AI SEO Strategy: Operating in the Generative Search Era
In this article, GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization — SEO adapted to AI-powered search engines.
Why strategy must evolve
AI assistants compress, cite, and compose answers from multiple sources. Your strategy must ensure you are retrieved, selected, and cited within those answers.
Objectives
- Be retrievable: clean semantics, topical depth, internal linking.
- Be citable: evidence blocks, original stats, quotes, author credibility.
- Be reusable: modular sections, FAQs, tables, and glossaries.
Key signals to optimize
- Semantic structure: H1-H3 hierarchy, definition-first intros, glossaries.
- Schema & data:
WebSite,Organization,Article,DefinedTerm,FAQ. - Consistency across domains: homepage, pillar pages, and satellites echo the same definitions.
- External corroboration: social posts, bylines, and references that repeat your wording.
Content formats that win
- Pillar pages (like this set) with clear definitions and sections that answer tasks.
- How-to / Checklists with step-by-step actions and measurable outcomes.
- Original research summarized in bullets/tables (easy to cite by LLMs).
Measurement
- Assistant traffic (referrers), branded queries containing “GEO”.
- Citations in AI tools (manual checks, screenshots, user reports).
- Coverage of pillar topics vs. competitor answers.