Traditional SEO was about earning a spot in a list of ten blue links. And, let’s be clear: SEO is still incredibly important for small businesses and nonprofits. But with Google search traffic dropping globally by 33% in 2025, it is clear that the way people find information has fundamentally changed.
And a big reason for that change? AI (our nemesis returns!)—both in the form of “clickless search” with AI Overviews on Google search results, and via AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude themselves. And while we here are no fans of the technology, we as marketing specialists must consider any and all potential opportunities for our clients; and Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, is quickly becoming a new “gold standard” in digital marketing.
What is GEO?
GEO is the practice of making your content easy for AI tools to find, understand, and cite when someone asks them a question. The practice is about earning a place inside the AI’s actual answer—being one of the handful of sources that ChatGPT or Claude references when it generates a response. The goal shifts from “rank in a list” to “become the source the AI trusts.”
As we mentioned, this differs from the goal of SEO (search engine optimization), as GEO is sharply focused on AI-based results. An easy way to remember this:
- SEO: someone Googles “best wineries near Solvang” → your website appears in a list → they click
- GEO: someone asks ChatGPT “what are the best wineries near Solvang?” → the AI generates an answer and cites your winery directly, possibly without the person ever clicking a link at all
The term was coined in 2023 by researchers at Princeton University, and by 2026 it has become an operational priority for marketing teams across every industry.
GEO Is not a Replacement for SEO
To repeat: GEO is not a replacement for SEO; it is an additional optimization that you can make to increase traffic. Brands that perform well in GEO are almost always the same brands with strong traditional SEO foundations, because AI engines use many of the same quality signals that Google’s ranking algorithm does. Think of SEO as the infrastructure, GEO as the layer built on top.
Most GEO improvements are things you’d want to do for good SEO anyway, like clear writing, structured content, accurate business information, answering real questions. The overlap between SEO and GEO is high, meaning that you can undertake both simultaneously.
What Actually Helps with GEO
Here are a few straightforward guidelines to follow when optimizing your online presence for Generative Engine Optimization:
1. Answer real questions directly and quickly.
44% of all AI citations come from the first 30% of a piece of content: the introduction. AI doesn’t read your whole page the way a human does; instead, it extracts answers. If your content buries the answer under four paragraphs of preamble, the AI moves on. Lead with the answer, then explain it.
2. FAQ sections are gold.
FAQ pages are GEO goldmines because they directly match how people query AI systems. The AI can extract a clear Q&A pair and cite it directly. Create a FAQ for your website, and make sure it is visible to search engines.
3. Be specific about where you are and what you do.
AI rewards specificity, i.e. “digital marketing agency serving small businesses in the Santa Ynez Valley and Lompoc” gets cited for relevant local queries in a way that “California marketing agency” never will. For local businesses especially, this is a genuine competitive advantage over generic national brands.
4. Keep your Google Business Profile complete and current.
Auditing your Google Business Profile, by ensuring all information is complete, accurate, and includes detailed service descriptions, is one of the first recommended GEO actions for any local business.
5. Credibility signals matter.
AI engines are specifically designed to avoid hallucinating by citing sources with verified credentials. An “About” page that explains who you are, what you’ve done, and why you’re qualified to say it is no longer just a nice-to-have; it’s part of how AI decides whether to trust and cite you.
In Summary…
With Google’s AI Overviews reaching 2 billion monthly views, and AI services like ChatGPT surpassing 900M weekly users, AI isn’t something that small business owners and nonprofits can ignore. Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, provides a way to optimize your website to capitalize on the continuing behavioral shift online. And GEO can lead to results very quickly: many businesses can begin seeing GEO benefits within 4 to 8 weeks of implementing structural changes like FAQ sections, direct-answer introductions, and updated business information.
Screechy Cat Media has published a whitepaper containing additional information about GEO, and we offer this as a monthly service for small businesses, solopreneurs, and nonprofits. Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation on GEO, SEO, or anything digital marketing related.
