Devstars
Blog
Date: 12/11/2025
Stuart WatkinsHere’s the thing: both definitions work, and that’s not by accident.
Generative Engine Optimization focuses specifically on AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews. It’s about getting your expertise cited when someone asks an AI tool for recommendations in your sector.
Growth Engine Optimization takes a broader view—it’s your entire digital ecosystem working together. Traditional SEO, AI platforms, social search, conversion rate optimization, all feeding qualified leads into your business.
The reality? You need both perspectives. Optimizing purely for AI citations without conversion strategy is pointless. Chasing traditional SEO rankings whilst ignoring AI platforms leaves you invisible to 800 million ChatGPT users.
That’s why the framework works regardless of which definition you prefer. The four pillars support both interpretations, because effective GEO—however you define it—rests on the same foundations.
In 2023, I was lucky enough to have a year being coached by Shweta Jhajharia and the team at Growth Idea. It felt like going back to university, doing my own mini-MBA in helping businesses grow strategically. Understanding how all these channels work together—not just individually—became crucial. Whilst 2024 was hard, that foundation allowed us to bounce back in 2025. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
What it is: Building credible, citation-worthy content that establishes you as the recognised expert in your field.
Why it matters: AI platforms don’t cite everyone. They cite authorities. Traditional search engines don’t rank weak content. They rank expertise. Whether you’re optimizing for ChatGPT citations or Google rankings, authority is non-negotiable.
How to build it:
The generative angle: AI platforms evaluate whether you’re worth citing based on content depth and external validation.
The growth angle: Authority builds trust that converts visitors into clients, regardless of how they find you.
Quick win: Audit your top 5 service or expertise pages. Do they demonstrate deep knowledge through case studies, frameworks, and specific insights? Or do they just describe what you do? Rewrite one page this week to showcase genuine expertise.
What it is: Content that directly answers the specific questions your target audience actually asks, in the language they use.
Why it matters: People search differently across platforms. Google searches are keyword-driven. AI platform queries are conversational and multi-layered. Your content needs to match user intent across all channels.
We spotted this shift years ago when voice search started gaining traction through Alexa and Google Home. We were trying to figure out how to get our clients listed in voice search results. Here’s what we noticed: when typing searches into Google, most of us use the fewest words possible. But with voice assistants, and now with AI tools, we use much longer, conversational requests.
The intelligence behind search is getting much better. It’s less about key phrases and more about topic understanding and websites with good conversational tone that serve human readers first.
How to build it:
The generative angle: AI tools love quality content that eliminates follow-up questions through comprehensive, contextual answers.
The growth angle: Intent-matched content converts better because it addresses actual needs, not assumed ones.
Quick win: Pick your most profitable service. List 10 real questions prospects have asked you about it. Create focused content (450-600 words) answering each question thoroughly. Publish one per week.
What it is: Ensuring every platform—AI crawlers, search engines, social platforms—can access, understand, and confidently use your content.
Why it matters: Brilliant content that AI platforms can’t access or search engines can’t crawl might as well not exist. Technical excellence is the foundation everything else builds upon.
We’ve been pioneers with structured data. Five or six years ago, we were implementing this for clients like the Royal Academy of Music and helping Slimfast rank higher than BBC Good Food for their recipes. Purely by putting the right code around content, Google had a clear idea that this was a recipe—how long it took to produce, prep time, cook time, protein content, the lot. That structured data made all the difference.
How to build it:
The generative angle: AI agents abandon slow, broken, or unclear sites. Technical excellence signals trustworthiness.
The growth angle: Conversion rates suffer when sites are slow, confusing, or error-prone, regardless of traffic source.
Quick win: Run a basic technical audit. Check for broken links, slow page speeds, and mobile responsiveness. Fix the most glaring issues first—they’re often the ones costing you the most visibility.
What it is: Consistent visibility across multiple platforms and contexts so you become the obvious expert choice in your sector.
Why it matters: Trust compounds through repeated exposure. When someone researches your sector and sees your name three times across different platforms—AI citations, Google results, LinkedIn insights—you become the credible authority. Single-channel visibility is fragile. Omnipresence is durable.
This is increasingly about having really good digital PR with focus outside of the website. LinkedIn, Reddit, Medium—putting your articles on platforms like that and having them link into the website. Doing interviews, doing podcasts. Video is increasingly important.
Here’s the challenge: it’s a real hurdle for businesses. You’re meant to be providing services or delivering products for your customers, but you’re under increased pressure to be content creators and publishers. It’s an uneasy fit.
We’re working at the moment with one of our clients on an AI-supported content platform for video. Critical point here: AI is used to support the production process, not run it. We work with experienced editors and carefully regulate the content to provide genuine value to the end user, not AI slop. It allows us to utilise tone of voice and voice synthesis tools to create and scale corporate service videos that feel real and are driven by real experience and expertise, but can be produced much easier and at lower cost than traditional methods.
How to build it:
The generative angle: Multiple credible mentions across platforms increase citation probability in AI-generated responses.
The growth angle: Omnipresence builds brand awareness that shortens sales cycles and increases conversion rates.
Quick win: Identify 3 industry publications your ideal clients read. Pitch expert commentary on a timely sector challenge. One feature article generates citations for months across both AI platforms and traditional search.
Think of effective GEO like building a house:
Technical Discoverability = Foundation
Without it, nothing else stands. AI platforms and search engines abandon broken, slow, or inaccessible sites.
Authority Architecture = Structural Framework
Gives you credibility. Establishes you as citation-worthy and trustworthy.
Intent-Matched Content = Interior Design
Makes your expertise useful and accessible. Answers the questions your audience actually asks.
Brand Omnipresence = Curb Appeal
Makes people want to engage. Creates recognition and trust through repeated exposure.
