Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO for short, has now entered the mainstream. AI search is on the rise, and it is here to stay. As a result, companies will inevitably have to engage with GEO. At the same time, there is currently an overwhelming number of opinions and approaches surrounding the topic. Countless practices and tools are emerging from all directions, all promising the same thing: greater visibility in AI environments. But is it really that simple?
The Key Takeaways
- GEO aims to increase a company’s visibility in AI search environments such as ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews.
- A baseline assessment provides the foundation for every GEO strategy: it shows how AI systems currently perceive a company and which sources they rely on.
- Based on the sources and topics identified, a company’s owned and earned communications can then be aligned accordingly.
- A number of practices have become established for optimization, including FAQs, chunking and clear, unambiguous language.
Anyone who has followed the discussion over the past few months will quickly notice that opinions on GEO vary widely. Some are already declaring the end of SEO, while others dismiss GEO as little more than hype. As is often the case, the truth lies somewhere in between. GEO is neither magic nor an entirely new invention. It is the logical evolution of what we already do in the digital space. And those who understand the new rules can actively help shape this emerging landscape.
At Kerl & Cie, GEO is not new territory for us. We have already explored the topic in depth, tested a wide range of tools and practices, and successfully implemented them for our clients. Here are our key learnings for developing an effective GEO strategy:
Where Things Are Heading: The New Rules of AI
User search behavior has changed fundamentally. We need to let go of some familiar patterns and assess the new mechanisms realistically:
- Website traffic and clicks are becoming less meaningful: Yes, traditional website traffic is declining. Users increasingly read the answer directly in the chat interface and are less likely to click through to a website. This is also referred to as zero-click search. At first glance, that may sound negative, but on closer inspection, it is not necessarily a bad thing. People who arrive on your website through an AI recommendation often have a highly specific purchase or research intent. In this context, quality matters more than quantity. Our new currency is therefore less about traffic and increasingly about mentions and citations in AI-generated answers.
- The "single-answer" logic: Traditional search engines provide us with a list of links to choose from. AI systems, by contrast, often provide one dominant answer. They combine multiple sources and place them into a new context. The goal of GEO is therefore no longer to rank third on a search results page. The goal is to be part of that one answer.
Understanding the Status Quo Has Never Been More Important
Every company, every context and every prompt influences how AI responds. ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews generate answers individually based on the specific user context, previous interactions and the wording of the prompt. This can vary significantly from one company to another. For one company, AI may rely heavily on business media; for another, it may refer more frequently to Reddit. There is therefore no universal strategy that works for everyone.
That is precisely why a thorough baseline assessment is the most important first step in any GEO strategy. Before optimizing a single line of content, you need to understand how AI systems currently talk about your company, your products or your topics, and which sources they rely on.
For our clients, we use efficient, scalable tools to assess this status quo. These tools measure current visibility based on predefined prompts, benchmark results against competitors and identify the most relevant media outlets and channels.
Moving from Monitoring to Action
Having the data from the baseline assessment is valuable, but it achieves little if it simply sits unused in a dashboard. Moving from monitoring to active optimization is one of the biggest challenges for many companies, because GEO is not driven by a single lever. It is the result of an interplay between technology, content and PR.
GEO is an active and continuous optimization process. Every element you improve changes the information base that AI systems can draw on. Step by step, companies can therefore build greater visibility across AI environments.
So where should you start, and what should you consider?
A Solid Foundation – SEO as the Starting Point
There is no need to reinvent the wheel completely. Companies that have followed a sound SEO strategy over the past few years already have a strong foundation. Why? Because AI systems such as ChatGPT or Perplexity essentially draw their answers from information available on the existing web. They use mechanisms such as retrieval-augmented generation, or RAG, to access up-to-date sources.
In practice, this means that a technically sound website, fast loading times and structured data are far from outdated. They are the entry ticket. If an AI crawler cannot read your website, or if you block it through server settings such as your robots.txt file, your content may effectively become invisible to AI systems. Machine readability therefore remains the foundation. Companies that have already done their homework in this area have a significant head start when it comes to GEO.
Leverage in Practice
So how can companies actually increase the likelihood of being represented positively in AI-generated answers? One way of describing this is to actively help shape the semantic space around your company and its topics. The following approaches can help:
1. Think in user questions, not just keywords
Content should answer specific questions and search intentions. What matters is understanding which information users are actually looking for in AI systems and the context in which they ask for it.
2. Structure content clearly and modularly
Short paragraphs, clear subheadings and FAQs make information easier to understand and process. So-called chunking involves breaking content down into clearly defined units of information.
3. Describe companies and topics clearly
Terminology, roles and company descriptions should remain consistent across different content formats and sources. Clear statements are generally more useful than overly promotional language or metaphors.
4. Contribute original information and expertise
Proprietary studies, data, case studies and expert insights create genuine informational value. They make content more substantial and provide AI systems with concrete reference points for their answers.
5. Strengthen relevant third-party sources
GEO does not take place only on your own website. Media outlets, specialist publications and other relevant platforms influence which information AI systems find about a company and which sources they use when generating answers.
Stay on Top of Developments
The world of generative AI is evolving at an extremely rapid pace. New models, changing response mechanisms and fresh insights into GEO emerge continuously. What is considered best practice today may already be outdated tomorrow.
That is why GEO is not a project with a fixed end date. Companies should regularly monitor developments in AI systems, new GEO insights and their own visibility. Those who continuously learn, test and optimize will be best positioned to benefit from these changes over the long term.
Conclusion: Is AI Visibility Really That Simple?
To return to the question from the introduction: visibility cannot be achieved at the push of a button. It requires a clear understanding of your current position, continuous content optimization and a strong presence across relevant platforms and sources.
Companies that understand GEO and continuously adapt to new developments create the best possible conditions for remaining visible in AI search.
