Generative Engine Optimization: 6 tips for integrating GEO into your 2025 strategy

And here we are! OpenAI announced on October 8 that it would be releasing its Search application before the end of the year. As is often the case, they surprise us by releasing their feature even earlier than expected. Perhaps this is a reaction to Google’s recent announcement that it is opening up its AI overview functionality to 100 new countries (but still not to Europe…)? In any case, the acceleration in the world of search continues and intensifies. Faced with these developments, the question is no longer optional: How can we optimize our visibility in this new conversational era?

Table of Contents

1. 🆕 SearchGPT is now live!
   1. SearchGPT: what exactly is it?
2. It's time to take a closer look at GEO
   1. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): definition
   2. How do Generatives Engines work?
   3. How GEO differs from SEO
3. How to position your brand in SearchGPT and other generative engines ?
   1. Conversational mode ON
   2. Tip #1: Content depth
   3. Tip #2: Structure and pedagogy
   4. Tip #3: PR & brand mentions strategy
   5. Tip #4: Incorporating Data, Statistics, and sources
   6. Tip #5: Expertise without lyricism
   7. Tip #6: Interactive and multimodal content
4. Combine GEO and SEO to maximize impact
   1. A concrete example of GEO-friendly content
5. In conclusion

🆕 SearchGPT is now live!

The news broke this Thursday evening, October 31. Open AI is introducing SearchGPT for all users with Plus and Team subscriptions, as well as for beta testers who had early access to the function. Business and EDU accounts will have to wait just a few more weeks.

SearchGPT: what exactly is it?

Generative engines make you lazy. For the sake of convenience, I asked ChatGPT itself to describe its own SearchGPT functionality.

It correctly replied that it was “an AI-powered search engine developed by OpenAI, designed to enhance the traditional search experience by providing direct, conversational answers to user queries. Unlike conventional search engines that present a list of links, SearchGPT delivers concise responses with clear citations and links to relevant sources.” based on its own site (OpenAI).

But but still talks about a prototype and doesn’t give me the key hot news of the day, namely its large-scale release on the 31st of October.

This simple question already shows us the limits still present in these generative models: accuracy and hot news aren’t always there.
In its defense, Google isn’t doing much better this morning, since you have to activate the “news” module to get up-to-date information too.

Below is a video from the OpenAI website showing how the new SearchGPT works.

It's time to take a closer look at GEO

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): definition

GEO stands for “Generative Engine Optimization”, the process of optimizing your website content to increase its visibility in AI-driven search engines such as ChatGPT (now SearchGPT), Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Google AI Overviews. Some call it AISO for AI Search Optimization. We’re talking about the same thing.

The aim, as with SEO, is to increase your brand’s visibility and make it appear in AI-generated results when potential prospects perform searches related to your products, services or areas of expertise.

How do Generatives Engines work?

Generative Engines (GEO) operate differently from traditional Search Engines (SEO) by offering a more conversational, synthesized, and contextually adaptive approach to answering queries.

How GEO differs from SEO

1. Index vs. Live Search: Traditional search engines (SEO) rely on pre-indexed web pages stored in a Search Engine Index, which are ranked by an algorithm based on numerous criteria. In contrast, Generative Engines reformulate the query and break it down into a set of simpler, easier-to-handle queries, then pass it on to the search engine to retrieve a set of classified sources
2. Ranking Algorithm vs. Summarizing Model: SEO platforms use a Ranking Algorithm to present results as links organized by relevance. GEO engines, however, use a Summarizing Model to condense relevant information into a single answer, making it easier for users to get immediate insights.
3. Answer Presentation: In traditional search engines, users receive links with brief snippets, often requiring further clicks to get detailed answers. GEO engines, on the other hand, deliver a single, synthesized answer directly in the conversation, which includes essential links and supporting details but minimizes the need for further navigation.

How to position your brand in SearchGPT and other generative engines ?

Before we even get into the question of optimizing for these new search engine models, a few reminders are in order. At the time of writing, Google still accounts for 90% of the global search market. “Traditional” search engines remain, and will doubtless remain for a long time to come, major commercial levers for any brand seeking to make a name for itself and acquire new customers.
There are still many unknowns about the evolution of these generative models, and in particular their respective business models: subscription? commission-based? advertising-based?
At present, we seem to be sticking with the first two models, but all these factors – not forgetting the factor of AI-related regulations – are influencing and will continue to influence the search engine landscape considerably in the coming years.
But it’s true that these generative engines, such as SearchGPT, Perplexity or Claude, have shown impressive growth rates in recent months, which the SEO’s world simply can’t snub any longer.

Conversational mode ON

The question has been on everyone’s lips for some time now, and will undoubtedly be at the heart of many debates with the release of SearchGPT: how can you take advantage of these generative engines and optimize your online presence to appear in the responses generated by AI-driven search engines?

Well, first we need to understand how these engines work. As seen above, we’ve gone from a search engine delivering a list of links, potentially accompanied by rich snippets, to a direct response, which can give rise to a conversational sequence.
The diagram below clearly illustrates the differences in principle between traditional search engines (whose optimization is based on SEO factors) and AI-driven search engines (whose optimization is/will be based on a deeper knowledge of GEO).

