Generative Engine Optimization

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the science of getting your content chosen and included in AI-generated answers. Instead of fighting for the #1 link on Google, you’re vying to be quoted or cited by AI assistants like Bing Chat, Google’s SGE, or ChatGPT. In a world where users get direct answers without clicking through, GEO is how you ensure your website gets seen and valued.

Structured Data and JSON-LD

One fundamental way to optimize for generative engines is using structured data (Schema.org markup in JSON-LD format). This is essentially a clear, machine-readable label for your content.

Here’s an example of JSON-LD code for a local business page, showing the organization and service area:

<script type="application/ld+json">
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "LocalBusiness",
    "name": "LegalEase Contracts",
    "description": "Contract automation software for startups",
    "address": {
      "@type": "PostalAddress",
      "addressLocality": "Berlin",
      "addressCountry": "DE"
    },
    "areaServed": {
      "@type": "Country",
      "name": "Germany"
    },
    "url": "https://example.com/legal-ease-contracts"
  }
</script>

Why bother? Because structured data gives AI a map of what’s on your page, making it easier for generative models to pull the right info. When you implement schema (via JSON-LD), you’re telling the AI, “Hey, this bit is a recipe, this is a product, this is an FAQ,” in a language it loves. The result: AI search engines can understand your context better, cite you more accurately, and even present rich results .

For example, say you run a SaaS company offering contract automation in Germany. If someone asks an AI, “What are the top contract automation tools for startups in Germany?”, a generative engine will look for content that clearly fits that query. If your landing page includes structured data (like Organization, Service, and LocalBusiness schema) specifying that you’re a software provider in Berlin serving German startups, the AI is far more likely to notice and trust your site’s relevance. Without schema, you’re leaving it to guesswork – and the AI might skip you in favor of a competitor who gave it explicit clues.

How to implement it: Add JSON-LD scripts like the one above to your pages defining key entities. Focus on common schema types that match your content:

• Article (for blog posts or articles – mark up the headline, author, date, etc.)
• FAQPage (for Q&A content – clearly label questions and answers)
• Organization or Person (to define your business or the author of the content)
• LocalBusiness (for local companies – specify your location and service area)
• Product (for product pages – define name, price, reviews, etc., if relevant)

It should be noted that there are other types of structured data like Microlata and RDFa But JSON-LD is the most widely used.

Optimizing Content for Generative Search — 8 Strategies

Beyond schema, GEO involves tweaking your content’s writing and presentation to increase chances AI will cite you. The most current and rigorous knowledge of how to optimize for generative search engines comes from a recent study from Princeton University where they tested various content strategies on a large benchmark (10,000+ queries) to see what makes AI more likely to include your text in its answers. ^† The result was 8 strategies to improve your chances of being cited by generative search engines.

1. Authoritative Writing Style

What it is: Adopting a persuasive, confident tone in your writing – essentially writing like an authority or subject-matter expert. Instead of hedgy language (“we think maybe…”), an authoritative style makes assertive statements backed by knowledge.

Why it helps: Generative AI tends to favor content that sounds credible and sure of itself. An authoritative tone signals to the AI that your page has expertise and trustworthy info, making it more likely to use your text when composing an answer . This was especially helpful for topics like history or debates, where a confident explanation stands out . In essence, if your content reads like it was written by someone who knows their stuff, the AI will treat it as such.

Example: The researchers found a great real-world illustration involving a sports trivia query. For a question about the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Super Bowl history, simply rewriting the passage in a more persuasive, emphatic tone led to an 89% visibility increase for that source in the AI’s answer . In practice, this means using strong language and definitive statements. For instance, instead of saying “The team might have had some chances to win,” an authoritative rewrite would say “The team has never won a Super Bowl, despite notable playoff appearances.” This confident framing gives the AI a clear, quotable fact to grab.

2. Adding Statistics

What it is: Incorporating relevant numbers, data, or hard stats into your content wherever appropriate. Rather than just saying “X is growing fast,” you’d say “X grew 25% year-over-year in 2023.”

