3 Keys to SEO Success in Generative Search

If you're a marketer, you're likely thinking about how new search generative experiences (like AI Overviews) might affect how your brand appears in search results. Digital discoverability remains crucial for attracting customers, but there are still plenty of open questions about how generative AI might transform SEO best practices.

Search generative experiences differ from "traditional" search by focusing on conversational queries and featured snippets. According to Search Engine Land, "these [answers] are more likely to appear as AI-generated text rather than typical web content and may increase the time users spend on SERPs."

However, most search best practices haven't changed. Chief among them: content is still king. Google recently reminded us that high-quality content is crawled more frequently. In the age of generative AI, creating the right content — across channels — is more important than ever.

1. Distribute your content across diverse channels

When you hear "content," you might first think of your website. While landing pages and blog posts are important content types, generative search requires thinking even bigger.

Winning in search today requires improving your brand's "signal" to search algorithms and AI-led technologies through a robust digital presence. That means having accurate and comprehensive information (content) present across every endpoint an AI model might reference to provide an answer. (Click here to read our report that unpacks why this works.)

• Complete your listings profile(s) across all publishers. Both traditional search algorithms and AI models rely on listings content to determine whether to surface your information in search results. For example, someone looking for a doctor might specify that they need a doctor who "speaks Spanish." In financial services, someone might ask for an advisor with "experience in trusts." If this information isn't included in your location, professional, or advisor listings, surfacing for these searches is challenging.
• Create social posts on third-party websites. Social posts are a great opportunity to highlight your offers, events, and special updates across more channels. Further, it's likely that posts created on Google are indexed more when it comes to ranking for unbranded searches.
• Respond to your reviews. Review content is an important trust signal for AI models when generating results. For example, if someone searches for "best financial advisor near me who works with small business owners," AI models will "read" through reviews for high ratings (best) and mentions of "works with small business owners." So, the more comprehensive  — and positive — reviews you have, the higher your chances of being recommended in generative search results for these types of queries. Developing a proactive review strategy is very important.

2. Create content with E-E-A-T principles in mind

In the evolving search landscape, search algorithms (specifically Google) look at E-E-A-T signals: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Your strategy should prioritize these elements when you create content for your website and for third-party sites.

• Create robust content about topics important to your brand. Detailed content is better than less. You don't need a 2,000-word article on every topic, but the more information AI models can reference, the more confidence they have in your answer.
• Look at competitor content. In addition to surveying your audience and reading reviews, looking at competitor content can help you identify gaps in your content strategy.
• Prioritize content readability. Structure content with short paragraphs, bullet points, and headers to provide thoughtful, in-depth answers.
• If you use AI tools, prioritize oversight. It's ironic: content matters more than ever for surfacing in generative search experiences, but these same models will penalize you for creating low-quality content with AI tools. Using AI tools to help create content is acceptable, but you need human oversight. This helps you avoid mistakes, create content that is in line with your brand voice, and not seem "spammy" to search engines.
• Use on-page SEO best practices. When creating content on your website, use keyword-rich, descriptive URLs. Optimize headings (H1, H2, H3) with primary and secondary keywords. Finally, ensure fast loading speed for pages and media.
• Find long-tail keywords and incorporate them. Taking long-tail keywords into account can help search engines and AI models know to recommend your content when users search with longer, higher-intent phrases, like "what kind of shoes do I need for better arch support when running?" or "how to find a great obstetrician when pregnant?"  This is key for driving users to your site.

Long-tail keywords are uniquely important in search generative experiences. They allow AI models to give detailed answers to highly specific queries — and when they link back to you as a source, that can boost your prominence on results pages.

3. Update content regularly to signal accuracy

Regular updates to your first- and third-party content are more important than ever. Search algorithms and AI models favor fresh, relevant content because it is more likely to be timely and accurate.

• Update your listings regularly. Search algorithms and AI-models are looking for accuracy, but also recency. Updating regularly helps you send a stronger, more reliable "signal" to these technologies about your locations.
• Repurpose high-performing content. Leverage successful content for different channels and formats, such as videos or infographics.
• Identify seasonal opportunities. Take seasonality (holiday offers, for one example) into account when you plan and repurpose content. A bonus tip: seasonality may not be tied to literal seasons, but more to the moods and appetites of your customers. Ask yourself: could their "seasonality" be tied to something else reminding them of you?

Your Roadmap to SEO Success in a Generative AI World

This list may not be exhaustive, but it can serve as a foundation for creating more effective, search-optimized content — no matter what vertical your brand is a part of.

Remember: presenting consistent information everywhere that search engines and AI models gather information helps increase confidence in that information. They want their customers to receive accurate answers, so brands with more proof points to pull from are prioritized — and your content is where those "proof points" come from.

As search generative experiences multiply, remember that they will continue to look for trustworthy, robust, and authoritative content to generate answers in the SERP — and you should make sure your brand is there to provide it on the topics that are most relevant to your business.