Is GEO the new SEO?

We have all spent the last few years chasing those keywords to ensure that we are as search-engine optimised as possible, but as search gets smarter and AI shapes every digital discussion, the question becomes: Is GEO the new SEO. 

AI is indeed at the top of the agenda for every business, both in terms of how it can work for us externally as well as internally. This is where GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) comes in. As recently as the IPG Autumn Conference, the programme shone a spotlight specifically on this. In a session “Make GEO Work For You”, Isaac Jones (Head of Digital Product Management, BMJ) and Lauren Ingram (Founder, Next Big Thing) demystified what GEO means in practice and what SMEs in particular should be considering when it comes to ensuring we remain discoverable in an AI-driven world. 

We wanted to share with you our Key Takeaways on GEO and what this could mean for publishers:

1. Discoverability as a moving target
   GEO isn’t as simple as SEO rebranded: it’s about positioning content so it performs well in the context of generative AI searches. It means thinking beyond keywords, alt text, metadata, and really into how prompts might pull up your content.
2. Control and curation matter
   When AI systems or search platforms pull in your content, it’s hard to fully control how it appears to readers. The speakers at the IPG conference, for example, stressed editorial control mechanisms, e.g. metadata standards, licensing terms and technical settings, to guide how content can be used and help protect quality, attribution, and integrity.
3. Technical infrastructure & metadata are essential
   Good metadata, structured content, consistent tagging, and clean workflows were underscored as absolutely necessary. Publishers who neglect these risk being left out of high-visibility placements in AI-search or, worsem having their content misrepresented.
4. Small investments, big gains
   Even if you don’t have huge teams or budgets, workable improvements (e.g. revisiting metadata, clarifying licensing, thinking through content snippets) can make a real difference. It’s not always about reinventing; it's about refining and adapting.
5. The credibility-visibility loop
   It’s about being seen in the right places. Repeated exposure in credible sources builds reputation over time and, as such, demonstrating on your own website how you are cited or referenced in other credible sites is a great way to rise through the GEO ranks.

So, what can you, as a publisher, add to your To Do list in order to make GEO work for you:

• Prioritise discoverability early in the production process
  Ask yourself: what metadata, summaries, or alt-text will work? Experimentation is the key here. How it might surface in AI tools? What licensing or permissions might impact how it can be repurposed or excerpted?
• Guard quality and context
  There’s a reputational risk if content is mis-summarised, taken out of context, or appears in ways the author/publisher wouldn’t approve. Licensing terms, editorial guidelines, metadata, and selective sharing all have roles here and will help ensure that you can innovate in a way that aligns with your values.
• Stay alert on AI developments & platforms
  Because GEO is evolving fast, what works for GEO now may need updating soon. Keep learning, experimenting, and adapting!

This is such a new area for us all and no one is professing to be an expert. If there is something that we, here at Inspired, find more fascinating than almost anything else is how the publishing industry continues to adapt its skill-set in order to stay ahead and futureproof itself. It’s imperative that our people are tooled up with the skills that are going to keep the industry moving forward. 

We are here to help all IPG members, and indeed other publishers, make sense of these changes and if you would welcome a conversation about hiring or developing talent to continue to pave the way for publishing, then please do not hesitate to get in touch