Do I Need GEO? Yes, If You Want to Stay Agile in 2025 and Beyond

Generative engine optimization (GEO) is one of the latest buzzwords taking over the search space. 

But it brings the question, “is it just a fad or do I need GEO?”

Realistically, yes. You need GEO if you want to stay competitive in the search landscape as it evolves.

Let’s break down why you need it and how you can start optimizing your search strategy now.

Do I need GEO? 4 reasons why

With AI search, the biggest question that people ask is: Do I need this? Do I need GEO?

The answer is yes. 

Despite the fact that it may feel like AI search is a fad, it’s actively changing the way that people look for information online. 

Here are a few reasons why you need GEO:

1. The way people search is changing

The norm used to be going to a search engine, like Google or Bing, typing in your query, and selecting a link from the list of results. It can be tedious and time-consuming.

But the rise of generative engines has changed the way that people search. People aren’t just relying on Google to find information. They’re going to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and other generative engines to get answers to their questions.

But why?

Well, generative engines offer something that search engines generally don’t: A conversation of exploration. 

With generative engines, people can “chat” with the agent to get the information they need, simulating that of a conversation with a friend you ask for advice. Instead of conducting multiple separate searches, people are asking all the questions in one place.

With generative AI, people can conduct a query, read the information, ask follow-up questions, get more information, and repeat the process.

It makes for a simplified way to find information, without having to click on dozens of blue links and read through articles of information.

So, because people are turning to these generative engines and not just relying solely on Google or Bing, you need to have a GEO strategy in place to ensure that you reach these people wherever they search.

2. It creates opportunities for you to reach your audience at different touchpoints

As you’ve long known, the user journey is not linear. Users often have multiple touchpoints where they interact with your business, whether it’s social media, email, search, or somewhere else. 

Generative engines are no different – they’re just another touchpoint where you can reach your audience as they’re going through the buyer journey.

By creating a GEO strategy, you actively optimize for these platforms and ensure that your business can reach users who are using these platforms as part of their journey. 

3. Your competitors are already doing GEO

Even if you’re on the fence about doing GEO, one of the biggest motivations is this: Your competitors are already thinking about it. 

A recent survey found that 90% of businesses are worried about their online findability because of AI. As a result, 85% of them are already investing or planning to invest in some type of AI search/GEO strategy.

So, what does that mean?

It means that other businesses are already seeing the impact generative engines are having on search. They’re understanding that, people are diversifying the way they search, so strategy needs to adapt with it.

Your competitors aren’t waiting around to figure out if GEO is a fad — they know it’s not, and they’re taking action to optimize now and prepare for the future.

So if you aren’t starting to form a GEO strategy, you’re going to fall behind your competition. 

4. It makes you visible in generative engines

One of the most basic reasons to have a GEO strategy is this: You won’t maximize your visibility unless you have a GEO strategy in place. 

If you think about it, GEO is just like SEO. If you want to appear in traditional search engines like Google and Bing, you invest in SEO. You may even remember what your company’s search presence was like before SEO and how it struggled to rank.

But now, with an SEO strategy, you know the value of optimizing for those engines.

GEO is no different. 

If you want to appear in generative engines, you need to actively optimize for them. Hoping that you’ll just be able to appear in generative results simply by following SEO best practices won’t be enough.

By building and developing a GEO strategy, you actively optimize your website to appear in these generative search results, which helps you reach more people as they are using AI search platforms to get information. 

How to start optimizing for generative engines

Do you need GEO? Yes.

But how do you optimize for it?

I’ve got some quick tips and tricks you can use to help your business have a better chance of appearing in generative search results:

1. Optimize for conversational queries

A big difference between traditional search engines and generative engines is how people search. With traditional search engines, people typically search short phrases that tell the search engine what kind of information they’re looking for.

With generative engines, it’s longer and more conversational. 

For example, let’s say that someone wanted to find the best travel destinations in Vermont. When searching that on Google, someone might search a phrase like “best Vermont destinations” or “best Vermont vacation spots.” 

These short phrases provide just enough information to tell search engines what they’re looking for.

But with generative engines, it’s different. 

With generative engines, the user may provide more context and more information about what they’re hoping to find. In this case, they wouldn’t search “best Vermont vacation spots,” but something like:

“I’m thinking about taking a vacation to Vermont. What are some of the best vacation spots in the area? Are there any tourist spots in Vermont?”

The queries on generative engines tend to be longer and more detailed. So, for generative engines, you’ll want to focus on targeting conversational queries to reach people on these platforms.

2. Beef up your content quality

Having high-quality content is a must if you want to have a successful GEO strategy.

A big difference between traditional search engines and generative engines is the depth of information they provide for a query. Generative engines tend to provide more beyond the original query — these engines try to anticipate the information users will need, so it can deliver it before they ask.

That’s why creating high-quality, informative content is crucial for success in generative engines. The more helpful information you provide on a topic, the more likely you are to appear in generative results.

A great way to beef up the quality of your content is to create content clusters. Content clusters enable you to cover all angles of a topic, so you can ensure you’re establishing yourself as an authority on the topic. 

Since generative engines consult multiple sources and pages to formulate a response, it can help you have a better chance of appearing in responses.

3. Add schema to your website

Schema, also known as structured data, helps generative engines understand your pages and provides context for them. Adding it to your page provides additional context that can increase your visibility and help you earn more citations.

You can add schema like the following to help enhance your pages:

• FAQ
• Article
• Local Business
• Product
• Service
• Item List
• HowTo

Start implementing your GEO strategy today

Now that you know the value of GEO and how to create a strategy, it’s time to act. Start composing a GEO strategy to ensure you’re prepared for the next wave of search and continue driving valuable traffic to your business.

Looking for expert help with GEO and AI search? Explore our GEO services to see how we can help, and feel free to connect with us!