How Do You Build a GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) Strategy?

SEO experts have known for a long time that change is part of the game when it comes to optimizing website content and digital presence for maximum visibility. Well, change has come again for SEO, a change big enough to shift the entire goal of content strategies from ranking on Google and other search engines to showing up in places like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews, and Microsoft Copilot.

AI answer bots and generative engines have changed the way content strategists should be thinking about online visibility. On the one hand, the top rank, position one, is no longer as important as it used to be, on the other hand, the same strategies that worked well in SEO, such as creating content that shows off your experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness, will still take you very far. So how do you know what to change in your strategy and what to keep?

There are specific types of content and technical considerations that need to be adapted for a GEO-first strategy. But before you can understand how to build a GEO strategy, you should know the basics of GEO.

What Is Generative Engine Optimization?

If SEO was about competing for the top search rankings, Generative Engine Optimization is about competing for inclusion in a limited space.

Generative Engine Optimization is the practice of structuring your content, authority signals, and technical foundations so that AI systems can recognize, extract, and cite your information when answering user queries.

Instead of asking, “How do I rank number one for this keyword?” the better question becomes, “How do I become the source AI systems rely on when answering this question?”

Unlike traditional SEO, where success was measured primarily by rankings and organic traffic, GEO shifts the focus toward:

• Covering a topic thoroughly so AI sees you as a reliable source
• Writing answers clearly so they can be easily pulled into summaries
• Making sure your brand is clearly defined and recognized online
• Building trust signals across other reputable websites
• Increasing the chances your content appears inside AI-generated answers

Google has publicly discussed how AI Overviews synthesize information from multiple sources. Microsoft has similarly explained how Copilot integrates web content into generative responses.

The shift is clear. Visibility is no longer just about being listed. It is about being referenced.

Step 1: Define Your Differentiators and the Prompts You Want to Win

Before you create a single piece of content, you need clarity on when AI systems should recommend you.

This is where many brands get it wrong. They try to be relevant for everything instead of owning the specific areas where they are genuinely different.

When someone asks an AI tool:

• "What is the best ERP software for mid-sized manufacturing companies?"
• "Which MES platform integrates with legacy factory equipment?"
• "Who provides AI-driven predictive maintenance software for industrial operations?"

Would your brand clearly fit that description?

Step one of GEO is identifying:

• Your true differentiators
• The problems you solve better than competitors
• The industries or segments where you have proven experience
• The types of prompts where you should logically appear

This means mapping prompt clusters, not just keyword lists. Think in terms of real conversational queries. AI tools are answering full questions, not isolated keywords.

Instead of targeting "GEO strategy," you might target clusters like:

• How to future-proof SEO
• How to show up in AI search results
• How to optimize for Google AI Overviews
• How to build authority for generative engines

The clearer your positioning, the easier it is for AI systems to understand when your brand is relevant.

Step 2: Create and Structure Content So AI Can Clearly Understand It

Once you know the prompts and clusters you want to win, the next step is execution.

This is where content quality, structure, and technical foundations come together.

Your content must do two things at the same time:

1. Be genuinely useful for humans
2. Be clearly understandable for machines

That means:

Match Content to Prompt Intent

If you want to appear when someone asks, "How do you build a GEO strategy?" you need a clear, structured, step-by-step explanation. If you want to appear for "What is Generative Engine Optimization?" you need a clean definition near the top of the page.

AI systems frequently extract concise explanations. Make it easy for them.

Use Clear Structure

• Descriptive H1, H2, and H3 headings
• Direct definitions
• Logical frameworks and step-based processes
• Summary sections where appropriate

Bing’s webmaster guidelines emphasize well-organized, accessible content. Check out our most recent blog to learn more about Bing Webmaster Tools’ New AI Performance Section.

Clarity increases extractability. Extractability increases visibility.

Optimize Technical Foundations

Content must be crawlable and indexable before it can be referenced.

Ensure:

• Fast load speeds
• Mobile responsiveness
• Clean HTML structure
• Accurate XML sitemaps
• Proper canonical tags

Google’s Search Essentials outlines these foundational requirements.

Publish What AI Cannot Easily Replicate

Generic content blends in. Original insight stands out.

If you want to increase the likelihood of being cited, publish:

• First-hand experience
• Real case studies
• Performance benchmarks
• Proprietary frameworks
• Detailed implementation processes

OpenAI has described how retrieval-based systems rely on high-quality external material when generating responses.

The more specific and experience-based your content is, the clearer it becomes when AI systems should reference you.

Step 3: Build Off-Site Authority

AI systems do not evaluate your website alone. They evaluate your brand across the web.

That includes:

• Mentions on reputable websites
• Backlinks and citations
• Expert author attribution
• Industry recognition
• Consistent brand information across platforms

Google’s documentation on E-E-A-T explains how experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness influence search quality systems.

If no one else references your brand, AI systems have less reason to recommend it.

Off-site authority can be built through:

• Digital PR
• Guest contributions
• Podcast appearances
• Research collaborations
• Strategic partnerships

Step 4: Measure, Learn, and Refine

GEO is not a one-time project. It is an ongoing feedback loop.

Traditional SEO metrics like rankings and traffic still matter, but they are only part of the picture.

You should also monitor:

• Growth in branded search volume
• Inclusion in AI Overviews
• Direct traffic increases
• Conversational query visibility
• Referral spikes tied to AI platforms

Microsoft’s Bing Webmaster communications have signaled growing emphasis on AI performance insights.

As you gather data, refine your positioning.

• Are you appearing for the prompts you mapped in Step 1?
• Are certain content formats being cited more often?
• Are competitors being referenced where you should be?

GEO is strategic positioning plus structured execution plus ongoing refinement.

Why GEO Is Now a Core Growth Strategy

Search is becoming conversational. Answers are becoming synthesized. Authority is being inferred across platforms rather than measured by position alone.

The brands that clearly define their differentiators, structure their content intelligently, build authority beyond their domain, and refine based on real visibility signals will become embedded inside AI-generated responses.

The brands that do not will gradually lose presence in critical decision-making moments.

Expanding your SEO strategy into a focused, GEO framework is about adapting to how discovery now works.

Search is becoming conversational. Answers are becoming synthesized. Authority is being inferred across platforms rather than measured by position alone.

The brands that adapt will be embedded inside AI-generated responses. The brands that do not will gradually lose visibility in critical decision-making moments.

If your organization is serious about long-term digital authority, expanding your SEO strategy into a structured GEO framework is no longer optional. It is the next step in the evolution of visibility.