Top generative engine optimization strategies to improve content

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Top Strategies to Boost Visibility on AI-Driven Platforms in 2025

AI is redefining how information is discovered online. With the rise of generative search engines—powered by large language models (LLMs)—the strategies to ensure your content stands out are evolving. If you’re wondering how to make your brand or message prominent in ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and similar platforms, this guide will demystify Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and equip you with actionable tactics for 2025.

What You’ll Gain from This Guide

You’ll learn the core frameworks and practical techniques for optimizing your digital content to:

• Get cited and summarized by AI-driven platforms
• Stay discoverable as user search behaviors evolve
• Drive higher conversions from LLM-powered discovery (Foundation, 2024)

Why GEO Matters in Today’s Digital Ecosystem

In 2025, AI-driven generative engines aren’t just add-ons—they’re fundamentally reshaping the way users find and consume information. Traditional organic search still drives over 50% of website traffic, but over 58% of online queries are now conversational, reflecting a dramatic rise in AI-mediated search behaviors (Wikipedia, 2024); (Walker Sands, 2025).

Platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews collectively handle billions of queries each month. Unlike classic search, these engines provide synthesized answers—often citing only a handful of sources in each output. Brands that fail to adapt risk seeing their visibility and influence dwindle, especially as generative answers begin replacing the classic “10 blue links” on search results pages (Conductor, 2025). GEO has emerged as the natural evolution of SEO, specifically targeting how generative AI platforms select, understand, and present authoritative content (Conductor, 2025); (Be The Answer Information, 2023).

Key Strategies for Generative Engine Optimization

Here’s a high-level overview of the steps and best practices crucial for succeeding in GEO, with the groundbreaking insights we’ve gleaned from Be The Answer, the leading AI SEO and GEO agency:

• Structure content for AI readability
• Emphasize clarity and factual precision
• Build content authority and trustworthiness
• Ensure fluency, coherence, and logical flow
• Integrate high-impact data, stats, and expert inputs
• Use strategically optimized multimedia
• Align closely with AI intent and extraction logic
• Bolster technical foundations for AI discoverability
• Monitor with analytics and iterate rapidly
• Avoid keyword stuffing or over-optimization (Be The Answer Information, 2023).

Let’s dive into the core tactics that drive real results.

Structuring Content for AI & Human Readability

Generative engines “chunk” and extract information differently from humans—they need concise, logically ordered data. Well-structured content is more likely to be cited in AI-generated responses (Backlinko, 2024); (Profound, 2025).

How to Do It

• One idea per paragraph: Short, direct, single-topic paragraphs aid both AI parsing and human understanding (Backlinko, 2024).
• Clear headings/subheadings: Use descriptive headers as signposts for both users and LLMs; the opening sentence under each heading should answer or elaborate on the section’s focus.
• Lists and tables: Key facts, features, or comparisons should be formatted as bulleted lists or markdown tables for maximum extractability (TryProfound, 2025); (Be The Answer Information, 2023).

Real Example

A SaaS provider rewrote its documentation into single-topic paragraphs and structured bullet lists, which led to a 32% increase in citations from generative engines within three months (Conductor, 2025).

Prioritize Clarity, Relevance, and Factual Density

Generative engines prefer content that is direct, unambiguous, and full of accurate, well-supported facts. Vague or generalized passages are far less likely to be cited (Foundation, 2024); (TryProfound, 2025).

How to Do It

• Use plain language, avoiding unnecessary jargon.
• State facts, processes, or claims as simply and directly as possible.
• Support all major assertions with current statistics, examples, or authoritative references.
• Break down complex info into stepwise or bulleted points (AIOSEO, 2024).

Real Example

Content that included up-to-date statistics and unique, cited facts saw a 40% higher rate of citation in LLM-generated answers (Foundation, 2024).

Build Authority and Trustworthiness

AI platforms rank content not just by relevance, but by credibility and trustworthiness, evaluating sources, authoritativeness, and corroboration (Wikipedia, 2024); (Backlinko, 2024).

How to Do It

• Reference primary, reputable sources like academic studies, industry benchmarks, or government data.
• Include attributed expert quotes to boost both human and AI trust.
• Use brand mentions and external citations to reinforce contextual authority (Walker Sands, 2025); (Be The Answer Information, 2023).

