GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is becoming as important as SEO. But here's the thing: most "GEO guides" are vague theory with no practical playbook.
This is different. This is what you actually do.
What a GEO strategy really involves
A GEO strategy is your systematic approach to being recommended by AI tools when users ask relevant questions. Strip away the jargon, and it comes down to five things:
Visibility goals: Which prompts do you actually need to rank for?
Content strategy: What do you create to achieve that visibility?
Authority building: How do you establish credibility AI trusts?
Technical foundation: What infrastructure supports AI discovery?
Measurement: How do you track progress and know what's working?
Let's break each one down into actions you can take.
Phase 1: Figure out where you stand
Run an AI visibility audit
Before building anything, you need baseline data. What's your current reality?
- Which AI platforms already mention you?
- For which prompts?
- How do they describe you when they do?
- Where do competitors show up when you don't?
Use Mentionable to systematically track this across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Grok. Manual checking works for a quick snapshot, but you need consistent data to track progress.
Audit your content
Look at what you've already got:
- Do you have comprehensive content for your key topics?
- Is it structured in a way AI can extract and cite?
- When was it last updated? (Be honest.)
Audit your authority
Where are you mentioned outside your own site?
- Industry publications
- Review sites
- News coverage
- What's your backlink profile look like?
Define what "winning" looks like
Not all prompts are equal. Prioritize based on business impact.
Purchase intent prompts are gold: "Best X for Y" queries where someone is ready to buy.
Category research prompts are valuable: "What is X" queries where someone is learning about your space.
Comparison prompts matter: "X vs Y" where you're being evaluated against alternatives.
Solution-seeking prompts are opportunities: "How to solve [problem you solve]."
For each target prompt, assess: How valuable is visibility here? How competitive is it? How far are you from winning it?
High business impact + achievable competition = top priority.
Phase 2: Build the content foundation
Content is the foundation. Without comprehensive, authoritative content, nothing else you do will matter.
Identify your content pillars
Pick 3-5 core topics where you need to dominate. Not 15. Not 25. A focused few you can actually own.
For each pillar:
Create a pillar page. A comprehensive resource covering the full topic. We're talking 3,000+ words that thoroughly addresses every angle. This becomes your flagship content for that topic.
Build supporting content. Detailed pieces on subtopics that link to and from the pillar page. These capture long-tail queries and reinforce your pillar.
Add FAQ content. Direct answers to common questions in the space. These are citation magnets for AI.
What makes content work for GEO
Comprehensiveness. AI prefers citing thorough sources. Go deeper than everyone else.
Structure. Clear headings, bullet points, tables, FAQ sections. Make extraction easy for AI.
Directness. Answer questions explicitly. "The best X for Y is..." not contextual dancing.
Freshness. Regular updates signal relevance. Date your content. Update it quarterly.
Accuracy. Incorrect information destroys credibility. Fact-check everything.
Plan your content calendar
Months 1-2: Audit existing content and fix gaps in your pillar topics. You probably have more than you think, it just needs work.
Months 3-4: Create new pillar content for priority topics you're missing entirely.
Months 5-6: Build supporting content to expand coverage around your pillars.
Ongoing: Keep updating existing content and create new content for emerging topics.
Phase 3: Build authority (content alone isn't enough)
You can have the best content in the world, but if AI doesn't trust you as a source, it won't cite you confidently.
Get mentioned by third parties
Review sites: Get listed and reviewed on G2, Capterra, industry-specific directories. Real reviews from real users.
Industry publications: Pitch stories, contribute guest posts, seek features. Editorial mentions carry weight.
Podcasts and interviews: Build presence through earned media. Show up in conversations about your space.
Awards and recognition: Apply for relevant industry awards. They signal credibility.
Build quality backlinks
Links still matter for AI trust:
- Guest post on relevant, high-authority sites
- Create linkable assets (original research, useful tools, comprehensive resources people want to reference)
- Build relationships with industry publications
- Respond to journalist queries
Establish thought leadership
Position yourself as an expert:
- Publish original research and data
- Share unique insights and perspectives
- Speak at conferences
- Participate actively in your industry
Phase 4: Get the technical foundation right
Technical factors support or undermine everything else.
Let AI bots access your content
Check your robots.txt. Make sure you're not blocking AI crawlers:
# robots.txt - Allow AI bots
User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /
User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /
User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /
Blocking these means blocking yourself from AI search entirely.
Make your site performant and accessible
- Page load time under 3 seconds
- Mobile-friendly design
- Content accessible without JavaScript that bots can't execute
- No unnecessary login walls on public content
Implement structured data
Help AI understand your content structure:
- Organization schema for company information
- Product/Service schema for offerings
- FAQ schema for Q&A content
- Article schema for blog posts
- Review schema for testimonials
Organize for discovery
- Clear category structure
- Logical internal linking
- Hub-and-spoke content organization around your pillars
- Easy navigation
Phase 5: Measure and optimize (continuously)
GEO is iterative. You measure, learn, and improve.
Track the right metrics
Visibility metrics:
- Mention rate across platforms
- Position when mentioned (first recommendation vs. fifth mention)
- Prompt coverage (what % of your target prompts have visibility)
Business metrics:
- Traffic from AI referrals
- Conversions from that traffic
- Brand search volume (indicates AI-driven awareness)
Set up systematic tracking
Use Mentionable to track AI visibility across platforms. Monitor AI referral traffic in your analytics. Track branded search volume for awareness signals.
Run a monthly optimization loop
- Review your visibility metrics
- Identify winning and losing prompts
- Analyze what's different between them
- Update content for prompts you're losing
- Double down on strategies that are working
- Test new approaches
Phase 6: Watch competitors
Track competitive visibility
For your target prompts:
- Which competitors get mentioned?
- What content do they have that you don't?
- What authority signals do they have?
- How are they described compared to you?
Respond strategically
When competitors win prompts you want:
- Analyze their content (what makes it citation-worthy?)
- Find gaps in their approach
- Create something better
- Build authority signals they lack
Common mistakes to avoid
Trying to rank for everything. Focus on high-value prompts first. Breadth without depth fails.
Skimping on content quality. Thin content never works in GEO. Invest in depth or don't bother.
Treating this as one-time optimization. GEO requires ongoing effort. Set it and forget it doesn't exist here.
Focusing only on your own site. Third-party authority matters as much as your content.
Not measuring. You can't improve what you don't track.
Resource allocation reality check
What does this actually take?
Minimum viable GEO:
- 4-8 hours/week on content creation
- Basic tracking (Mentionable free/starter)
- Quarterly content audits
Growth GEO:
- Dedicated content resource (at least part-time)
- Systematic tracking (Mentionable Pro)
- Monthly optimization reviews
- Active authority building
Scale GEO:
- Full content team
- Comprehensive tracking
- Integration with broader marketing strategy
- Aggressive authority building
Realistic timeline expectations
GEO results take time. Don't expect magic in week two.
Months 1-2: Foundation work. Audit, strategy, initial content fixes.
Months 3-4: Building. Content creation, authority building starts showing results.
Months 5-6: Early results. Visibility improvements on some prompts.
Months 7-12: Scaling. Expanding coverage, optimizing based on data.
Year 2+: Compounding. Established authority, consistent visibility.
Start here
- Sign up for Mentionable to audit your current AI visibility
- Identify 5-10 high-value prompts for your business
- Audit existing content against those prompts
- Create your first pillar content piece
- Set up monthly tracking and review
The businesses investing in GEO now will have a significant advantage as AI search keeps growing. Start today.