Why it helps: Numbers add weight and specificity to your content. AI models love concrete details – it makes their answers more factual. Adding statistics essentially hands the generative engine proof points on a silver platter. The study showed that content with fresh, specific stats saw some of the biggest visibility boosts, as high as 30–40% in position-adjusted word count (a metric for how prominently you’re featured in the answer) . By grounding your statements in data, you signal that your content is informative and valuable.

Example: Suppose you’re writing about automation in the workforce. Saying “Automation is becoming more common in factories” is okay, but not exactly compelling. Instead, add a stat: “According to a 2024 industry report, there’s been a 70% increase in robotic automation in factories over the past five years.” Now you’ve given a juicy fact the AI can cite. In the GEO study, one test case about “robots taking jobs” saw a significant visibility jump after the author included a specific statistic like that 70% figure . The lesson: whenever you can quantify something, do it. Your content becomes instantly more snippet-worthy.

3. Citing Sources

What it is: Providing citations and outbound links to credible sources within your content. For example, if you state a fact or a claim, you might add “(Source: WHO)” or link the anchor text to the original study or article.

Why it helps: This one might sound counterintuitive to old-school SEOs (“You want me to send people away from my site?”), but for GEO it’s gold. When you cite authoritative sources, you bolster the credibility of your own content . AI engines are designed to trace information back to reliable references . By showing your work (just like you learned in school), you make the AI more inclined to trust and include your text. In fact, adding inline citations was one of the top-performing GEO strategies, yielding roughly 30–40% higher visibility in generated answers and a 15–30% boost in the AI’s subjective quality scoring .

Example: Let’s revisit the earlier statistic about urbanization: “Over 70% of the global population will live in cities by 2050.” On your site, you’d write something like: “According to the WHO, over 70% of the global population will live in cities by 2050.” Here, you’d hyperlink “WHO” to the World Health Organization report or use a footnote. The GEO study had a striking example involving a fact about Swiss chocolate: one website simply added a citation for the statement “Swiss people eat the most chocolate per capita,” referencing the source of that fact. The result was a 132% increase in visibility for that site in the AI’s answer snippet . In short, citing reputable sources makes your content a trusted source — and trust is exactly what generative engines are looking for.

4. Adding Quotations

What it is: Including quotes from experts, officials, or any authoritative voices relevant to your topic. This could be a line from an industry thought leader, a snippet of a famous speech, or a notable quote from literature, depending on context.

Why it helps: Quotes bring voices into your content. For an AI that’s synthesizing answers, a well-placed quote can be very attractive to use directly (often with quotation marks and a citation). It provides a change in tone and usually carries inherent authority (since you’re quoting someone notable). The GEO research found that adding quotations can significantly improve your content’s chances of being picked up – on par with adding stats in terms of effectiveness . In some cases, generative answers will even directly pull the quote and cite your site as the source of that quote, which is a big visibility win.

Example: Imagine you have a blog post about the impact of AI on marketing. You might include a quote like: “AI will reshape every industry within 5 years,” says Jane Doe, CEO of Acme Tech. Mark it up clearly with <q> or <blockquote> in your HTML for good measure. Now, if someone asks the AI “what do experts say about AI in marketing?”, there’s a chance it will lift that very quote, complete with the attribution to Jane Doe, and cite your page. The content becomes more engaging to the AI (and to readers) because it’s not just you saying it – an expert backs it up. According to the study, adding quotations and statistics significantly improve visibility (30–40% position-adjusted word count gain, 15–30% subjective impression improvement ). So, dropping in a few choice quotes can make your page feel (to the AI) like a richer, more authoritative source worth quoting at length.

5. Simplifying Language

What it is: Making your writing easier to read and understand. This means using clear, plain language – think shorter sentences, common words (where appropriate), and a logical flow. Essentially, you’re aiming for a lower reading level without dumbing down your content.

Why it helps: Generative models prefer clarity. If your content is convoluted or packed with dense jargon (beyond what’s necessary), the AI might struggle to parse it cleanly or choose a simpler source to quote instead. By simplifying language, you ensure the AI can digest your points quickly and translate them into an answer for users. The research indicates that an “easy-to-understand” writing style led to noticeable gains in visibility, on the order of ~15–30% improvement in those impression metrics . This suggests that clarity isn’t just good for human readers – it’s good for AI selection too.

