Generative Engine Optimization is about preparing your content to be consumed, summarized, and cited by machines. This requires a specific technical and structural approach.
The underutilized schema priority
Beyond standard FAQ schema, marketers must prioritize schemas that communicate process and definitive answers:
- HowTo Schema: This is crucial. It explicitly provides a structured, step-by-step process that AI models love to extract for instructional answers and action-oriented summaries.
- QAPage Schema: While not new, it is an underutilized gem that directly maps your content to conversational queries. It is ideal for pages that contain a single question followed by a definitive, authoritative answer.
The AI-ready introduction formula
AI models use the top of your page for instant context. You must satisfy its need for clarity immediately.
The checklist for a GEO-optimized introduction:
- Definitive summary (2-3 Sentences): Start with the single, most important answer the article provides.
- Immediate list: Follow the summary with a numbered or bulleted list outlining the key takeaways or main sections. This provides the AI with a perfect, citable structure for an overview.
- Conversational tone: Maintain a helpful, conversational tone throughout the rest of the text, avoiding the hard-sell.
The three technical non-negotiables for GEO
These technical elements are more important for GEO than they ever were for traditional SEO:
- Clear, descriptive H-tags: Use H2, H3, and H4 tags to clearly segment your article, allowing the AI to easily break down and cite specific sections.
- Internal linking strategy: Use highly descriptive anchor text when linking to related authority articles (like the ones in this series). This helps the AI connect your topical entities.
- Date and author schema: Ensure all published content clearly features the author and publication date via structured data. This feeds the necessary Recency and Expertise signals directly to the AI.
(Learn why taking these steps now is non-negotiable: Generative Engine Optimization: Why being an early mover creates a ‘credibility gap’ → Post 4)
