GEO for Marketers: 3 Steps You Can Take Today

If you work in marketing, chances are that someone has mentioned GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) in the past few weeks – and if your world is anything like mine, “mentioned” might be a little too casual. Maybe it came up in a board meeting, maybe your SEO agency dropped it in conversation, or maybe marketers are overselling it on Linkedin with lots of 🔥 emojis.

But no matter how GEO got added to your plate, you’re now wondering: Do we need to do something? Right now? Are we behind?

Take a breath. GEO is real, but it’s not a reason to panic. Like SEO years before it, it’s less about chasing the next shiny object and more about following smart, sustainable practices that put your brand in front of the right audience.

Here are three things you can do today to start addressing GEO without losing sleep.

3 GEO Things to Do First

1. Start thinking in prompts, not just keywords

Your customers aren’t just typing short queries anymore, they’re asking full questions in conversational language (…oh where did you go Ask Jeeves!?). For now, shift your mindset from “keywords” to “prompts.” Create content that clearly answers the kinds of questions your audience would ask a generative AI tool.

2. Show up where GEO engines look.

Generative search pulls from a wider set of sources than Google’s traditional algorithm, think Wikipedia, Reddit, YouTube, Quora, LinkedIn, and other community-driven platforms. Notice that I didn’t mention your website – yes, GEO is different. So make sure your brand has a presence in those places, whether that’s an updated Wikipedia entry, thought leadership on LinkedIn, or a helpful explainer video on YouTube.

3. Make your content easy to quote.

AI engines like content that’s clean and structured. Think clear headings, short paragraphs, quick summaries, FAQs, and a little schema markup. It makes it easier for both machines (and people) to get what you’re saying and cite you as the source. But remember, what works for GEO isn’t always what your audience wants to read. Use it where it helps, not where it clutters.

Looking Ahead: GEO in Your 2026 Budgets

Once you’ve checked the basics, you can take a breath, you’re not behind. The next step is to think strategically about GEO as part of your 2026 marketing plans.

• Measure visibility: Test tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Google’s AI Overviews to see what they say about your brand and competitors. This helps establish a baseline and highlights gaps.
• Integrate GEO into campaigns: Don’t create one-off “GEO content.” Instead, design campaigns that work for people and machines across web, social, and video. Plan articles, videos, and thought leadership with clear takeaways that are easy to summarize and cite.
• Invest in the foundation. Build structured content hubs, tighten brand voice guidelines so AI systems “get” your tone, and maintain consistent third-party presence (reviews, profiles, communities). These assets compound over time.

The bottom line: GEO isn’t something to fear, it’s an evolution of SEO. Stay steady, make smart adjustments, and keep climbing.

Got questions, hit up your Peaktwo Account Manager or grab some time on our calendars.

GEO FAQs

Q1: What is GEO in marketing?

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. It’s about making your content discoverable and quotable by AI-driven search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, or Google’s AI Overviews.

Q2: How is GEO different from SEO?

SEO is about ranking on search engines like Google. GEO goes a step further—optimizing so AI engines can understand, cite, and surface your content in conversational answers.

Q3: Do I need a separate GEO strategy?

No. If you’re already investing in good SEO and strong content, you’re on the right track. GEO isn’t a new playbook—it’s an evolution. Small adjustments in structure, prompts, and presence can make a big difference.