Example: Let’s say you have a technical article originally written like: “In the event of a sudden influx of computational requests, the system may experience performance degradation.” A simplified rewrite could be: “If too many users hop on at once, the system can slow down.” Both convey the same fact, but the latter is straight to the point. In practice, you might use tools like Hemingway or Grammarly to identify overly complex sentences and simplify them. By doing so, you’re not only helping your human audience but also making it easy for the AI to grab a clean, self-contained sentence from your content. Think of it this way: if a sentence would make a good, clear tweet, it will probably make a good snippet for an AI answer. So trim the fluff, break up long sentences, and explain things in everyday terms when possible. You’ll be rewarded with a higher chance of the AI choosing your text to display.

6. Fluency Optimization

What it is: Polishing your writing for grammar, flow, and coherence. This goes a step beyond just simplicity – it’s about making the text read smoothly and professionally. No awkward phrasings, no choppy structure. Each sentence should transition logically to the next.

Why it helps: Fluency is like giving the AI well-formatted ingredients for its answer. If your content is well-written and error-free, the AI doesn’t have to work hard (or risk making mistakes) to incorporate it. The GEO study showed that improving fluency and readability led to substantial gains in visibility – one method focusing on fluency saw roughly a 17–30% improvement in the AI’s subjective impression of the content . That’s on par with the boost from clarity, indicating that how you present information is nearly as important as what you present. Generative models have some ability to “fix” grammar, but they prefer not to have to. If your text is already clean and well-structured, it’s low-hanging fruit for inclusion.

Example: If your original copy was something like: “The results of the experiment, they were significant and it showed that – essentially – our hypothesis was correct,” you’d want to rewrite that as “The experiment’s results were significant and confirmed our hypothesis.” The latter is fluent and concise. It might seem like a minor edit, but cleaning up run-on sentences, fixing typos, and ensuring the text flows can be the difference between the AI using your content or skipping it. Consider running your content through a grammar checker or even asking a tool like ChatGPT to “rewrite this paragraph more clearly.” It might catch little hiccups in fluency. In short, good writing matters – both for your human audience and for AI. A well-structured, fluent paragraph is an inviting target for a generative engine to quote verbatim.

7. Using Unique Words

What it is: Enriching your content with specific, distinctive vocabulary where appropriate. This doesn’t mean cracking open a thesaurus and swapping every other word for an obscure synonym. It means choosing words or phrases that are precise and perhaps less commonly used when they add meaning. In other words, avoid bland, generic language if a more unique term captures the idea better.

Why it helps: Using unique or uncommon words can make your content stand out to both users and AI. Generative models seek diverse phrasing to avoid regurgitating the same sentence found on 10 other websites. If your content has a slightly different (but still correct and clear) way of phrasing something, it might be favored as a source because it provides variety or a nuanced angle. Also, unique wording can signal that you offer original content or a deeper level of detail. One caveat: the unique words should enhance clarity or depth, not confuse. It’s a balance – you’re showcasing richness of vocabulary and staying understandable. While the original research didn’t highlight “unique words” as a top winner across the board, it did include it as a strategy, and it likely contributes to making your content snippet-worthy in subtle ways . Essentially, if two pages say the same thing but one uses a more vivid or precise vocabulary, the AI might gravitate to the more distinctive one.

Example: Imagine you’re writing about a specific coffee brewing technique. Many pages might say “this method makes the coffee taste better.” You could use more unique descriptors: “this brewing method unlocks a velvety depth in the coffee’s flavor.” The phrase “velvety depth” is a bit more unique than “better taste,” and it paints a picture. Or if you run a travel blog, instead of writing “Paris has many famous landmarks,” you might say “Paris is replete with iconic landmarks.” Small changes, but they spice up your content. Unique words can also mean using domain-specific terms (when appropriate) that other generalist sources might not include. Just ensure these words truly fit your message. When done right, using distinctive language can make your snippet pop in the eyes of an AI looking for a compelling way to answer a user.

