GEO strategy: become the source for generative AI

Your brand will soon no longer exist if ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity do not know it. Sounds exaggerated? Test it yourself: ask an AI tool about businesses in your sector. Do you appear in the answer?

If not, you are missing opportunities in the fastest growing search channel right now. While traditional Google searches stagnate, AI assistants are exploding. According to the SparkToro and Datos zero-click study (2024), 59.7% of Google searches in the EU end without a click to the open web, and ChatGPT reached more than 800 million weekly users by October 2025 (OpenAI). A growing share of search traffic is therefore shifting to generative AI.

Welcome to generative engine optimisation (GEO): the new playing field where content creation, technical optimisation and AI comprehensibility come together. In this guide you will discover 10 proven strategies with which you can already become visible in tomorrow’s AI ecosystem today.

What is GEO (generative engine optimization)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of positioning your brand and content so that AI platforms like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity cite, recommend or mention you when users search for an answer. Where SEO optimises to be found in a list of blue links, GEO optimises to be mentioned in the generated answer itself.

That it works is now scientifically supported. In the study “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization” (Aggarwal et al., presented at KDD 2024), researchers from Princeton and the Allen Institute for AI, among others, showed that targeted optimisation can increase a source visibility in generative AI answers by up to 40%. The strongest methods: adding quotes (+27.8%), adding statistics (+25.9%) and citing sources (+24.9%). Keyword stuffing, by contrast, backfires.

Why GEO is now crucial for every entrepreneur

For Belgian SMEs this means a paradox: on the one hand AI democratises access to information, on the other hand visibility becomes hyper-selective. Where Google shows 10 results, ChatGPT might mention 2 or 3. This makes local SEO strategies more crucial than ever.

Research by Pew Research (2025) shows that Google now displays an AI summary for roughly one in five searches, and that users then click through to a regular result in only 8% of cases, versus 15% without an AI summary. If you are not in that AI answer, you simply are not seen. Smaller players, on the other hand, score remarkably well through expertise in niche topics.

The 10 strategies that make the difference

1. Transform keywords into entities and context

Forget isolated keywords. AI systems understand meaning via entity recognition: combinations of name, activity, location and specialisation.

Example of old SEO approach: “SEO services Belgium marketing optimisation”

New GEO approach: “ClickForest is an AI-driven marketing agency in Bonheiden that helps Belgian SMEs grow through performance marketing, Shopify optimisation and lead generation. The company was founded by Frederiek Pascal and primarily serves Belgian entrepreneurs.”

Practical implementation:

• Elaborate your company description in complete sentences
• Add geographical context (city, region, market)
• Use synonymous terms for your services
• Implement Schema.org markup for Organization and LocalBusiness
• Optimise your Google Business Profile

2. Write as you talk, not as you sell

Avoid marketing speak: “Our innovative, customer-centric solutions maximise your ROI through state-of-the-art technologies.”

Embrace conversational style: “As an entrepreneur you want more leads without blowing your budget. That’s why we focus on advertisements that actually convert, not on pretty figures that yield nothing.”

Concrete execution:

• Begin paragraphs with direct questions or statements
• Use “you” and “your” instead of formal address
• Avoid acronyms without explanation
• Test your content by reading it aloud
• Apply better prompt techniques in AI content creation

3. Build a FAQ ecosystem with schema markup

AI tools are question-answer machines. Structured FAQ sections form their favourite food.

FAQ best practices:

• Answer real customer questions, not invented keywords
• Use specific figures and examples
• Add expert quotes to more complex answers
• Update regularly with new insights
• Combine with structured data optimisation for maximum impact

4. Cite reliable sources and be a source

Expanding your authority profile:

• Cite studies from McKinsey, Harvard Business Review, Statista
• Reference well-known thought leaders in your field
• Share own case studies with measurable results such as our Bastiano case study
• Publish regular updates on current developments
• Develop expertise in AI-driven marketing

Building own authority:

• Develop unique models or frameworks
• Share behind-the-scenes insights from real projects
• Position yourself as go-to expert for specific questions
• Offer downloadable resources (whitepapers, checklists)
• Invest in AI training for your team

5. Diversify content formats for multimodal AI

Future AI systems process much more than just text. OpenAI’s GPT-4V already analyses images, while Google’s Gemini can interpret audio and video.

Content format strategy:

• Video: Make explainer videos of complex topics
• Audio: Record podcast fragments with expert interviews
• Infographics: Visualise data and processes
• Transcriptions: Make audio/video searchable
• Interactive content: Use AI tools for content creation

6. Claim your unique selling proposition

In a world of AI-generated content, originality becomes scarce. Develop standpoints, models or insights that are not to be found anywhere else.

