Forget SEO. Welcome to the world of generative engine optimization

this Holiday seasoninstead of Search on GoogleMore Americans are likely to turn to large language forms to find gifts, deals, and sales. Retailers could see up to a 520 percent increase in traffic from chatbots and AI search engines this year compared to 2024, according to a recent shopping study. Report from Adobe. OpenAI is already moving to capitalize on this trend: last week, the maker of ChatGPT Announce A major partnership with Walmart will allow users to purchase merchandise directly from the chat window.

As people start relying on chatbots to discover new products, retailers are having to rethink their approach to online marketing. For decades, companies have tried to manipulate Google search results using strategies known collectively as search engine optimization, or SEO. Now, in order to attract the attention of AI bots, more brands are turning to “generative engine optimization” or GEO. The value of the cottage industry is expected to be approx $850 million this yearaccording to one market research estimate.

In many ways, GEO is as much a new invention as it is the next phase of SEO. In fact, many GEO consultants come from the world of search engine optimization (SEO). It’s likely that at least some of their old strategies are still in effect since the core goal remains the same: anticipate what questions people will ask and make sure your content shows up in the answers. But there is also growing evidence that chatbots display different types of information than search engines.

Emre Markus, CEO of GEO’s Brandlight, estimates that there was about 70 percent overlap between Google’s top links and the sources cited by AI tools. Now, he says, that correlation has dropped to less than 20 percent.

Search engines often favor a lot of words—think long blog posts that appear above recipes on cooking websites. But Marcus says chatbots tend to prefer information presented in simple, structured formats, such as bulleted lists and FAQ pages. “An FAQ can answer a hundred different questions instead of one article explaining how great your entire brand is,” he says. “You’re basically giving a hundred different options for the AI ​​engines to choose from.”

The things people ask chatbots are often very specific, so it’s helpful for businesses to publish very precise information. “No one goes to ChatGPT and asks: ‘Is GM a good company?'” Marcus says. Instead, they ask whether a Chevy Silverado or Chevy Blazer has a longer driving range. “Writing more specific content will actually produce much better results because the questions are more specific.”