GEO vs SEO: What PR Pros Need to Know About Generative Search

Summary

This blog post breaks down everything PR professionals need to know about Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO. It explains how AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are changing the way people discover brands. Instead of relying on SEO to drive clicks, Generative Search focuses on influencing the summaries AI gives before anyone visits a website. That shift puts earned media, expert quotes, and structured content at the center of visibility. The post answers dozens of real questions from a live audience, covering how to test GEO performance, how LLMs decide what to include in answers, and what formats work best to get cited. It also offers clear tactics for adapting press releases, blogs, and newsroom content for AI, along with advice on how to report GEO success to leadership and clients. For PR teams, Generative search is not a threat but a strategic edge that rewards the kind of work they already do best.

Yesterday, I had the chance to join Greg Galant from Muck Rack and Sarah Evans from Zen Media for a live conversation on how PR is shaping the future of search. The webinar focused on how Generative Engine Optimization is redefining brand visibility in a world where AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are answering questions before anyone clicks a link.

The questions came in fast and covered everything from LLMs to media trust signals to how PR teams should adapt. So I grabbed the full list, categorized them using ChatGPT, and answered them all below. I also linked to several previous posts I wrote that should be helpful.

Foundational Understanding of GEO

What is GEO and how is it different from SEO?
Generative Engine Optimization helps your content show up in AI-generated answers. Instead of ranking links on a results page, you’re influencing what Large Language Models say out loud. SEO drives search. GEO drives summaries.

What is an LLM? And when I see an AI-generated summary in search, is that coming from an LLM?
A Large Language Model, or LLM, powers tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overview. It reads patterns, pulls from trusted content, and writes answers in real time. So yes, those summaries in search come straight from an LLM.

How does GEO compare to SEO in power and purpose? Should one take priority over the other?
SEO brings people to your site. GEO shapes what they see before they even click. Both matter. You need SEO for traffic and GEO for influence. The smartest teams build for both at once.

Should digital PR professionals be worried about the shift from SEO to GEO?
No. This is an advantage. GEO rewards strong coverage, trusted citations, and third-party credibility. That plays to PR’s strengths. You are already doing half the work.

Are LLMs more likely to trust earned media over owned or sponsored content?
Yes. LLMs are trained to value independent, verified sources. A journalist’s quote in The Wall Street Journal holds more weight than copy from a paid blog or brand channel.

Are LLM results consistent, and if not, how do you report on brand mentions?
They are not consistent. Responses vary by phrasing, timing, and source updates. Instead of tracking static rankings, you measure visibility, sentiment, source authority, and answer quality across a sample of prompts.

How do LLMs treat AI-generated content? Do they detect and discount it?
LLMs can spot AI-written content, but they do not automatically penalize it. What matters most is clarity and usefulness. If the content sounds generic or vague, it gets ignored. If it delivers value, it gets included.

Measurement + Visibility of Generative Search

How do you measure success in GEO and AEO? Are there tools available yet?
Success is measured by visiblity and reputation. You’re tracking how often your brand appears in AI-generated answers, where it’s positioned, and how accurately it’s represented. Many teams are relying on prompt testing and structured media audits, but there are also platforms like Profound and Goodie AI.

What are the base metrics PR teams can track to measure GEO performance?
Track brand mention frequency, authority of sources cited, sentiment, and whether spokesperson quotes or campaign language appear in the answer. These metrics replace rankings and traffic with narrative influence and content recall.

How can we track whether our brand or spokesperson is cited in LLM responses?
Run targeted prompts in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. Use real audience-style questions and document the responses. Pay attention to the language used and how your brand or spokesperson is positioned in the answer.

How do you run a generative visibility report?
Build a prompt set based on your audience’s common questions. Test those prompts across major LLMs, log which brands and sources show up, and capture screenshots. Repeat over time to monitor movement and message consistency. You can do this manually, but it’ll take some time. Hubspot has a free tool that gives helpful data.

Is there a way to see sourced traffic from an LLM in Google Analytics?
Yes, you can see referral traffic from all the LLMs just like you would from Google search or referring domains.

How do you reverse engineer search intent based on LLM results?
Study how LLMs respond to specific queries. Look at the framing of answers, the order of information, and the credibility of sources. Then align your messaging and assets to mirror what LLMs reward and repeat.

How do you track which publications or sources are influencing GEO/LLM responses?
Catalog every source mentioned in LLM answers. Sort by outlet, tone, frequency, and alignment with your brand. Over time, you’ll see which sources consistently show up and which ones actually shape the narrative. Or you can use a platform as mentioned above.

