Sydney-based SEO, content and digital PR agency Prosperity Media has launched its Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) offering this week. The launch marks a shift in how digital marketers are adapting to the future of ‘the search’.

But what is GEO and why is it important? In an increasingly AI-centric digital landscape, it’s a question that many marketing agencies should be asking.

GEO is the process of maximising your brand’s visibility in AI-powered search engines and conversational interfaces – like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude – that synthesise information and share recommended actions, products and sources.

 In simple terms, GEO is a modern marketing strategy focused on enhancing the visibility and influence of content within responses formulated by generative AI.  

Since the pivotal launch of ChatGPT in 2022, web users have continuously embraced Large Language Models (LLMs). With an increasing number of tools consistently entering the market and being integrated into traditional search experiences, digital marketers are trying to evolve with the shifting landscape.

While traditional SEO is a widely known and utilised strategy that prioritises appearing in a list of blue links, GEO is about ensuring your brand shows up in the responses provided by AI engines.

Australian digital marketing agencies adopting GEO tools 

By leveraging the company’s existing expertise, Prosperity Media’s latest GEO offering will help clients evolve with the landscape and avoid falling behind as search continues to rapidly change.

Prosperity Media has invested in a host of tools to track LLM visibility and conduct LLM brand analysis and opportunity scoping. They will be offering GEO for brands, products and services, as well as specific optimisations for features such as AI mode, AI overviews and ChatGPT shopping. 

Australia-wide independent digital agency Luminary also offers their clients a range of GEO services, giving them opportunities to use it in combination with traditional SEO services to optimise their marketing strategy.

Approaching the new era of AI-driven search

Highlighting its growing prevalence, a 2024 GEO study from Research with Princeton University outlined that GEO can boost visibility by up to 40 percent in generative engine responses.

Google’s integration of AI-generated results directly into search, combined with an increasing number of web users turning toward ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot as part of their search habits, signals the need for the SEO industry to re-evaluate and adopt GEO.

Google’s AI results algorithm now priorities structured content like FAQs, how-tos, real-life reviews, ChatGPT’s browsing functions cite real time data and generative models crawl sources like Wikidata, Google’s Knowledge Graph, and Schema.org – highlighting the importance of brands being meticulously referenced across the web and putting forth high-quality, data-driven content.

Brands can now shape generative AI search results by first ensuring their brand and products are accurately represented in structured data sources by updating their Wikidata, Google Business Profile, Schema.org markup, and listings on G2, Capterra, and similar platforms.

Secondly, brands should consider generating content that is useful for both humans and AI to gain information from, particularly thoughtful use of clear headings, guides and FAQs.

Finally, brands should monitor their GEO presence by observing how often their brand is cited in generative AI responses and increasing citation frequency by providing valuable, trustworthy content.

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