What changed
Classic search returns a ranked list and lets the reader choose. Generative engines read many pages, write a single answer, and attribute it to a few sources. Visibility now means being one of the sources the answer leans on.
up to 40%
Increase in visibility within generative engine responses from content optimization methods, in the authors' benchmark.
Source: Aggarwal et al., “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization”, KDD 2024How it differs from SEO
Many fundamentals carry over, but the unit of success shifts from a ranking position to inclusion in a generated answer.
Classic SEO
- Success is a ranked position
- Reader clicks through to choose
- Keywords and links dominate
Generative engines
- Success is being cited in the answer
- Answer is synthesized from several pages
- Clear, sourced, quotable content helps
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What to do about it
The same study found that adding citations to credible sources, quotations and statistics to a page were among the strongest-performing methods, while effectiveness varied by topic. Treat them as hypotheses to test on your own content, not guarantees.
