Generative Engine Optimization: How SEO is Evolving And What That Means for Brands & Retailers

June 30, 2025

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The dream of search engines as they were originally conceived was that you’d get the perfect answer to your query. The reality became something different, with searchers inundated with ads and results rendered unhelpful or irrelevant because of SEO’s commercial intent.

We can’t judge. We play the game, too. The balance of informing people and motivating them to buy something is…tricky. Always has been, but now more than ever, AI-driven search is changing the way people are searching and finding information, often with fewer clicks onto sites, which is worrying retailers.

"At first glance, it may seem like your e-commerce site will lose clicks as AI overviews push the old, traditional blue links in Google results. More people are also turning to tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity, skipping Google entirely. Yet with a growth mindset, both shifts present new opportunities for free, organic exposure - at least for now, before ads enter these spaces." says Tea Pisac Beneš, who leads our Technical SEO practice here at IM Digital.

Let’s dive into what GEO is, how it’s evolved from traditional SEO, and some actions you can take right now to not only keep your brand relevant, but the center of this new way of searching.

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the process of creating and structuring digital content to influence and appear in the outputs of generative AI models. Its purpose is to improve visibility, enhance brand awareness, and drive user satisfaction across these AI-driven platforms.

The goal of GEO is distinct from traditional SEO. While SEO aims for high rankings in a list of web pages, GEO's primary objective is to have your content cited and integrated directly into the AI's synthesized answer. This means becoming part of the AI’s conversational response, often before a user even clicks a link.

Why GEO is Non-Negotiable for Modern Marketers

The rise of generative AI in search profoundly impacts how consumers discover and interact with brands. Embracing GEO isn't optional; it's a strategic imperative.

Alan Kent, IM Digital's VP of AI & Emerging Technologies, says, “ There is lots of content coming out around GEO – it’s the latest hot topic. But if you are a brand or a merchant, remember to first be clear on what you are trying to achieve. Many GEO articles focus on driving traffic to your web site, with the intent to increase ad revenues. In these cases it does not matter which page they visit - all pages will deliver the same revenue benefit. This is not the case for ecommerce.”

For commerce brands, Alan helped our SEO team align on some GEO growth criteria:

Ultimate Visibility: GEO offers a direct line to engaged users by having your content spotlighted as the definitive answer, enhancing brand visibility when users are searching for information related to your products or services.
Increased Authority and Trust: Being cited by an AI engine positions your brand as a trusted, reliable source of information, significantly enhancing your credibility and trustworthiness among your audience.
Future-Proofing Your Strategy: AI technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace. Adopting GEO ensures your marketing strategy evolves alongside it, guaranteeing its effectiveness and continued relevance.
Controlling Your Brand Narrative: In an AI-driven world where information is synthesized, GEO helps you maintain control over how your brand is represented and understood by consumers. This precision is vital for shaping perception.

As with traditional search marketing, Alan notes that priorities may shift depending on a brand’s priorities for awareness versus direct conversions and sales.

“Are you a Brand trying to increase recognition? You don’t need visits to do that. Brand recognition can be improved just by having your content used in answers. Make sure you have useful, novel, reliable content that addresses people’s questions. Are you a Merchant trying to sell products? Then you are more interested in encouraging people to click through to the right product page. Instead of writing independent blog posts, maybe your focus is providing useful answers to questions directly on the product page of your best sellers.”

GEO vs. SEO: A Necessary Evolution, Not a Replacement

GEO isn’t replacing SEO. Think of GEO as an evolution built upon a strong SEO foundation. It represents a sophisticated advancement in digital strategy.

	Search Engine Optimization	Generative Engine Optimization
Primary Goal	Rank high in search engine results pages (SERPs).	Get cited and featured in AI-generated responses.
Focus	Keywords, backlinks, and technical website health.	Context, relevance, and providing comprehensive answers.
User Interaction	Users click on links to find information.	Users receive direct, synthesized answers to their queries. They might click on a cited link in an AI overview.
Content Strategy	Create content around specific keywords.	Develop in-depth, authoritative content that fully covers a topic. This is what we call “owning” a category.

"For those of you who have followed SEO best practices so far, users may initially see your content without clicking through. Over time, however, more qualified users with stronger buying intent are likely to click and convert,” says Tea. "Showing up in generative search is essential. It’s unrealistic to expect meaningful results if you say, “I won’t create content for search engines because I might not get clicks.” Yes, some clicks may be lost, but appearing in generative AI keeps your brand in the conversation, builds on your previous SEO efforts, and positions you to capture demand when users are ready to take action."

Despite their differences, both GEO and SEO share foundational principles that you’d uncover in comprehensive audits: a reliance on high-quality content, a technically sound website, and a deep understanding of user intent. GEO simply refines and expands upon these principles for an AI-first world.

Actionable GEO Strategies: How to Optimize for the New Era of Search

Optimizing for generative engines requires a thoughtful evolution of your content strategy. Here are the steps to embark on your GEO journey:

Build Topical Authority with In-Depth Content: Move beyond merely targeting single keywords. Instead, focus on covering topics comprehensively. Create content that answers multiple related questions and serves as a one-stop resource, establishing your brand as the go-to authority on a subject.
Structure Content for AI Readability: AI models thrive on structured data and content. Utilize clear, hierarchical headings (H1, H2, H3), incorporate lists and bullet points, and include brief summaries to make key takeaways easy for AI to pull. Most importantly, answer questions directly and upfront within your content.
Leverage Technical SEO and Structured Data: A strong technical foundation remains paramount. Implement Schema Markup (e.g., FAQ schema, sameAs to link to authoritative profiles) to help AI understand context and entities. Ensure your site is technically sound with fast load times and mobile-friendliness for easy processing by AI crawlers.
Write in Natural, Conversational Language: We left keyword stuffing behind in the 2010s. Generative AI models are designed for conversational interaction. Write content using language that mirrors how people naturally ask questions, avoiding unnecessary jargon. Optimize for long-tail keywords and natural language phrases that reflect real-world queries.
Enhance Credibility with Data and Authority Signals: Boost your content's trustworthiness. Cite credible sources, include expert quotes, and add unique data to your content. Focus on building brand authority across platforms—including social media, industry forums, and PR mentions—as AI pulls insights from diverse sources.

