TLDR
- Generative SEO (GEO) helps your content get cited by AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, not just ranked on Google.
- The foundation of GEO is creating entity-rich, structured content that AI models can easily understand and reference. This means using schema markup, consistent entity definitions, and citation-worthy facts.
- For agencies, GEO requires optimizing for both readers and AI systems. You need topical authority, clean data structures, and clear brand signals across the web.
- Start with a 3-phase GEO roadmap: Audit your existing content for AI readiness, add schema and entity structure, then track your AI visibility using brand mentions and citation data using tools like Ahrefs, Scrunch, or Semrush.
Generative SEO is reshaping how brands get discovered online. Traditional SEO helped you rank on Google. Generative SEO gets your brand mentioned in AI-generated answers.
Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity now handle over a billion searches each week. They deliver instant recommendations without forcing users to click through multiple sites. If your brand does not appear in those answers, potential customers will not find you.
This shift is changing the discovery process.
People used to search Google, compare results, then make a choice. Now they ask an AI assistant and act on its recommendation immediately. That means you need to optimise for being referenced, not just ranked.
Some call this AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation), AISEO, LLMSEO, or GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation). The names differ, but the goal remains the same: make your content easy for AI systems to cite and recommend.
How do you do this? By combining established SEO practices with tactics designed for AI platforms.
In this guide, I’ll explain what Generative SEO is, why agencies need to care, and how to build content systems that perform across Google and AI search engines.
What Is Generative SEO?
Generative SEO, or GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), is the practice of optimising content so AI platforms cite and reference it when generating answers
Why Is Visual Hierarchy Important?
Now we know what Visual Hierarchy means, why is it important? A well informed and organised Visual Hierarchy helps users quickly understand the structure and purpose of the page to discover the most necessary content for them, as the majority of users tend to scan sites, not read word for word.
Websites are more often than not built with key CTAs (Calls To Action) in mind, Visual Hierarchy allows to be directed to said actions. Without the use of Hierarchy, CTAs would blend in too much and would be missed, users would be unsure where to go next, and in turn would cause lower conversion rates due to having no clear direction. This is why on e-commerce sites for example, products have a bold ‘Add To Cart’ button right below the product, making it the clearest element on the page and high up on the Visual Hierarchy.
It’s not just the readability and organisation of the content that Visual Hierarchy helps with, but the Branding and Aesthetic of the website as well. A visually engaging website gives a strong sense of credibility and reinforces their brand assets and identity. Having a structured layout with relevant design elements gives users a sense of professionalism and trust with the company, the use of consistent fonts, key branding, spacing and the use of colour theory, creates a powerful and informed brand look and feel.
Main Steps Involved in a UX Audit
1. Identify your goal
Understanding your business objectives will help you outline the scope of your UX audit. By first taking the time to define your goals, your UX audit will also deliver more valuable results, as the changes that can make a noticeable difference and deliver the biggest impact will get tackled first.
For example, if your goal is to improve your conversion rate, you can limit your audit to your checkout page. On the other hand, if you want a general overview of your site’s user experience, it will make sense to invest more resources into evaluating your entire website.
To help you with this step, refer to available data and user feedback. Studying the analytics data can uncover problems like a higher-than-average bounce rate, slow site speed, etc.
2. Complete user research
While your available data is a great starting point, you’ll need to make a point of asking your users’ feedback directly. User interviews, heat maps, support tickets, and online surveys can give valuable insights into your audience’s real needs. Plus, using various methods will allow you to view user behaviour holistically.
You can also take it one step further and use this data to create user personas. This way, you can customise your user experience further to better meet the specific needs of different segments.
Then, expand your research to your competitor’s website or app. A competitor analysis will reveal best practices and opportunities that you can tap into to deliver a better experience than the industry standard.
3. Perform a heuristic evaluation
A heuristic evaluation is when you evaluate the intuitiveness of the user interface (UI) by applying a set of principles. It’s typically completed by a team of product managers, UX designers, and website developers using Jacob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics as guidelines. These focus on matters like design consistency, website error tracking, and minimalist design.
