What is GEO?
AI search is increasing with the rise of tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini.
Traditional SEO is all about making your site visible for specific search engine results by humans, and GEO focuses ontailoring your website content for AI driven search engines.
Unfortunately, Generative AI introduces many challenges, both technical and environmental. Perhaps the biggest concern is energy consumption asAI-powered searches could use up to 10 times more energy than a typical Google search (International Energy Agency). (International Energy Agency).
More and more tech companies are moving to renewable energy sources but they will need to act fast to keep up with AI's growing demands. For example, in 2023, Microsoft reported a nearly 30% increase in carbon emissions to support AI needs (Microsoft Environmental Sustainability Report).
Why does GEO matter?
You’ve probably noticed that when you Google a search term, the first response is often an AI-generated result from Gemini (Google's AI platform). This is an example of GEO already playing a role alongside traditional SEO.
Gartner has predicted a significant decline in traditional search volume - as much as 25% by 2026. On the flip side, 79% of users are expected to use AI-enhanced search within the next year, and 70% already trust generative AI search results (Gartner).
It’s therefore important to adapt and learn more about GEO so that your content remains visible and relevant.
What changes do I need to make for GEO?
GEO doesn't replace SEO, it adds another layer to it. They are both about improvingyour website’s visibility but there are a few things to consider to make sure your content can be easily understood by both humans and AI.
1. It’s all about credible and reputable content.
This is probably the most important change you can start with and it requires little technical support or background. Firstly, make sure that your content is clear and easy to understand. Where possible, your text should include specific search queries (similar to SEO), cite reliable sources and show authority on the topic. Use relevant statistics, quotes and technical terms to position yourself as a subject matter expert.
2. Multi-channel authority building
Repurpose your content across multiple channels such as social media, advertising and partner websites. This helps to expand your reach and should hopefully drive traffic back to your site, reinforcing your credibility and authority.
3. Technical updates
Your website’s structure also plays a big role. While this can get more technical, improvements like faster loading speeds and proper schema markup will help AI understand and rank your content more effectively. However, we’ll leave that for another day!
Conclusion
GEO isn't about replacing SEO. It's about adding new strategies on top of your existing SEO best practices. One thing for sure is that this it is going to keep evolving so we’ll be posting further updates on this topic!
Source Links
- Gartner - https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-02-19-gartner-predicts-search-engine-volume-will-drop-25-percent-by-2026-due-to-ai-chatbots-and-other-virtual-agents
- Microsoft Environmetal Sustainability Report 2024 - https://cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com/is/content/microsoftcorp/microsoft/msc/documents/presentations/CSR/Microsoft-2024-Environmental-Sustainability-Report.pdf
- Internationl Electrcity Agency - https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/18f3ed24-4b26-4c83-a3d2-8a1be51c8cc8/Electricity2024-Analysisandforecastto2026.pdf