Our Take: GEO is About “Owning the Conversation”

For us, GEO moves far beyond traditional SEO. It's a sophisticated, proactive strategy to help brands not only appear in search results but also to genuinely shape the narrative around their products and services. We want the brands we partner with to be the go-to authorities, the trusted voices, and the recognized leaders in their spaces, especially as generative AI continues to redefine how information is discovered and consumed.

A Real-World Example: Crafting Success in DIY

Let's illustrate this with a current collaboration. We’re working closely with a fantastic client who specializes in DIY crafts like soap making and candle making. Over the past decade, they’ve already built an incredibly rich library of articles, recipes, projects, and engaging YouTube video tutorials. Their content is authentic, practical, and highly valued by their community.

Despite their comprehensive content library, our client is facing a common challenge: growing their visibility and sales in this new world of AI search. Traditional SEO metrics and tactics weren't quite enough to break through the new AI-driven landscape. They needed a more inventive approach to ensure their wealth of knowledge was being seen and synthesized by these powerful new engines.

Our Strategy: Discovery & Dominating the Conversation

Our strategy for this client comes down to three immediate priorities, aiming for both immediate impact and long-term conversational ownership:

Optimizing for AI Overviews: We’re meticulously working to optimize their existing content for queries where we’ve identified AI overviews in tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs. This means ensuring that content for queries they already rank for (even if stuck in traditional SERP results) gets the visibility it deserves within these AI-generated summaries.
Targeting New, Relevant Queries: Beyond existing visibility, we’re also focusing on new, relevant queries and keywords that are generating AI overviews. This includes foundational questions from beginners, such as "How to make soap at home" or "How to start candle making?"
Structured Content & Data Recommendations: To achieve this, a key component of our refined approach involves making their content technically pristine. We provide precise recommendations for structured content and data, like using proper HTML headings and Schema markup. This ensures that AI models can efficiently comprehend, extract, and synthesize information from their site, presenting it clearly and authoritatively.

Expanding the Conversation: The Power of Community

To genuinely "own the conversation," our client needs to be an active, respected participant in the online communities where its audience gathers.

This understanding is why a significant part of our strategy involves maximizing our client's brand presence within highly engaged maker communities and forums on platforms like Reddit and YouTube. Off-site content and a strong community resonance are poised to drive massive awareness, particularly among the beginners who are increasingly turning to AI overviews for their initial inquiries.

Why Reddit? Trusted Authorities & Active Conversations

Recent GEO/SEO analyses for our client find that:

Reddit Representation in Queries: While Reddit appears in roughly 5% of all queries that generate AI overviews, it is disproportionately significant for our client’s customer base. (up to 30% of query/keyword rankings we’ve observed for this client contain AI overviews. Many of these are longtail, informational queries that are perfect for showcasing intro-level ‘How to’ guides and projects.)
Learning & Showcase Opportunities: These crafting communities thrive on iterative, open-ended learning journeys. Many people showcase their projects to teach others, or openly ask for advice on mistakes in their formulations. This creates a rich tapestry of active, collaborative discussions that can keep our client’s brand at the forefront for crafters seeking new supplies, soap and lye calculators, along with more in-depth guides and resources.

For AI, these authentic, real-world interactions within trusted communities serve as invaluable signals of authority and practical applicability. By positioning our client as a recognized, authoritative voice within these lively discussions, we are strategically influencing how generative AI prioritizes and presents information.

Measuring Success in the Future of Search

Success metrics are evolving. While click-through rates (CTR) remain important, success is shifting towards "reference rates"—how often your brand is cited and recognized in AI answers.

We anticipate that AI will lead to even more personalized and predictive search experiences, making it even more important for brands to proactively anticipate user needs. As this landscape develops, new tools are emerging to help marketers analyze their brand's performance in AI-generated results, enabling precise measurement of your GEO efforts.

"Merchants need to adapt to shifts in KPIs and exercise patience as they wait for SEO and GEO efforts to pay off. This, of course, applies to those who have already laid a solid foundation with strong technical SEO, quality content, and PR best practices. For those who haven’t invested in these areas yet, now is the time to start." Tea says.

The world of search is undergoing a massive shift, and IM Digital is at the forefront, guiding our partners through this exciting evolution. Businesses that embrace GEO now will not just keep up; they will lead. The key is to consistently create valuable, authoritative, and clearly structured content that expertly serves both human users and AI.

Leading Your Brand into the AI-Powered Future

By embracing GEO now, you're not just keeping pace with technological advancements; you're proactively building a future where your brand is consistently recognized as the definitive source of trusted information.

This involves a commitment to consistently creating valuable, authoritative, and clearly structured content that expertly serves both human users and sophisticated AI models. It’s about building brand visibility, authority, and trust in a way that resonates deeply with how today's consumers discover and engage.

Are you ready to truly own your brand’s conversation in the age of generative AI? Explore more of our strategic insights on the future of digital commerce and discover how IM Digital helps leading brands make their mark by diving into our Insights and case studies.

Constante Quirino is the Director of Marketing for IM Digital. Having worked with leading brands and retailers across CPG, wellness, fashion, furniture, and interior design, Constante brings a diverse background in branding, merchandising, and search engine optimization (SEO) to every project.