The GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is an innovative technique designed to optimize web content with the aim of boosting its visibility in the responses generated by generative search engines.
These search engines, unlike traditional ones, not only index web pages but also use advanced language models to generate complex and personalized responses to user queries. Now, a recent study conducted by researchers from Princeton University has analyzed the keys to GEO and its differences from “traditional” SEO.
What is GEO: the new era of SEO for Generative AIGenerative search engines, like Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity, Bing or, in the future, Search GPT, combine information retrieval from multiple sources with the generation of coherent and detailed responses. By providing direct and comprehensive answers, these engines can reduce organic traffic to websites, which poses a challenge for content creators but also offers an opportunity to appear before users utilizing them and gain a new source of traffic.
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The document describes several techniques for optimizing web content for generative search engines, highlighting their effectiveness through specific performance metrics. Among them, the following stand out:
To demonstrate the effectiveness of GEO methods, experiments were conducted with various strategies, yielding notable results. For instance, the addition of citations and relevant statistics increased the visibility of content by up to 40% across different types of queries. The combination of methods, such as optimization of fluency and inclusion of statistics, showed significant improvements in overall content visibility.
According to the researchers, the effectiveness of the different GEO methods varies depending on the content domain and the nature of the queries. For example, queries related to discussions or historical topics benefit more from a more “authoritative” style, while factual questions improve significantly through the addition of citations and statistics.
Furthermore, the combination of strategies can be particularly effective. Optimizing multiple strategies, such as adding statistics and simplifying language, can result in substantial improvements in content visibility.
To apply these strategies, website owners and content creators should consider the following steps:
In the document, the researchers provide several practical examples of applied techniques and their impact:
Original Text: “With per capita annual consumption averaging between 11 and 12 kilos, Swiss people rank among the top chocolate lovers in the world.”
Optimized Text: “With per capita annual consumption averaging between 11 and 12 kilos, Swiss people rank among the top chocolate lovers in the world (According to a survey conducted by The International Chocolate Consumption Research Group [1]).”
In this example, a citation has been added to the end of the original statement. This citation from a trusted source (The International Chocolate Consumption Research Group) increases the content’s credibility, which in turn significantly enhances its visibility in the responses generated by the search engine. The relative visibility improvement is 132.4%, demonstrating the effectiveness of adding citations.
Original Text: “Not here, and not now — until recently. The big difference is that the robots have come not to destroy our lives, but to disrupt our work.”
Optimized Text: “Not here, and not now — until recently. The big difference is that the robots have come not to destroy our lives, but to disrupt our work, with a staggering 70% increase in robotic involvement in the last decade.”
Here, a relevant statistic has been added (a 70% increase in robotic involvement in the last decade). By incorporating quantitative data, the content becomes more compelling and substantiated, improving its visibility in generative responses by 65.5%.
Original Text: “The Jaguars have never appeared in the Super Bowl. They have 4 divisional titles to their name.”
Optimized Text: “It is important to note that The Jaguars have never made an appearance in the Super Bowl. However, they have achieved an impressive feat by securing 4 divisional titles, a testament to their prowess and determination.”
Explanation: In this case, the text has been modified to be more authoritative and persuasive. The inclusion of phrases like “a testament to their prowess and determination” adds an authoritative tone and reinforces the positive narrative about the team’s achievements. This enhancement in style and persuasion results in an 89.1% increase in visibility.
Based on the conclusions of this study, it is clear that optimizing content for SEO and GEO requires different strategies due to the nature of traditional search engines and generative engines.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
According to the document, it highlights that traditional SEO techniques such as keyword stuffing are not effective in the context of generative engines, while methods such as incorporating citations, adding statistics, and enhancing text fluency show significant improvements in visibility.
Of course, GEO does not seek to replace SEO, but given the growing importance generative search engines will have in the future, it is crucial that content creators begin incorporating the key concepts of this new approach into their daily practices.
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