Generative Engine Optimization for B2B Industrial Marketing

The way we search is changing. The world of marketing is changing. With the rise of AI and LLMs, marketers are having to analyze their strategies and make adjustments in ways never seen before.

For years, SEO (search engine optimization) has been running the show. But now, with AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI search features on the scene, the way we find information online is shifting. And for businesses that rely on web searches to build awareness and generate leads, adapting to these changes is key to staying on top of market trends.

A new player has entered the ring: generative engine optimization (GEO). GEO recognizes that businesses must also market their services to AI models―not just users.

In this blog, we’ll discuss what we’ve observed regarding the rise of GEO strategies, how it compares with traditional SEO, how they work together, and how they directly affect B2B marketing efforts.

What are LLMs?

How LLMs Are Impacting Search

Before exploring the impact of GEO on LLMs, we need to establish an understanding of what LLMs are.

LLMs (Large Language Models) are a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that are trained on vast amounts of data and datasets. They operate differently from traditional search engines and can perform many language tasks, including researching, answering questions, writing content, and summarizing information.

While Google still dominates the market, LLMs are rapidly becoming an alternative to standard search engines. Google’s AI mode is a definite indicator that the way people search is changing—and they’re making sure they’re adapting to those changes.

LLM searches are the fastest-growing traffic source in search, with no signs of slowing down. In a study on the impact of AI on SEO traffic, SEMrush estimates that by 2028, LLMs will begin driving more users to websites than traditional organic search.

LLMs don’t just direct people towards websites. They actively summarize information and cite your content, meaning that if your website isn’t optimized for LLMs, you could be missing out on valuable traffic.

What is Generative Engine Optimization?

So, how do you optimize your website for LLMs? GEO.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of strategizing and restructuring your content so LLMs can easily find, scan, and cite your website. Previously, with traditional SEO, digital marketing strategies were centered around search engine rankings to boost your website. However, GEO strategies focus on getting seen by AI engines.

SEO vs GEO: What’s the Difference?

To be clear: GEO is not a replacement for SEO. It’s more like a second branch on the same tree. Let’s look at the major differences between SEO and GEO to better understand how they work together.

Core Optimization Elements

SEO: At its core, SEO relies on traditional strategies such as keywords, quality content, strategic linking, and technical optimization to generate results.

GEO: GEO prioritizes content structure, subject matter authority, and overall clarity of content to demonstrate expertise.

How They Work

SEO: SEO involves crawling, indexing, and ranking. Crawling a page allows bots to discover content, indexing is the process of storing crawled data, and ranking is how SERPs determine relevant content for searches.

GEO: The GEO process is designed for AI digestion and involves content processing, extraction, assessment, and response generation. AI systems are constantly finding, processing, and storing web content. When a search is made, AI extracts its stored knowledge, assesses its relevance for that particular search, and generates a tailored response.

Note: While GEO is rapidly growing in importance, crawling and indexing are still the most important part of the process―without it, pages won’t be shown on SERPs or in AI citations!

User Interactions and Search Outputs

SEO: When users use standard search engines like Google or Bing, they simply type in their search and are provided with a list of recommended links, where they can then choose a link and find the answer to their search.

GEO: When entering searches or questions into LLMs, a summarized answer is directly provided, with additional links provided for further research or personal verification.

The Ultimate Difference

Both SEO and GEO aim to provide users with answers to their searches. However, while SEO emphasizes ranking, visibility, and impressions and clicks, GEO focuses on usefulness, clarity, and accuracy in generated responses.

That doesn’t mean one strategy is better than the other. In fact, using them together is proving to be the best solution.

How B2B GEO and SEO Work Together

The future of search isn’t SEO or GEO: It’s both! While these strategies have their own intents and purposes, they do share common ground. Balancing their key elements is critical to building a strong marketing strategy.
SEO and GEO complement each other in many ways:

• Quality Content is Key: High-quality and helpful content is the backbone of both SEO and GEO. SEO relies on detailed information to boost ranking and visibility, while GEO prioritizes expertise and subject authority.
• The Supporting Elements: Proper headings, cohesive page structures, and sensible formatting help bots successful crawl sites and allow LLMs to process content effectively.
• Technical Factors: Technical elements like site speed and indexability are crucial for both SEO and GEO, as they allow search engines and AI crawlers to find and analyze web pages.
• Keywords → Semantic Keywords: Keywords still matter, but in a different way than before. For SEO, they serve as a starting point and offer helpful insights as to what users are searching for. However, when implementing keywords, consider the deeper context and intentions behind them―that’s where GEO thrives.

It comes down to this: SEO and GEO rely on the same foundation. Clear, trustworthy, and well-structured content is the basis of both these strategies.

GEO Strategies for Industrial B2B Companies

Sure, this all sounds important and potentially beneficial. But how is it actually playing out? Let’s get into the tangibles to better understand what SEO and GEO strategies look like in real time.

At Ecreative, we’ve seen a dramatic surge in AI/LLM traffic across our industrial B2B client base, with a total increase of 652% in users from these sources and new users increasing 620% in the past year. We’re also noticing an average month-over-month growth rate for total users of ~20%, indicating consistent, compounding increases rather than one-off spikes.

The quality of engagement is also significantly higher, with key events (actions tied to leads or conversions) jumping 2,231% and the user key event rate climbing from 2.54% to 7.87% (a 210% increase!). This rate is well above traditional search engagement benchmarks found in multiple industry studies, meaning that AI/LLM-driven visitors are often more valuable than the average organic visitor.

Clearly, adopting GEO strategies is a competitive advantage―and one that you should adopt to reach valuable users and boost conversions.

Actionable B2B GEO Strategies

So, how can you put everything you’ve learned into action? These strategies can help you get started:

• Continue optimizing for SEO: Just because you’re adding GEO to your strategies doesn’t mean you should ignore traditional SEO! Use these strategies together to maximize your efforts.
• Audit your content: Your content should be clear, helpful, and complete for users, search engines, and LLMs. Review your content and edit or rewrite where needed to provide quality answers for readers and AI.
• Expand beyond keywords: Keywords are still important! However, consider including other related content, such as questions, definitions, and industry-specific terminology, to boost your overall authority.
• Use structured data: Add schema markup to products, services, FAQs, and other key pages to help both search engines and LLMs understand your site.
• Build authority: LLMs favor trustworthy and knowledgeable sources. Highlighting original data or case studies and success stories can increase your chances of being cited.
• Strengthen technical elements: Don’t ignore the basics! Make sure your website is indexable, loads fast, and functions well on mobile devices.

Work with the Experts at Ecreative

You can absolutely start implementing GEO strategies on your own! But partnering with marketing experts can help you take it further (faster!).

At Ecreative, we monitor digital marketing trends, strategies, and data to stay on top of the ever-changing world of digital marketing. With over 20 years of experience, we help industrial B2B companies adapt to digital shifts. We’re already adjusting our strategies to leverage GEO with SEO and boost visibility, engagement, and leads for our clients. How?

• Digital Marketing: We’re combining our SEO strategies with GEO to maximize leads and conversions.
• Web Analytic Services: We track referral traffic from the AI platforms that GEO targets.
• Copywriting: Our in-house copywriting team supports our efforts to create unique, valuable content that is properly structured to gain citations from AI.
• Website Development: Our developers and project managers work directly with you to create a website that helps your customers find exactly what they’re looking for.

Ready to get started? Contact us today for a free site consultation and discover how we can take your website to the next level.