Content Strategy for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

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Content strategy is a long-standing component of well-rounded digital marketing, and there are specific considerations for content strategy when approaching search engine optimization (SEO). Developing, creating, and distributing strategic content at scale is the fastest path to ranking in search. 

As AI-driven search and tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity play a larger role in brand narrative and visibility, content strategy is even more important and must evolve. While many foundational principles of content strategy remain consistent across technical SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO), important shifts in approach are emerging and worth exploring.

In this article, we’ll look at how content strategy already aligns with GEO, emerging AI search metrics, and how you can upgrade your approach to achieve controllability and content visibility in AI tools.

Ranking signals and AI tools

In a previous post, we talked about the ‘crossover optimizations’ of SEO and GEO, specifically how content that ranks well in Google also often gets cited more frequently AI Overviews (AIO). 

When we look at optimizing content to perform well in search engine algorithms, what matters most is if it’s designed to truly help the audience. This includes everything from user interface (UI) design and user experience (UX), relevance, authority, content quality, user friendliness, depth, and more. 

Creating content that aligns with traditional SEO metrics and prioritizes helpfulness directly supports the goals and effectiveness of a well-executed GEO strategy. That’s why it’s vital to maintain the traditional search optimization side of your content strategy while integrating GEO. 

Content strategy and GEO alignment

The crossover is a good thing because brands can leverage the combined power of GEO and SEO strategy together, amplifying visibility in AI and search. The great news is that your existing content strategy may align with GEO standards. See below to make sure your content strategy hits our benchmarks.

How does your strategy measure up? If you’re nailing these, you’re on the right path. But there’s more to consider if you want to actually influence artificial intelligence tools. That’s next.

How to level up your content strategy for GEO

Going from content that ranks in the SERPs to content that influences AI tools means strengthening your existing work with a focus on AI-driven search engines. Here’s where you can begin.

Assess AI placement opportunities

When beginning the process, it’s important to understand how AI tools are answering user queries in your keyword space. This reveals what audiences are seeking (intent and search behavior), how AI delivers a solution, and your opportunities to appear in related AI summaries. 

With this knowledge, you can focus on creating new content and optimizing old content that strategically targets relevant queries.

We recommend relying on keyword research and analyzing top-ranking content for search intent, but using AI search answers to get an even deeper understanding. Then create the content that satisfies the intent.

Prioritize impressions 

We used to be hyper-focused on click-through rate and site traffic, but content strategy for GEO is all about the impressions. Impressions measure your brand’s visibility in tools like AI Overviews. 

The goal is maximizing content inclusion and brand citations in AI answers. Because many users stay in the AI space to research, simply being seen as a valid source builds brand affinity and positions your brand as an industry leader.

Prioritize low-funnel content

The entire funnel is important but a renewed focus on the lower funnel transactional content is needed. While our research suggests that web pages included in AIO answers receive more traffic than excluded web pages (more here), AI search is eating up some of the research-level query traffic because it often delivers the answers audiences are seeking. 

That means that many consumers arrive at a brand site ready to buy, so it’s important to offer great decision-phase content to empower consumers to quickly and easily convert.

Boost authority

Ranking well in Google Search requires brands to establish and demonstrate authority (E-E-A-T, etc.) in a given keyword space and it appears that this also increases the likelihood that content is included in AI-powered search.

Create content that demonstrates your brand’s unique expertise with original claims or proprietary data that can’t be found elsewhere. AI tools tend to cite novel ideas and unique content, so this can be a powerful strategy.

Understand similarity vs. keywords

SEO relies on traditional keywords but GEO is more centered around content that’s contextually relevant, showcasing semantic similarity and user intent alignment. 

By running AI searches at scale and analyzing the answers you can get a sense of what AI is delivering users and then build content around it. Keywords remain important for organic search but intent-matching, content similarity, and ensuring content satisfies human readers demands increased attention.

Detect trends and iterate

Machine learning and Large Language Models (LLM) are constantly evolving. Therefore AI tools rapidly evolve and the answers they provide are highly dynamic, as are the ways audiences engage with them. 

Content marketing strategy through the GEO lens means staying on top of these trends to detect changes, identify risks and opportunities, and iterate your approach in response. 

The good news for marketers is that AI and GEO aren’t a total content revolution. Many of the things that make an SEO-friendly content strategy also make for a great GEO-ready approach that ensures your brand can keep connecting with your audience. 

Brands simply need to augment what they’re already doing and pay closer attention to their inclusion, engagement, and visibility in AI platforms.