- Written by Hozio
- June 23, 2025
- 3 Minute Read
What is generative engine optimization, and why should you care?
Generative Engine Optimization is the process of making material better such that it shows up in responses from AI engines like ChatGPT, Bard, Bing Chat, and others. In traditional SEO, you want visitors to click on your links. In GEO, you want the AI to answer your inquiries right away.
Think about how you look for things now compared to how you did two years ago. You probably ask more open-ended inquiries and want detailed answers without having to click on a lot of links. That’s what GEO does: it makes sure that when people ask about your services or industry, the AI answers include information about your firm.
What makes GEO different from other SEO methods
The fundamental goal of traditional SEO is to get certain keywords to show up in the top ten search results. By crawling, indexing, and ranking pages based on hundreds of parameters, you make your site search engine-friendly. The aim is to get people to come to your site.
GEO uses a different method. AI search engines find information from many sources and put it all together to give you complete answers. They don’t simply provide you a list of links; they give you straight answers that include information from a lot of other sources. Your text should be easy for AI to read, find, and cite.
You also change how you optimize. In traditional SEO, things like page speed and backlinks are quite significant. On the other hand, GEO is more interested in how clear, correct, and useful the content is to the circumstance. You don’t only want to move up in the rankings; you also want to be the most trustworthy source that AI engines use to find answers.
You shouldn’t quit using traditional SEO just because of this. Most companies require both ways to work together. A lot of people still use Google, but more and more people are using AI to get quick answers and do research. You need to be visible in both places to get all of your possible clients.
Looking for ways to improve your customer growth?
How the rise of AI search affects businesses in New York City
As AI search grows more popular, businesses in NYC will have to deal with problems that are particular to them. You can’t afford to fall behind on new trends because the competition is so strong here. You lose market share quickly if your competitors start getting AI-generated answers and you don’t.
Local searches are the ones that are hurt the most. When you ask an AI engine about “best marketing agencies in NYC” or “top restaurants near Times Square,” it will use information from a variety of different places to find a response. If your business information isn’t set up for AI extraction, you won’t show up even if you rank well on Google.
People in New York City are more likely to rapidly accept things than people in other cities. When people and businesses in this region are excellent with technology, they usually learn new ways to search quickly. They already use AI to do research, choose vendors, and fix problems. If you don’t make this change, you won’t be able to take advantage of opportunities with your best leads.
Think about how this will change other things. When AI answers questions about certain legal situations, it might recommend a law firm that is best for GEO. When AI tells you where to eat, it can suggest a restaurant with information that is best for GEO. When companies ask AI about digital marketing, it shows them an SEO agency like ours.
How to Use GEO Strategies That Work
GEO writing is different from ordinary SEO writing in that it needs to be done differently. You should write material that AI engines can readily read, interpret, and use as a source. Instead of stressing about how many keywords are in your text, you should focus on making it clear, well-organized, and covering all the important points.
First, find out what questions your customers really have. People ask questions in a different way when they use AI search than when they use normal keyword searches. They may ask, “What should I look for in a New York SEO company?” instead of asking “NYC SEO services.” Your post needs to explain these questions in a way that is easy to understand.
How to make it easy for AI algorithms to find your content
AI engines seek facts and data that are simple to find. Make full resources that cover a lot of topics instead than just making small sites that focus on a few keywords. You want AI to look for information on your area of expertise first.
To organize your work, use clear headings, explicit statements, and proof. AI engines hunt for trustworthy and useful sources of knowledge. It’s helpful to have clear, accurate facts, but not imprecise marketing language. Instead of saying, “we provide great service,” explain consumers exactly what your service includes and what they can expect from it.
Use more structured data and schema markup than what is normally needed for SEO. AI engines need structured data to figure out what things mean and how they are related. Use markup to add crucial information about your business, such as services, reviews, and other data points that will help AI comprehend what you do.
Make FAQ pages that use plain language to answer real questions from customers. People often use these directly in AI answers. But make sure your FAQs really address typical questions and aren’t just different ways of saying what you want to sell. People and AI algorithms can tell the difference.
How to Check on GEO's Progress
You can’t fully measure GEO success using standard SEO measures. You can’t only look at the keyword ranks and organic traffic of your AI search to see how popular it is. You need to come up with new ways to keep track of how often AI responses mention your content.
You may find out how often AI-generated content mentions your brand by regularly testing queries about your sector and services. Try asking AI engines questions that your consumers could have and see if your business comes up. Keep an eye on this over time to see how things get better. It’s a lot of work at first, but you need to see how well your AI search is working.
Check to see if there are more searches for your brand and direct traffic. When AI responses mention your company, consumers generally go to your website or look for your brand right away. These traffic patterns suggest that GEO is working, even though other techniques of assessing it don’t give the whole picture.
Be sure to keep an eye on the quality of leads and inquiries. GEO frequently brings in superior leads because they already know a lot about your business from AI responses. They contact you later in the decision-making process, which usually leads to more sales and better connections with clients.
Getting Your NYC Business Ready for AI Search to Take Over
The move to AI search is not coming; it is now happening. Companies in New York City who make changes early have a big edge over those that wait. You don’t have to stop doing traditional SEO, but you do need to add GEO optimization to your approach.
Check to check if your current content works well with AI. Can AI engines quickly find important information about your services, skills, and value proposition? If not, you’re missing out on chances every day. The top businesses will be those that know both old-school SEO and the newest GEO tactics.
We’ve been helping businesses in modern York City keep up with changes in search for years, so we know both old-school SEO and modern GEO strategies. If you want to be found in the future of search, you need to change with the times.