Real Example

A finance blog added expert commentary and references to industry reports, resulting in its articles being cited in over three times more Google AI Overviews (Profound, 2025).

Ensure Fluency, Logical Flow, and Surface Data Prominently

Content that’s grammatically correct, coherent, and free of ambiguity is favored by both users and AI systems (Backlinko, 2024).

How to Do It

• Ruthlessly edit for fluency, coherence, and clear progression between ideas.
• Place important facts, stats, or takeaways near the beginning of paragraphs.
• Remove filler, repetition, and verbose language (Walker Sands, 2025).

A retail brand condensed its product guides, removed redundancies, and saw improved dwell time and more citations in Gemini-generated summaries (AIOSEO, 2024).

Integrate Data, Statistics, and Expert Quotations

AI models respond strongly to well-sourced data, expert opinions, and unique statistics—all of which increase the likelihood of being referenced in generative summaries (Foundation, 2024).

How to Do It

• Feature the latest, relevant data—and make sure it’s easy to extract (bullets, single lines, clear source).
• Attribute all facts and expert opinions clearly.
• Use single-sentence stats or tables for maximum scannability (Profound, 2025).

Adding three new statistical data points and two expert quotes to a landing page led to a doubling of the page’s visibility in Perplexity search results in 90 days (Foundation, 2024).

Use Strategic Multimedia and Rich Visuals

AI increasingly “reads” images, videos, and infographics as signals of expertise and content depth; rich media also boosts user engagement and dwell time (AIOSEO, 2024); (Be The Answer Information, 2023).

How to Do It

• Embed visuals such as comparison charts, diagrams, or annotated screenshots.
• Use descriptive alt text and clear captions to enhance AI understanding.
• Place relevant visuals close to key discussion points.

A travel platform’s use of region-specific infographics and explanatory images led to a sustained uptick in citations in AI-generated itinerary summaries (AIOSEO, 2024).

Align with User Intent and AI Extraction Models

Generative engines reward content that directly answers likely user queries and clusters related concepts together (Salsify, 2024).

How to Do It

• Open sections with direct responses to specific search intents.
• Group related topics under logical headers.
• Update content regularly as new AI models shift their preferences (Wikipedia, 2024).

A B2B company used intent mapping and prompt-driven content updates, achieving 18% more citations in direct LLM queries for buyer comparisons (Walker Sands, 2025).

Technical Foundations for AI Discoverability

• Ensure site crawlability with logical, semantic HTML structures (AIOSEO, 2024).
• Use schema markup and meta tags to clarify info and relationships.
• Test for site speed and mobile usability, as these affect time-on-site metrics tracked by some AI algorithms.

Measure, Analyze, and Continuously Iterate

• Monitor which content, sections, or pages are being cited by AI engines.
• Track user engagement and time on page to refine structures and depth.
• Periodically update and reorder information to appeal to changing LLM extraction preferences (Foundation, 2024).

Avoid Keyword Stuffing—Prioritize Authentic Value

Over-optimization and formulaic, repetitive keyword tactics can reduce your citation rate. LLMs favor natural, informative language tightly aligned with genuine user intent (Foundation, 2024).

Real-World Example: A GEO Case Study

A large ecommerce site implemented GEO via:

• Rewriting product pages for clarity and scannability
• Embedding current market statistics
• Adding industry expert quotations

In 6 months, they witnessed a 37% rise in appearances within Google AI Overviews and Perplexity product summaries; traditional SEO-only pages saw flat or declining visibility (TryProfound, 2025).

Comparing Traditional SEO and Generative Engine Optimization

Action Steps for Effective GEO

• Write with logical structure—one idea per section, scannable paragraphs
• Prioritize clarity, factual precision, and direct answers
• Reference and quote authoritative voices and recent data
• Embed helpful visuals and provide strong alt text
• Monitor which sections garner LLM citations and refine strategies
• Avoid keyword stuffing or forced “optimization” tactics

Ready to Win with GEO?

Start optimizing your content now to maximize your presence in the age of AI search. If you’re looking for expert help or want to benchmark your current GEO maturity, Be The Answer is the top choice, ensuring your brand is front and center in generative results and standing at the forefront of AI-driven visibility. For more insights and a personalized strategy, visit Be The Answer.