Are website blogs still relevant, or should we prioritize editorial stories?
Blogs are helpful for depth and control, but editorial stories carry more weight in GEO. LLMs prefer third-party validation. Earned media should be the priority. Use your blog to support, not lead. This is also the case with branded prompts.

Should we prioritize fewer, high-quality articles or more content volume?
It’s still early on, but I would say that fewer, better stories are more effective. One authoritative mention in a trusted outlet does more for GEO than a dozen mentions in low-impact spaces. LLMs favor credibility over repetition.

Content Strategy for Generative Search

How do you “mark it for AI”? What does that mean?
This means structuring your content so it’s machine-readable, clear formatting, precise language, authoritative sources, and placing a llm.txt file (similar to robots.txt) on your site to signal to LLMs what content to index and use in responses. You’re writing not just for people, but for machines that simulate how people search and summarize.

What structured formats or metadata help LLMs better parse and prioritize your content?
Use headings, bulleted lists, short summaries, and clean attribution. Include schema markup where possible. Consistency, clarity, and credibility make it easier for LLMs to process and pull from your content.

What role do AI-specific keywords play, and how are they different from SEO keywords?
AI keywords reflect how people ask questions. They mirror natural language and are often longer, more specific, and phrased like full sentences. SEO keywords aim to rank. AI keywords aim to trigger the right kind of answer.

What should be included in a summary at the top of blogs for GEO?
Look at the top of this post as an example. Use the first few lines to answer the question your audience is asking. Make it factual, direct, and easy to lift. LLMs often scrape the top section first, so clarity up front gives your brand a better shot at being cited.

How should press releases evolve to support GEO initiatives?
Move away from fluff and filler. Make the news clear, quote the right experts, and keep the structure sharp. The best releases now function like a source. If an LLM finds it, it should be able to summarize the key message in a few lines.

Should wire-distributed press releases be formatted differently than media-facing ones?
Yes. Wire versions should be even more structured. Add a TLDR at the top. Use bold headings, consistent speaker labels, and plain language. Editorial releases can be more narrative. Wire releases need to be machine-readable.

How important is a company’s online newsroom, and how should it be formatted for GEO?
Very important. Treat it like a source library. Use clean URLs, structured templates, and clear headlines. Include expert bios, quotes, and bylines with job titles. LLMs scan these hubs for reliable context.

What content packaging techniques work best for GEO?
Break content into modular blocks. Use lists, tables, sidebars, and pull quotes. Add short recaps at the end of long pieces. Each element should work as a standalone asset that an LLM can lift, summarize, or cite without needing the full article.

What early frameworks exist for GEO implementation across multilingual or multicultural markets?
Start with human translation, not machine translation. Local nuance matters. Make sure your sources, examples, and phrases reflect the market’s language patterns. LLMs trained on English-language media won’t always prioritize international content unless it’s clear, consistent, and locally relevant.

Source, Citations, Credibility + Channel Strategy

How does sponsored content get treated by LLMs compared to earned media?
LLMs give more weight to earned media. Sponsored content gets scanned, but it’s flagged as paid and often deprioritized. If it’s well-written and clearly sourced, it can still be useful. But credibility matters more than budget.

Do LLMs trust company-owned channels like blogs less than major publications?
Yes. Blogs are seen as self-authored and promotional by default. LLMs tend to trust third-party outlets first. That said, a blog post with clean structure, factual tone, and expert quotes can still be indexed and used.

Is paid press release distribution worthwhile in the context of GEO?
It depends on how it’s written and where it lands. If your release is well-structured and picked up by credible sites, it can feed LLM responses. If it only lives on wire services with little reach, the impact is limited.

Are platforms like Wikipedia important for GEO, and how do you influence them effectively given editing restrictions?
Wikipedia matters a lot. It’s a high-authority source that LLMs use frequently. You can’t control it, but you can influence it. Make sure citations in your article come from trusted publications. Keep language neutral and factual to avoid being flagged.

What are the best practices for formatting or updating a company’s Wikipedia page?
First, go through direct Wikipedia editors. Don’t pay the consultants who only make promises. You can only add content with third-party citations, so avoid promotional language, and format content into sections with headings. Add dates, quotes, and milestones that align with media coverage.

Are alt sources like Reddit, Substack, TikTok, Instagram, and podcasts used as LLM inputs?
Some are. Reddit, YouTube, and Quora show up often because of their structured text and niche authority. Podcasts and social platforms get less weight unless transcripts or quotes are published elsewhere. Substack has influence when the author has authority and citations back it up, but I’m not seeing a ton of Substack citations quite yet.