Now that we’ve seen how these AI engines work, let’s look at how they can be optimized. We’re still at the “test and learn” stage, and that in itself is the perpetual stage of SEO if you think about it. But a study carried out by international researchers has confirmed a number of small-scale hypotheses.
The study was based on more than 10,000 queries, and highlights factors that seem – at present anyway – to have a significant influence on these generative search engines. We’ve drawn on this – and on our own ongoing tests – to summarize a GEO-friendly 6-step approach:

Tip #1: Content depth

Focus on rich, relevant & contextualized content that provides deep insights and value, rather than just matching keywords.

Cover user intent hollistically and pay attention to structure (e.g., product features, reviews, comparisons) to help AI models extract relevant information

Tip #2: Structure and pedagogy

Summarize key points at the top of long-form content, add executive summaries and closing summaries to facilitate digestion by LLMs (Large Language Models at the heart of AI-based search engines).

Tip #3: PR & brand mentions strategy

Ensure consistent and accurate brand representation across the web, as generative engines draw their data from multiple platforms. Brand authoritativeness and “though leadership” take on even greater importance. Stronger links with PR and influencer marketing are recommended

Tip #4: Incorporating Data, Statistics, and sources

Ensure consistent and accurate brand representation across the web, as generative engines draw their data from multiple platforms. Brand authoritativeness and “though leadership” take on even greater importance. Stronger links with PR and influencer marketing are recommended

Tip #5: Expertise without lyricism

Demonstrate your expertise with precise, rich & (when possible) technical terms, while maintaining a natural, fluid flow. Avoid figures of speech or humor, which are difficult to interpret for generative AIs. Be precise, comprehensive and clear.

Tip #6: Interactive and multimodal content

AI models prefer rich content formats, including videos, images, and interactive elements, to enhance and personnalize user experience

Combine GEO and SEO to maximize impact

With the emergence of artificial intelligence-based search engines such as SearchGPT, Perplexity, or AI Overview, Generative Search Engine Optimization (GEO) is becoming an essential element of any digital strategy in 2025. These engines are revolutionizing the way information is delivered to users, favoring direct, conversational responses. But GEO doesn’t replace SEO – it complements it. With Google’s models also relying increasingly on LLMs, it’s clear that SEO and GEO strategies will increasingly overlap. Successful brands will be those that know how to optimize simultaneously for traditional search engines and AI engines, identifying opportunities where GEO impact can make the difference. By playing both sides intelligently, they can maximize their visibility and effectiveness.

StrategySEO action planGEO action planKeyword researchKeyword research based on classic SEO metricsFocus on conversational phrases, long-tail, related questions & semantic fieldHigh-quality contentUnique content demonstrating E.E.A.TContent designed to address AI answers, including data, statistics & quotesAuthoritySharing your content and develop a netlinking strategyEncourage UGC, brand mentions, reviews, and presence on forums, Wikipedia, etc.Technical & UXChecking and solving classic technical SEO problemsPaying specific attention to UX, page structure, metadataData-driven decisionsMonitor your classic SEO KPIsMonitor AI-response patterns & referral traffic from GE

A concrete example of GEO-friendly content

Here’s an example of content that’s eligible for both AI-driven engines and traditional search engines. We show you how Otovo’s page on heat pumps incorporates best practices that make it a strong contender for visibility across both types of search platforms.

The content on Otovo’s webpage embodies best practices that enhance both SEO and GEO performance, effectively boosting visibility on traditional search engines and AI-driven platforms:

1. High-quality and well-structured content: The text is clear, informative, and organized to directly address users’ needs, with sections covering how heat pumps work, the types of systems, costs, and available grants in Belgium. This structure improves the user experience and helps both search engines (SEO) and AI-based engines (GEO) better understand and extract relevant answers to various queries.
2. Optimized for AI responses: The content is designed to be easily digestible and to answer common user questions (e.g., “How does a heat pump work?”), making it ideal for direct responses in AI engines like SearchGPT. This approach also enhances SEO relevance, as it meets users’ expectations for practical, straightforward information.
3. User engagement and interactivity: With interactive features like cost simulations and options to request a quote, the content encourages user engagement. This is beneficial for SEO (by reducing bounce rates) and GEO (as AI engines tend to favor engaging and interactive content).
4. Factual data and precise figures: Information on prices, grants, and energy savings adds credibility and builds user trust. These structured data points make it easier to rank for rich snippets in search engines and improve the accuracy of AI-driven responses, increasing the content’s relevance for both GEO and SEO.
5. Technically optimized structure: Using headings, subheadings, and alt tags for images, the page is technically optimized for SEO, which also helps AI engines navigate the content and draw direct answers. A well-thought-out structure improves the ability of both types of engines to index and display the content effectively.

These practices simultaneously optimize for SEO and GEO, ensuring the content reaches a broad audience, fulfills users’ informational needs, and maintains a strong presence in search results, whether they’re traditional or AI-powered.

In conclusion

• Embrace this new era of search – it’s already begun, and the best time to tackle it is NOW.
• AI-driven search engines are still in their infancy. They still have a long way to go, but the arrival of SearchGPT could well speed things up.
• We’re moving from a logic of (blue) links and rankings to a logic of direct response, based on context, natural language and personalization.
• SEO habits must evolve towards GEO. The good news is that sustainable SEO strategies are well equipped – if not ready – for this new era!

Did you enjoy this article?👉 Download our full presentation on GEO (no information required – just click) and share it on your networks, it encourages us to write more content of this type.👉 Register for our webinar on 14/11, which will delve into the tests carried out with Daikin Belgium on the GEO: ”SEO vs GEO: How Daikin is Combining Traditional SEO with Generative Search

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