Skip any pillar, and your GEO strategy collapses. Nail all four, and you dominate across generative AI platforms, traditional search, and social media whilst competitors remain invisible.
Here’s what makes GEO different from traditional search engine optimization:
Traditional SEO: Gradient outcomes. Rank position 3 is better than 7, but both get organic traffic.
Generative Engine Optimization: Binary outcomes. AI platforms either cite you or they don’t. There’s no “almost cited.” You’re visible or invisible.
This makes the four pillars even more critical. You can’t afford weak authority, poor technical foundations, or thin content. AI systems won’t cite mediocrity.But here’s the advantage: competition is currently low. Most businesses don’t understand GEO yet. Early movers gain disproportionate influence, just like early SEO adopters did 20 years ago.
Quick win: Audit technical foundations first (most professional services sites have basic errors), then build authority through sector-specific insights.
Week 1-2:
Week 3-4:
Week 5-6:
Week 7-8:
Week 9-10:
Week 11-12:
Content engagement: Time on page, scroll depth, return visits
Mistake 1: Optimizing for AI platforms whilst ignoring traditional SEO
Reality check: Google still drives the majority of web traffic for most businesses. AI citations matter, but not at the expense of proven channels.
Mistake 2: Creating content for algorithms instead of humans
AI platforms and search engines increasingly prioritise content that genuinely helps users. Game-playing gets spotted and penalised.
Mistake 3: Neglecting technical foundations
Brilliant content strategy won’t save you if AI crawlers and search engines can’t access your site properly.
Mistake 4: Single-channel dependency
Omnipresence beats single-platform excellence. Spread your authority across multiple touchpoints.
Mistake 5: Chasing vanity metrics
Traffic and citations mean nothing if they don’t generate qualified leads and revenue.
GEO works whether you define it as Generative Engine Optimization or Growth Engine Optimization, because effective digital strategy requires both perspectives.
Optimize for AI citations without growth strategy, and you’re invisible in traditional channels. Chase traditional SEO whilst ignoring AI platforms, and you’re missing 800 million ChatGPT users researching their next purchase.
The four pillars—Authority Architecture, Intent-Matched Content, Technical Discoverability, and Brand Omnipresence—support both definitions because they’re the foundations of effective digital presence, period.
Most businesses are still fighting 2020’s SEO battles. Early movers implementing comprehensive GEO strategies gain disproportionate competitive advantages. The window is open. The question is whether you’ll step through it whilst competitors remain oblivious.
Your next action this week: Pick your weakest pillar. Implement one quick win. Build from there. Sustainable growth compounds through consistent progress, not perfect execution.
Implementing a comprehensive GEO strategy can feel overwhelming when you’re running a business. If you’re looking for expert guidance on positioning your business for both AI search and traditional channels, we’d be happy to discuss your specific situation.
Get in touch: Whether you need a technical audit, content strategy development, or a complete GEO roadmap, we can help you identify quick wins and build sustainable competitive advantages.
Contact Devstars to discuss how GEO can work for your business.
Begin with a technical audit and content gap analysis. Most small businesses and local businesses discover they’re missing basic structured data and aren’t answering the most common questions their ideal customer asks. Fix technical issues first, then create quality content that addresses user intent. This data-driven approach delivers the best ROI.
Traditional SEO focuses on ranking in Google’s top search results. Answer engine optimization (AEO) targets featured snippets and direct answers. GEO encompasses both whilst adding optimization for AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT and Claude that generate AI-generated answers. It’s the complete guide to being found across all search behavior patterns.
AI models and large language models prioritise content that provides value upfront with relevant information. AI-generated content and thin blog posts get ignored. AI assistants and AI chatbots cite sources that demonstrate expertise through comprehensive guides, case studies, and data analysis. Quality content for human readers naturally performs better with AI systems.
The best practices overlap significantly. Both reward content that matches user intent and provides relevant answers. The key difference: AI-driven search engines favour conversational, comprehensive content whilst traditional search still values keyword research. A data-driven strategy addresses both through proper content creation that serves all platforms.
Most business owners see a significant increase in AI visibility within 3-6 months of consistent implementation. Organic traffic improvements follow similar timelines to traditional SEO. Use tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to track progress. The next step is establishing sustainable growth through systematic content creation and digital marketing best practices.
Absolutely. Whether you’re targeting potential customers in B2B markets, serving local businesses, or building product-led growth strategies, GEO principles apply. Business leaders across sectors—from startups seeking product-market fit to established companies expanding their customer base—benefit from optimizing their online presence for both traditional and AI-driven platforms.
Beyond AI visibility, you’ll see improvements across your entire digital marketing ecosystem. Better technical foundations improve conversion rate optimization. Quality content supports your sales team with relevant answers for potential investors and customers. Enhanced brand awareness creates a trusted partner reputation. The data-driven strategies underlying GEO naturally improve business trajectory across different functions.
Growth engine models complement traditional digital content strategies by adding AI-driven platforms to your target market reach. They don’t replace existing channels—they multiply them. Your content creators produce once, then optimize for multiple platforms. This approach serves all stages of a user funnel whilst building customer success through a powerful tool that works across generative engines and traditional search.
Start with Google Search Console and Google Analytics for baseline data analysis. Add AI visibility monitoring through direct testing in ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Use keyword research tools that identify user queries across both traditional and AI platforms. The best way forward combines existing digital marketing tools with AI-specific monitoring, creating a complete system for tracking AI-generated results and organic traffic.
Recent study data shows AI chatbots and generative AI engines now serve 800 million+ users making real purchasing decisions. This isn’t a trend—it’s a fundamental shift in search behavior. Early adoption by business owners creates lasting competitive advantages through established authority in AI systems. Like traditional search engine optimization 20 years ago, GEO represents the normal way business function will operate moving forward.
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