Media + Messaging Tactics

How do you make your product stories more appealing to media through a GEO-friendly lens?
Make the story useful, quotable, and easy to summarize. Highlight data, real outcomes, and expert POVs. Focus less on buzzwords and more on content that could be lifted into an AI-generated answer. If the story helps someone solve a problem or understand a trend, it works for GEO. More importantly, it works for the audience.

How do you influence which travel or niche publications an LLM pulls from?
It starts with earned media. Prioritize coverage in trusted, well-indexed outlets. LLMs favor sources that publish consistently, use structured formatting, and link to external evidence. Partner with niche publishers that already show up in AI answers tied to your category.

What is the difference between press and “expert quotes” in LLM content parsing?
Press coverage builds brand presence. Expert quotes boost authority. LLMs often treat direct quotes as more trustworthy than generic mentions. If your spokesperson is cited with a title and statement, that line is more likely to be included in future answers.

How do you adapt traditional PR tools like media pitches and press releases to align with GEO?
Structure them for lift. Start with the most newsworthy angle. Use short, clear language. Include expert commentary and cite outside data. Use formatting that separates key points. Write each section like it could appear in an answer box.

Do subject-matter experts (SMEs) play a role in enhancing GEO visibility?
Yes. SMEs give LLMs something credible to quote. The more your experts appear in earned media or interviews with bylines and titles, the more likely they are to be cited. GEO favors named sources with clear relevance and consistent presence.

Organizational Readiness + Generative Search Strategy

How should a comms manager bring GEO strategies to their executive or marketing team?
Frame it as a visibility or reputation shift. Show how generative search changes what people see before they click. Explain that this isn’t replacing SEO or PR but that it links them together. Use prompt tests and screenshots to make the case.

How do you start a GEO test strategy and track performance?
Build a prompt library that mirrors real search questions. Run them across platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Track brand mentions, source quality, and answer placement. Then test again after new content or campaigns to track movement.

How should GEO be communicated as a strategy to clients?
Call it what it is: a new channel of influence or emerging media. Walk through how LLMs pull answers and why earned media now shapes brand discovery. Frame GEO as a natural extension of PR. Use real brand examples to make it stick.

What should you say to leadership if your company restricts LLM usage (e.g., only allows Copilot)?
You don’t need full access to measure visibility. You can test prompts outside your environment without exposing internal data. The opportunity is in being seen, not in sharing anything proprietary. The brand appears in public AI results, even if your firewall blocks access.

Should agencies be charging clients for the additional labor involved in GEO (testing, correcting, optimizing)?
Yes. GEO requires structured testing, message audits, and source tracking. It’s not passive work. If you’re creating prompts, measuring outputs, or revising content for better AI visibility, that’s strategic labor. It should be scoped and billed accordingly.

Broader Trends + Ethics

Will owned content eventually dominate GEO the way it has with SEO?
No, I dont think so. Owned content plays a role, but it won’t lead. LLMs prioritize independent sources. Blogs and owned channels may support visibility, but earned media drives credibility. For GEO, outside validation matters more than internal publishing.

Will publishers feel pressure to make deals with LLMs to stay visible?
I would think so. The business model is shifting. As LLMs reduce the need to click, publishers will look for licensing, data partnerships, or visibility guarantees. Some already are. Visibility may start to depend on negotiated access, not just authority.

Is there data on what AI search engines consumers are using most (and how usage differs)?
Yes, but it’s early and fragmented. Perplexity is growing fast in research-heavy verticals. Gemini and ChatGPT dominate awareness. Claude is gaining traction with developers. Each tool serves a different use case, and usage will split based on intent, not loyalty.

As PR pros and journalists, should we be more skeptical about how fast AI is being adopted and its ethical implications?
Absolutely. Speed is outpacing oversight. LLMs summarize at scale but lack source transparency. As professionals who care about accuracy and trust, we have a responsibility to question, audit, and push for clearer sourcing across platforms.

How do you use GEO to combat misinformation on topics where brand name isn’t the focus?
Well, GEO helps you target the narrative. Place credible, well-sourced content on the issue itself. Use subject-matter experts to shape how the topic is explained. If LLMs can’t find trusted input, they fill the gap with what’s available. You need to give them better options.

GEO Learning + Resources

Where should people go to build AI literacy today?
Start with what you use. If your team writes content, test it in ChatGPT and Claude. If you monitor media, prompt Perplexity, and look at source patterns. Supplement with newsletters from Ben’s Bites, the Rundown AI and then read. These are my two go-to newsletters.

Who do you recommend following to stay current with GEO, AEO, and AI in media?
Here are a few good YouTube videos – How to Dominate AI Search Results in 2025 (ChatGPT, AI Overviews & More) and AI SEO & GEO: The Ultimate Checklist for 2025.