Generative Engine Optimization: Content Foundations

In this episode on content foundations we’re talking about how to build content that AI can actually understand.

I’m Mike, and in this episode of Getting Mentioned by AI, Ed and I dive into what it really means to create content for a world where AI systems, not Google, decide who gets seen.

We’re calling this shift GEO – Generative Engine Optimization.
It’s the foundation for building visibility inside large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity AI. These systems are already shaping how people discover information, and if they don’t know you exist, you simply won’t show up.

1. From Ranking to Recognition

For most of my career, everything revolved around ranking. Keywords, backlinks, metadata — the old SEO playbook. But with AI discovery, that question changes from “How do I rank?” to “Does AI even know I exist?”

If a model can’t map who you are or what you represent, it can’t confidently include you in an answer. So recognition becomes the new metric. You need to exist inside the model’s understanding of your topic before you can ever get mentioned by AI.

2. Clarity Beats Everything

I learned quickly that fluff doesn’t work in the world of GEO. AI reads patterns, not poetry.

In the past, we could hide behind vague marketing language and still rank. But LLMs need clear definitions and consistent messaging to categorize you correctly. That’s why I started doing what I call a clarity audit.

I look at every touchpoint — my homepage, about page, social bios — and ask one simple question:

“If AI read all this, could it describe in one factual sentence what I do?”

If the answer is no, I strip it back. GEO rewards precision and penalizes confusion. It’s all about giving AI a clean, reliable pattern to learn from.

3. From Content Creation to Content Architecture

This was the biggest mental switch for me. In traditional SEO, more was always better: more pages, more keywords, more posts.

In GEO, the opposite is true. It’s not about how much you publish but how clearly your content connects. I started thinking about my platform as a tree:

• The trunk is my main topic — the thing I want to be known for.
• The branches are the big content pillars that support it.
• The leaves are smaller supporting articles that add detail.

Every page links back logically to the trunk. This structure teaches AI how ideas relate to each other, building what I call content architecture. You’re not just creating content anymore — you’re teaching AI how your ideas fit together.

4. Forget Keywords, Think in Concepts

I stopped chasing keywords and started building around entities and ideas.
AI doesn’t search for “exact matches.” It maps relationships between people, places, and concepts.

So instead of writing twenty posts with slight keyword variations, I focus on clarity, context, and connections. I use real names, data, and references that anchor credibility. GEO is about meaning, not repetition.

5. Tracking Progress in the GEO Era

One of the hardest parts right now is measurement. There’s no Google Analytics report for “mentions inside ChatGPT.”

What I do instead is simple: I open ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude once a month and ask five questions my site should answer. If I appear in those results, I know I’m starting to show up. If not, I learn from it.

GEO rewards patience. It’s slow, structured progress — not overnight spikes.

6. Why Small Creators Have the Edge

Big companies are slow to adapt. They’re stuck in systems built for old SEO logic.
For small creators like me, that’s an opportunity.

If you build your platform today with clarity, structure, and trustworthiness, AI may prefer your content over a much larger site because it’s easier to read, connect, and cite.
That’s the magic of GEO – structure can beat scale.

7. A Wake-Up Call for SEO Professionals

If you work in SEO, this is your cue to reskill. The fundamentals are shifting from ranking to reasoning.

Understanding schema, structured data, and semantic linking will matter more than keyword research ever did. The next wave of marketing will be about LLM citation visibility and AI search optimization.

The people learning GEO today will define tomorrow’s standards for AI traffic.

8. My Own Starting Point

Because I’m building from scratch, my process looks like this:

• Define one clear sentence: who I help and how.
• Map the tree — core topic, pillars, sub-pages.
• Audit all content for clarity and consistency.
• Publish only what fits the structure.
• Test visibility directly inside AI platforms.

It’s less about volume and more about building an ecosystem that AI can understand.

9. Where This Is Going

Ed and I both believe that GEO is still in its early days. Analytics, plugins, and automation tools will catch up, but right now clarity and structure are the most reliable paths to visibility.

If 2024 was the year of realizing what’s changing, 2025 is the year of experimenting and proving it. GEO gives us a way to design content not just for humans, but for the systems humans now use to find answers.