Key Takeaways
- A new way to get noticed online is emerging, focused on making sure your content appears in AI-generated answers, not just traditional search links.
- Terms like GEO, AEO, or GSO all point to this new strategy of optimizing for AI answer engines.
- This new approach aims to work alongside traditional SEO, not replace it entirely.
- Experts are still figuring out the best practices, as there’s no standard playbook yet.
- Content creators and businesses face new questions about how, or even if, they should adapt to these AI-driven search changes.
The familiar world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is evolving. For those who create content or run businesses online, success is no longer just about topping Google’s search results. A new challenge, and opportunity, is making sure your information shows up in answers provided by AI engines.
You might hear a few new acronyms floating around: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), or GSO (Generative Search Optimization). While the names vary, they all describe the same goal: helping AI systems understand your brand and content well enough to include it in their synthesized answers.
So, does this mean SEO is obsolete? Not at all. Search engines are too deeply ingrained in how we find information. This new optimization is developing alongside SEO, and experts see it as a vital new strategy. “AI has already radically changed what search means, not just in terms of the look and feel perspective, but also in terms of what search is, the kinds of queries or asks,” said Tom Critchlow of Raptive, an_ad management platform, in a Digiday report.
However, this field is so new that there’s no standard rulebook yet. “Everyone sitting on their hands and doing nothing is not an option,” warned Edward Cowell from Group M, a media investment company. The specifics are still being worked out, but change is happening fast.
Traditional SEO aims to get your website high up in search results when people look for specific things, often measured by click-through rates. This new approach, GSO as Cowell terms it, “is really more about understanding what is happening within that AI result… how your brand is represented there, whether or not it’s linking back, whether or not it’s citing your content or your brand correctly, and whether the information is accurate.”
AI systems use “crawlers” to gather information, much like search engines. But according to Cowell, these AI crawlers are still “pretty crude” compared to their search engine counterparts, sometimes struggling to access all website content. Some are even discussing making website content simpler for AI to digest.
A key difference lies in how people ask questions. With AI like ChatGPT, users often type in long, detailed prompts. This contrasts with the shorter, keyword-based queries typically used in traditional search engines. “We have very little data on what those long-tail searches are and they’re very hard to predict,” noted Mollie Ellerton from digital optimization agency Hookflash.
This lack of data is a hurdle. “The difficulty, at the moment, is that there aren’t any Webmaster tools that report on performance within AI overviews,” Ellerton added. Neither Google nor platforms like ChatGPT currently provide detailed reports for creators.
So, how can you anticipate what users might ask AI? Ellerton suggests looking at platforms like Reddit or TikTok. “A quicker win… is to go to Reddit and look at what people are saying around that topic,” she explained. Understanding these conversations can help tailor content to the types of questions people are asking.
For publishers, this new landscape presents a tricky situation. AI engines can sometimes reduce traffic to their websites, which is a major concern. Many large publishers have struck licensing deals with AI companies, while others are weighing their options.
Non-media brands, like e-commerce sites, might see more straightforward benefits. Ensuring brand awareness and accurate information within AI answers will be crucial, even if direct clicks decrease. Cowell believes “the value [of those who do end up clicking through] will be higher, even if the volume of clicks has dropped,” suggesting these might be more committed buyers.
However, for some content creators, optimizing for AI might not be worth it. Tom Critchlow pointed to recipe publishers as an example. Many AI platforms generate recipes directly, often without sending significant traffic to original recipe sites. “If you’re a recipe publisher, none of these platforms are worth optimizing for,” he stated.
Despite the uncertainties, this is a trend publishers should monitor closely. Sam Gould from FT Strategies, the consulting arm of the Financial Times, highlighted that publishers are “looking for as many different tactics and advice as possible” to protect their traffic and connect with audiences. It’s natural, he says, that questions are emerging about how to rank in AI engines.
