What is GEO? Why Marketing Leaders Need to Master GEO in 2026

Those of us working in marketing and communications are facing a fundamental shift in how audiences discover our brands’ content. While you've probably spent years mastering SEO strategies to rank in Google search results, a new player has entered the game: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

Like it or not, this isn't just another marketing buzzword. The way people find and consume information is evolving, and we need to keep up. Companies are reporting significant increases in AI-referred traffic, with some seeing ChatGPT-attributed leads outpacing traditional Google attribution.

Worried? Take a deep breath!

It’s OK to evolve, and GEO isn’t drastically different from SEO. Your content strategy just needs to account for both. Let’s walk through the changes you can make in 2026 to give your brand a competitive advantage through GEO.

What Are the Differences Between SEO and GEO?

Traditional SEO focuses on ranking websites in search engine results, based on keyword relevance, authority signals, and technical optimization. Users receive a list of links and choose where to click.

New GEO operates differently. Unlike traditional search engines that return links for keywords, generative AI search engines often respond to natural-language queries with direct answers or recommendations, drawing on various online sources to deliver conversational responses.

This creates a crucial distinction: AI generates an answer based on proof (i.e., credibility and relevance) rather than rankings, making it fundamentally different from traditional SEO approaches.

However, this doesn’t mean you should throw your established SEO strategy out the window! Google rankings still matter significantly. If you dominate traditional search, you have a better shot at ranking in AI chat results.

So it’s not either/or… It's both. ChatGPT isn't replacing traditional search; it's extending and complementing it, offering an even better user experience.

What Can You Do to Boost Your GEO Performance?

While SEO and GEO are complementary, you’re still going to have to make some adjustments to your strategy to really maximize your GEO results. While traditional SEO focuses on keyword density and backlink profiles, GEO demands a deeper understanding of how AI systems evaluate content to provide answers to queries.

Strategy 1: Prioritize Content Depth and Context

AI systems love content that provides in-depth explanations of “how” and “why.” It responds better to content that goes beyond surface-level information to offer comprehensive insights. This means you need to provide thorough coverage of topics, even anticipating and answering users’ follow-up questions within the same piece of content.

For example, instead of making a basic “What is employee retention?” video, create content that explores retention challenges in a specific industry, provides strategies, and addresses common obstacles.

Strategy 2: Make Your Content AI-Readable

Your content’s structured data is standardized code that acts like a translator between your content and AI systems, helping them understand exactly what information you're providing and how it's organized. Think of it as adding clear labels to your content that tell AI tools "this is an FAQ section" or "this is a step-by-step guide," making it much easier for them to find, parse, and cite your information.

FAQs and How-To formats are excellent because AI can easily reference them. These schema markups act as roadmaps for AI systems, helping them understand not just what your content says, but how it's organized and what purpose it serves.

• FAQ schema is particularly powerful because it directly mirrors how people interact with AI tools -- Through questions and answers. When you structure content with clear questions and comprehensive answers, you're speaking the native language of generative search engines!

• How-To schema works similarly well, as AI systems frequently surface step-by-step instructions in response to procedural queries. Just make sure your structured data accurately reflects your content and provides genuine value, rather than trying to game the system.

Strategy 3: Strategically Update Old Content

The good news is that as you adjust your content strategy to account for GEO, you don’t need to create all new content from scratch. Updating old content with current information signals to AI systems that your brand remains relevant and trustworthy. Just make sure your updates are substantive; for example, add details that reflect current best practices and include more recent data.

AI systems have access to extensive training data, which means they're particularly interested in fresh perspectives and updated information that stands out from existing knowledge. So when you refresh older content with new insights, you're providing exactly what AI needs to generate current, relevant responses for users!

Strategy 4: Build Authority Through E-E-A-T

The E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) carries even more weight in AI search optimization than in traditional SEO. AI systems need to verify credibility across multiple signals, and they're increasingly sophisticated at detecting authentic expertise versus manufactured authority.

