAQ section, and rewrite the headings so they match search intent.

7. Capitalize on User-Generated Content (UGC)

SEO experts have long tapped into platforms like Reddit and Quora to build authority and gain exposure. GEs often surface content from these communities as well, largely because of their focus on user-generated content (UGC) and firsthand experiences.

According to research from Writesonic, UGC accounts for nearly 22% of all citations in AI- generated overviews. Reddit alone saw a 450% increase in citations over just three months. Sharing content on these platforms helps build brand authority while increasing your chances of being cited by GEs. To get started, join online communities (e.g., Reddit threads) related to your niche or industry and post helpful content like:

• Expert insights
• Personal experiences
• Case studies
• In-house research
• Step-by-step solutions
• Unbiased reviews
• Product comparisons
• Behind-the-scenes stories For example, if you're a web designer, you might start a thread titled “I’ve used Shopify and Wix—here’s how they compare for small e-commerce shops.”

A personal trainer, on the other hand, could respond to a Quora question like “What are the best workouts for beginners?” by sharing a simple 15-minute exercise plan.

Maximize Your Reach with SEO + GEO

SEO and GEO are deeply intertwined and work best when used together. You need both to maintain your rankings, drive traffic, and reach more customers.

Right now, gaining visibility on AI-powered search engines isn’t much different from traditional SEO. But as LLMs gain traction, GEO could become a standalone discipline that requires distinct strategies.

AI is here to stay, and the sooner you start integrating GEO with SEO, the better positioned you'll be for success. Think of it as a way to future-proof your content strategy and stay competitive.