Business surgery: Mackman’s Bruce Burgoyne looks at role of generative AI in search engine optimisation

If you run a small business, you’ve probably heard of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). It has been the backbone of digital marketing for many years.

But, with AI shaking things up, SEO is evolving – and so should your strategy. Enter Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) – the next big thing in getting your business found online.

Generative search is powered by AI-driven search engines like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and tools like ChatGPT.

Instead of showing a list of links, these engines generate full, conversational answers by pulling insights from multiple online sources.

That means potential customers may find the answers they need – without ever clicking on your website.

For small business owners, this is a game-changer. Traditional SEO tactics – like stuffing keywords into a blog post – won’t cut it anymore.

To stay visible, you now need to create content that AI deems valuable enough to feature in its responses.

Generative search is changing how people interact with search engines. Today’s customers expect fast, accurate, and natural responses. Here’s what that means for your business:

Fewer Clicks to Your Website – AI summaries answer many questions directly in search results. Your content must deliver added value—such as expert insight or unique tools—that AI can’t fully replicate.

Content Quality Matters More Than Ever – AI rewards well-structured, informative, and up-to-date content. Shallow or poorly written content will struggle to appear.

Natural, Conversational Keywords Win – People now search the way they speak. Long-tail keywords and full-sentence queries help your content show up in AI-generated results.

While SEO and GEO both aim to improve visibility, they work in different ways.

SEO focuses on getting individual webpages to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs), using tactics like keywords, metadata, and backlinks.

GEO, however, is about getting your content cited or used within AI-generated answers – even if users never see a traditional link.

Where SEO is measured by clicks and rankings, GEO focuses on credibility, relevance, and clarity. To succeed, your content needs to be structured for AI to easily interpret and trust.

In essence, SEO ranks pages, while GEO earns your content a voice in AI-powered conversations.

While the basics of SEO still apply, businesses must go a step further to adapt to the AI-driven future. Here’s how:

Become a Trusted Authority – Position yourself as an expert by publishing valuable insights, securing backlinks from reputable sources, and keeping your website content current.

Optimise for AI Summaries – Use clear subheadings, bullet points, and FAQs to help AI quickly extract key information. Provide concise answers and support them with original insights or data.

Think Like Your Customers (and AI) – Use tools like ChatGPT to explore what your audience might be asking. Then write naturally, focusing on full, question-based phrases.

Improve Your Website Experience – Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and encourages interaction. Features like comment sections, how-to videos, and polls help keep visitors engaged, and signal value to AI.

Don’t Overlook Technical Optimisation – GEO still depends on solid technical SEO. Ensure your website is crawlable, fix broken links, and submit an up-to-date sitemap. Use structured data (schema markup) for articles, products, FAQs, and reviews, as this helps AI understand your content and increases your chances of being featured in summaries.

Generative search is still developing, but it’s already reshaping how people discover information online.

Businesses that adapt early will have the advantage. Instead of resisting change, lean into it. Create high-quality, AI-friendly content and maintain a strong online presence to remain competitive.

Generative search isn’t the end of SEO – it’s the evolution of it. And the best time to start adapting is now.

If you would like to speak to to Mackman about Generative Search in more detail, or if you'd like us to conduct an assessment of your site, get in touch via our website www.mackman.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can telephone Mackman on 01787 388038.