By now, many of us in the digital marketing world have encountered the concept of GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation. If you haven’t, Thomas Standfield’s recent LinkedIn post, “SEO vs GEO for Dummies” is a brilliant primer that breaks down the distinction between traditional SEO and this emerging focus on visibility within generative AI systems.
The key idea? While SEO is about ranking in search engine results, GEO is about being referenced by AI-driven systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. As Thomas puts it, we’re shifting from optimising for pages to optimising for presence. But amid this evolution, one truth remains consistent: websites that are clear, useful, and trustworthy will continue to rise – whether they’re being ranked by algorithms or quoted by language models.
As someone who lives and breathes digital strategy, I see GEO not as a replacement for SEO, but as its next logical step. And the core ingredients of good digital visibility: great content, authentic communication, and intuitive usability, are more important than ever.
GEO is a Shift in Interface, Not in Principle
GEO doesn’t negate what we’ve learned through two decades of SEO. Instead, it reframes how discoverability works. In a world where users are asking conversational questions to AI chatbots and receiving synthesised answers, the mechanics of visibility change, but the value exchange stays the same.
Whether it’s a search engine or a language model, both want to surface high-quality, trustworthy, and relevant information. GEO simply demands that we go deeper: crafting content that not only answers questions but is cited as the answer. That’s a higher bar, and one that starts with clarity and usefulness.
Content That’s Designed for Humans (and Models)
Both SEO and GEO reward content that is well-structured, accurate, and helpful. But where traditional SEO could sometimes reward keyword stuffing and volume, GEO demands coherence, logic, and narrative clarity. Think of it this way: a language model is more likely to surface your insights if they are explained cleanly, structured logically, and backed by transparent data or examples.
This is where high-quality content shines. Not just keyword-rich blog posts, but genuinely helpful resources that explain complex ideas in simple language, or guide users through important decisions with care. Clear subheadings, direct answers, semantic structure – all the things we’ve long said are good for humans are also exactly what models need to interpret and cite us.
Authenticity Signals Trust Online
One of the underplayed elements of GEO is trustworthiness. While Google’s E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) has long shaped SEO best practice, similar principles are quietly guiding how language models choose what to surface.
Authenticity matters. Not just in tone, but in source attribution. Real author bios, clear citations, transparent brand values, and a consistent voice across your site all help establish credibility. It’s not enough to sound knowledgeable; you have to be credible. For GEO, this could be the difference between being referenced or being skipped entirely.
And in a digital world increasingly flooded with AI-generated content, authenticity also becomes a differentiator. Human stories, first-hand experience, real-world examples – these are things that stand out to both readers and algorithms.
Usability is Your Best Optimisation Strategy
No amount of clever keywording or AI-optimised phrasing can compensate for a confusing or frustrating user experience. If your site is hard to navigate, slow to load, or bloated with content that’s more for bots than people, both SEO and GEO performance will suffer.
User-centric design: fast, responsive, accessible, and intuitive, builds the kind of engagement signals that search engines love. But it also leads to clearer copy, better content hierarchy, and stronger contextual cues. These elements are exactly what AI models need to parse and cite information accurately.
Great usability also ensures your most useful content isn’t buried. If a model can’t find it, it can’t quote it. And if a person can’t use it, they won’t share it.
If you take one thing away, let it be this: The Fundamentals Still Matter
GEO is reshaping how we think about visibility, and we all need to evolve with it. But let’s not forget that the heart of digital success has always been the same: creating value.
Whether your goal is to rank on page one or be quoted by ChatGPT, you need to:
- Write with clarity and intent
- Offer real insight, not just fluff
- Build trust through transparency and consistency
- Design experiences that respect your audience’s time
In a world of changing interfaces and fast-evolving tech, the businesses that win will be those who remember the fundamentals. Serve the user. Be the expert. And write like someone’s actually reading.
Because whether it’s Google or GPT, you never know who’s listening.