• Experience means demonstrating real-world application of your knowledge. Share specific outcomes, challenges your brand has solved, and lessons learned from actual implementation. AI systems can distinguish between theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

• Expertise requires consistently demonstrating deep subject matter knowledge. This means publishing regularly on your core topics and building topical authority through interconnected content that covers all aspects of your brand's specialties.

• Authoritativeness comes from external validation of your expertise. Encourage detailed reviews from real-life customers that mention their specific outcomes or your differentiators. Your brand can also pursue speaking engagements and contribute to industry publications to boost its authority.

• Trustworthiness involves transparent communication about your qualifications, methodology, and limitations. Include detailed author bios, cite your sources clearly, and acknowledge when topics fall outside your expertise.

Strategy 5: Publish Content Consistently

Consistently creating fresh content can have compounding returns in AI search visibility. AI systems recognize patterns of expertise and begin associating your brand with specific topics and solutions. Just make sure you continue to put out quality content that demonstrates thought leadership, not just surface-level pieces.

If you’re struggling to come up with topics, try content series that explore topics from multiple angles. A single piece on "improving internal communications" becomes more powerful when it's part of a broader series covering measurement strategies, tool comparisons, change management, and case studies.

Strategy 6: Build Third-Party Validation

SEO strategists prioritize backlinks and third-party mentions, but in GEO, context matters more. AI systems evaluate the relevance and authority of those linking sources, not just their quantity. A mention in a respected industry publication carries more weight than dozens of low-quality directory listings.

You can focus on earning mentions through genuine thought leadership and collaborative content with other industry authorities. Seek guest contributions, podcast appearances, and expert roundups to create the third-party validation that AI systems use to verify your expertise.

Strategy 7: Seek Social Proof

A solid social media presence is much more than “we have 50,000 followers on Facebook!” No matter the size of your account's follower base, a thoughtful, active social media presence matters. This is because AI systems evaluate credibility across multiple touchpoints.

AI systems can detect authentic influence versus manufactured engagement, so focus on providing real value in your social interactions. Share insights that generate meaningful discussions, respond thoughtfully to commenters, and build relationships with other social media accounts. Make sure your brand is consistently named across all the platforms you’re using, too.

How Does Video Content Amplify Your GEO Strategy?

Do these strategies only apply to written content? Not at all!

Research shows that AI answers are consistently presenting video citations. AI-powered search engines can parse spoken dialogue, auto-captions, and even on-screen text within your videos. You’ve probably noticed that Google’s AI summary often presents credible YouTube videos as sources.

So how can you adjust your video strategy to improve AI visibility?

Tailor your video content to support GEO by:

• Writing video scripts the way you'd compose an optimized blog post, with clear phrasing, natural long-tail questions, and conversational key terms.
• Repurposing existing video content to help boost your AI search visibility.
• Embedding clean, accurate transcripts or SRT files that help AI systems understand your spoken content, word-for-word.
• Using intentional on-screen text for key concepts, frameworks, and statistics that reinforce your verbal messaging.
• Optimizing video titles and descriptions to reflect user intent rather than just creative messaging.
• Including detailed author credentials in video descriptions to establish expertise and authority.
• Structuring select videos with clear sections that mirror FAQ or How-To formats.
• Adding timestamps to longer videos so AI can reference specific moments and insights.
• Embedding videos on related written content pages.

Key Takeaway: Adjusting for GEO is Critical

We’re in the middle of an AI revolution, but as a marketing/communications professional, you can rest assured that your SEO mastery can extend to the GEO space. The difference is that now you're serving both human readers and AI systems that curate information for those readers!

So rather than viewing SEO and GEO as competing priorities, think of them as complementary strategies. Your traditional SEO foundation (quality content, technical optimization, and authority building) provides the credibility signals that AI systems rely on. Adding GEO tactics will extend your reach and ensure your brand doesn’t get left behind.

By the way, if you’re ready to explore how video content can strengthen your search strategy across both traditional and AI-powered channels, reach out to Gilllespie Productions! We can discuss how to position your organization for success.