Examples of unique positioning:

• “The ClickForest AI-Readiness Audit: 5 steps to smarter marketing”
• “Why 90% of SEO advice in 2026 is obsolete”
• “The performance marketing pyramid for Belgian SMEs”
• “From traditional SEO to GEO optimisation”

How to develop unique content:

• Analyse frequently asked questions from clients
• Document your own work processes such as our CRO approach
• Create visual frameworks for complex concepts
• Share contrarian but substantiated opinions
• Combine AI tools with human expertise

7. Systematically test your AI visibility

Practical test protocol:

• Ask the same question to ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot
• Note whether and how your brand is mentioned in the answer
• Repeat monthly and track the evolution

Monitoring tools:

• BrightEdge Real Rank (beta for AI visibility)
• SEMrush Position Tracking (experimental AI features)
• Own tracking via APIs of major AI platforms
• Combine with Google Ads optimisation for complete visibility

To move beyond manual testing, specialized platforms like Scrunch provide a deeper look at your brand’s presence in generative AI. Scrunch monitors how AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude perceive and cite your brand in real time and provides tools like the Agent Experience Platform (AXP) to improve performance. By tracking mentions, citations, and AI bot traffic, you can identify where your content might be falling short and optimize your GEO strategy to ensure you remain a primary source for AI-driven answers.

8. Implement semantic SEO clustering

AI models understand topics via clustering: related concepts that together form meaning.

Cluster implementation:

• Create pillar pages for main topics
• Connect related content via contextual linking
• Use synonyms and related terms consistently
• Develop content funnels from general to specific
• Implement SEO and AI combinations strategically

Example cluster for “AI marketing”:

• Pillar: “AI-driven marketing for Belgian SMEs”
• Subpages: “ChatGPT masterclass”, “AI lead generation”, “Marketing automation”
• Supporting content: case studies, tutorials, FAQs

9. Optimise for local GEO discovery

Local businesses have a unique opportunity in GEO. AI assistants often look for regional experts for specific questions.

Local GEO tactics:

• Consistently mention your location in content
• Use local references and case studies
• Optimise Google Business Profile for AI training
• Claim listings in local directories
• Implement local SEO strategies for Belgium

Local businesses with correctly structured location information are mentioned noticeably more often in AI answers to regional questions; AI assistants readily fall back on specific, well-defined regional expertise.

10. Partner with GEO specialists

What good GEO partners offer:

• AI prompt engineering and testing
• Structured data implementation
• Content optimisation for language models
• Performance monitoring and reporting
• Training of internal teams

At ClickForest we developed an integrated approach that combines traditional SEO with cutting-edge GEO techniques. That is how we help clients get cited more often in AI tools.

Your GEO roadmap for 2026

Month 1: Foundation

• Audit current AI visibility via our AI audit service
• Implement basic structured data
• Optimise most important landing pages for entities

Months 2-3: Content transformation

• Rewrite top 10 pages to conversational style
• Build comprehensive FAQ sections
• Create first content clusters around your core services

Months 4-6: Scale and optimise

• Diversify content formats
• Start systematic AI monitoring with a GEO monitoring tool like Veesie
• Refine based on performance data
• Integrate with e-commerce optimisation where relevant

What actually works for GEO (and what doesn’t)

Not every GEO tactic you read about online holds up. The best controlled study of generative engine optimization so far (the GEO research from a team including Princeton, arXiv 2311.09735) tested nine tactics against each other. The result is sobering:

• What measurably increases your chance of being cited: statistics with a clear source, direct quotes from experts, and fluent, readable language. AI systems like to cite content that backs a claim with a concrete figure or a quotable authority.
• What does not work: stuffing keywords, padding text, or artificially “simplifying” your content without adding substance. That does not increase your presence in AI answers.

The practical lesson: write to be quoted. One sourced statistic or expert quote per section does more for your AI visibility than ten extra keywords. It fits seamlessly with the ten strategies above, and it is exactly why keyword stuffing is a dead end in GEO.

Why waiting is dangerous

Early GEO adoption offers exponential advantages. Just as early SEO adopters in the 2000s claimed market positions that still count today, GEO pioneers are creating sustainable competitive advantages. Learn from successful e-commerce innovations and apply the same early-adopter mindset to GEO.

The investment is limited, the potential enormous. While your competitors are still discussing the relevance of AI, you can already establish yourself as a preferred source in your niche. Just as businesses that invested early in Google Ads optimisation now have structural advantages.

Ready to start? Plan a GEO intake conversation and discover how AI already sees your brand today, and how we can improve that. Or start with an AI audit to evaluate your current positioning.