8. Using Technical Terms

What it is: Incorporating relevant jargon or specialized terminology specific to your topic (when your audience would understand it). This is about speaking the language of the domain you’re writing for – be it medical terms in a health article, legal lingo in a law blog, or programming terms in a developer guide.

Why it helps: Including technical terms showcases expertise. To a generative engine, if a user query is highly niche or technical, it will look for sources that match that level of language. By using the correct technical terminology, you increase the chances that the AI deems your content authoritative and relevant for technical questions . It’s like giving a strong signal: “This page talks about the exact complex thing you asked about, in the proper terms.” Moreover, technical terms often have very specific meanings, which helps the AI avoid misunderstanding your content. Of course, you should only use jargon where it makes sense – it still needs to be accurate and you don’t want to alienate general readers if the content is meant for a broad audience. But if your page is meant for a knowledgeable audience, don’t shy away from the lingo. The GEO experiments noted that adding technical terms improved visibility particularly for expert-level or niche queries . In simple terms: if someone asks a detailed question, the AI prefers to pull from a page that “sounds like it knows what it’s talking about.”

Example: Suppose you have a blog post about cybersecurity for IT professionals. Using a technical term like “public key infrastructure (PKI)” instead of explaining it in generic terms can be beneficial if the user’s query is technical (e.g., “How does PKI work in email encryption?”). An AI answering that question will seek out content that includes the term “PKI” because it’s clearly on-target. Another example: in a medical article about heart health targeted at a savvy audience, using the term “hypertension” instead of always saying “high blood pressure” (when appropriate) can signal expertise. Your content might say, “Patients with hypertension (high blood pressure) are advised to reduce sodium intake.” That way you cover both bases: you use the technical term and clarify it for those who need the layman’s term. By weaving in the proper technical vocabulary, you make your page a more likely candidate for an AI-generated answer to a detailed question. It’s all about aligning with both what the user asked and how an expert would answer.

What doesn’t work?

Not all SEO tricks carry over to GEO. The big loser in the generative era is keyword stuffing. That’s right – our old frenemy of SEO, jamming a keyword or its synonyms into every other sentence, does not impress generative AI. In tests, content that was artificially loaded with more instances of the query terms saw little to no improvement in visibility . In fact, in the main GEO benchmark, straight-up keyword stuffing performed slightly worse than doing nothing at all .

Why doesn’t it work? Generative engines use advanced language models that understand context and synonyms. They’re not counting keyword frequencies like it’s 2010. If anything, obvious keyword stuffing might make your content read poorly (hurting the fluency and clarity that are important). The AI isn’t going to reward you for repeating “best coffee maker 2025” eight times in a paragraph – it might actually downgrade the usefulness of your text, or just ignore the spammy bits. So, for GEO, you can safely toss the old keyword density checklist out the window. Focus on what truly matters (the eight strategies above) and write naturally. Remember, an AI is literally reading your page to decide if it should include it. If your content reads like gibberish or an encyclopedia of keywords, the AI will find a better source that actually answers the question with substance.

In short, don’t waste time stuffing keywords in hopes of gaming an AI. It won’t work, and it could even backfire. Instead, channel that energy into making your content more authoritative, data-rich, and clear – the things that do move the needle for generative engine optimization.

References

1. Aggarwal et al. (2024). Generative Engine Optimization. Princeton University, Technical Report. (This study introduces GEO and benchmarks various optimization strategies, reporting metrics improvements like 30–40% gains in AI visibility.) Available at: generative-engines.com/GEO/
2. Nguyen, J. (2025). What is GEO? An In-Depth Explanation of Generative Engine Optimization. Manhattan Strategies Blog, June 4, 2025. (Provides a marketer-friendly overview of GEO vs SEO and highlights top GEO techniques and their impact, including schema usage and content style tips.)
3. LSEO (2025). Master GEO Success: Boost Performance with Effective Schema Markup. LSEO Digital Marketing Blog. (Discusses how structured data aids GEO, noting that labeling content for AI (via JSON-LD schema) improves discoverability and accuracy in generative search results.)