For years, SEO has been the cornerstone of online visibility. And now, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) has entered the chat. While you may assume GEO is just SEO in shiny new packaging, in truth, what we’re seeing is a few GEO tactics that go beyond standard SEO, and in doing so, accelerate AI-driven visibility.
GEO and SEO are closely aligned—practice strong SEO, and you’ll likely earn citations in Google’s AI Overviews, mentions in ChatGPT responses, and traffic from large language models (LLMs). But there are six things you need to be doing to improve your GEO outcomes:
1. Tap Into Where the Conversations Are Happening
LLMs love sources where real human voices are active. Platforms like Yelp, Reddit, and Quora hold weight because they’re filled with organic discussions, personal experiences, and crowd-sourced knowledge. These conversations help LLMs gauge whether content is useful, accurate, and relevant.
Achieve this in two key ways:
On-Site Conversations – Build interactive spaces on your website by enabling comments, reviews, or discussion boards. Yes, it’s work, but it turns your site into a living, breathing resource.
Off-Site Participation – Bring your expertise into existing conversations on YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, or other industry-relevant forums. Link back to deeper resources on your site when it’s genuinely valuable.
2. Break Down Content Into Deeper Hierarchies
In classic SEO, well-structured H2s were enough to signal content organization. GEO takes it further. LLMs process information more effectively when it’s broken into H3s, H4s, and beyond. Sub-sub-sub sections make it easier for AI to understand nuance and context.
Example: Instead of one long section on “Home Loan Options,” you could break it down into:
H2: Home Loan Options
H3: Fixed-Rate Mortgages
H4: Pros and Cons of Fixed Rates
H3: Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
H4: When an ARM Makes Sense
3. Integrate Expert Quotes and Insights
Expert perspectives have always been part of SEO’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). But LLMs seem especially responsive to well-placed quotes from subject matter experts, especially when those quotes contain actionable tips, data, or original insights.
But padding an article with fluff quotes is going to be a big waste of your time. You have to find authoritative voices who can add depth and specificity to your content.
4. Bring Back the Pillar Pages and Topic Clusters
If you’ve been in SEO for a while, you might remember the rise (and partial fall) of pillar pages. They’re back for GEO.
A pillar page acts as a comprehensive hub for a single topic, linking to dozens of related pages, each with its own deep dive. They’ve made a big-time comeback as LLMs thrive on this structure because it mirrors how they organize and surface knowledge.
Example: For a bank, a pillar page titled All About Savings Accounts could include:
- Overview copy introducing the topic
- Contextual links to related product pages
- Articles on interest rates, account comparisons, and how to open an account
- Branch locations for sign-ups
5. Be Purposeful About Keyword Density
Google’s advancements have made many of us complacent about keyword placement. But for GEO, we’ve found that higher keyword density—without crossing into spam territory—improves visibility in LLM citations.
That means being intentional about using target keywords in:
- Titles
- Subtitles
- Header sections
- First paragraphs
Say it clearly, say it early, and say it often enough to be unmistakable.
Final Takeaway
The overlap between SEO and GEO is strong—but GEO rewards you for thinking like an AI. That means structuring content for clarity, joining the right conversations, leaning on true experts, building rich content ecosystems, and stating your keywords with purpose.
If SEO is about being found by search engines, GEO is about becoming the go-to answer for both humans and machines.
