GEO Is Here to Stay, But Its Tactics Must Evolve
▼ Summary
– Marketing frequently chases and abandons trends, similar to the fashion industry, with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) being the latest such trend.
– There are strong arguments that GEO may become a forgotten tactic, as current over-optimization tactics risk degrading content quality and could be penalized by future AI models, much like early black-hat SEO.
– A significant risk is that much GEO content is shallow, potentially AI-generated, and contributes to model degeneration by lacking genuine new input for AI systems.
– Despite the risks, some form of optimization for AI models will remain necessary, and a balanced GEO strategy that prioritizes helpful, human-focused content is advised.
– Marketers should adopt sensible GEO best practices now, as thoughtful investment offers potential upside, while avoiding over-optimization that rarely delivers long-term value.
The marketing world has a habit of treating new strategies like fleeting fashion trends, quickly adopting and then discarding them as the next big thing arrives. Generative engine optimization (GEO), also called answer engine optimization (AEO), is currently in the spotlight. With more consumers using AI chatbots for research, the appeal is obvious: brands want to be the first answer provided by tools like ChatGPT or Gemini. However, a closer look reveals reasons to be cautious about whether today’s GEO tactics will remain effective or if they risk becoming a short-lived experiment in digital marketing.
Several strong arguments suggest that GEO could fade into obscurity. A primary concern is that current practices might be self-defeating. In an effort to cater to AI, some content has become formulaic, often leading with a summary, followed by key takeaways and an FAQ, but containing little substantive value. This mirrors the early days of SEO, where keyword stuffing created poor user experiences and was eventually penalized by search algorithms. There’s a real possibility that AI models will similarly learn to identify and devalue over-optimized, low-quality GEO content.
Much of this content is being produced by agencies with a narrow focus on optimization rather than deep subject expertise, potentially leading to a flood of shallow, repetitive information. Furthermore, if this content is itself generated by AI, it risks creating a feedback loop where future models are trained on increasingly derivative material, a problem known as model degeneration. Early tests indicate that human-generated content crafted for AI responses can significantly outperform its AI-generated counterpart. Additionally, many current AI responses are essentially refined presentations of traditional web search results, meaning that core SEO principles may still be more critical than specific GEO tricks. The entire AI landscape is also in flux, and the dominant models and their behaviors five years from now are unpredictable.
Despite these valid concerns, GEO as a concept is unlikely to vanish entirely. The fundamental need for some form of optimization will persist, whether for search engines or generative AI. Marketers essentially face a choice: ignore the trend or engage with it intelligently. The prudent path forward is not to avoid GEO but to implement it without sacrificing quality. History offers a clear lesson from black-hat SEO; tactics designed to game the system, like hidden text or cloaking, ultimately failed and harmed those who used them. A sustainable GEO strategy must balance technical optimization with genuine value for human readers.
Building that sensible strategy requires a focus on the audience first. Structuring content with clear headings, key takeaways, and an FAQ is beneficial, but only if it enhances readability. The most critical element is the body copy itself, it must offer new, interesting, and genuinely helpful insights that aren’t already duplicated across millions of other pages. While the specific rules for GEO will evolve and early efforts may involve some missteps, a thoughtful, balanced approach that prioritizes substantive content is likely to yield long-term advantages. Choosing to sit out entirely could mean missing important learnings and opportunities as the digital landscape continues to transform.
(Source: MarTech)
