Optimising for AI Overviews: 7 Key GEO Tactics to be Aware of

Your content might be brilliant. But if AI can’t find, understand, and cite it, your audience never will. 

AI Overviews, like those seen in Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), Bing Copilot, and ChatGPT’s browser mode, are changing how users interact with search content. Instead of clicking on multiple links, users are presented with condensed, conversational summaries. These summaries often pull together information from multiple websites—sometimes citing sources, sometimes not. 

That means your brand might be included in the conversation without users ever visiting your site. 

Some things to keep in mind: 

• Click-through rates are dropping: More queries are resolved directly on the search page, thanks to AI-generated summaries. 
• User behaviour is shifting: People now ask full questions or even describe problems in conversational language. They expect instant, accurate answers. 
• Being cited builds credibility: Even without the click, a mention in AI responses helps build familiarity, trust, and brand authority. 

Traditional SEO is no longer enough. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) ensures your content is positioned for this new, AI-first search environment. 

7 Key Tactics to Optimise for AI Overviews 

Each one addresses how AI models read, interpret, and value online content. Think of it as building a toolkit that improves your visibility now and protects your content’s reach as search continues to evolve. 

1. Use Clear, Concise, Fact-Based Writing 

Why it matters: 

AI tools aren’t looking to interpret your poetic flair. They’re scanning for quick facts and clean explanations they can reuse. Think of your content as something being skimmed by a machine in milliseconds. If it’s too roundabout, it’ll get skipped. 

How to do it: 

• Lead with the takeaway. Open each section with your main point so AI (and readers) don’t have to search for it. 
• Write short, straightforward sentences. Cut the fluff. Make every line do a job. 
• Explain jargon. Not everyone reading—or scraping—your content is an expert. 
• Use analogies. A tricky concept like schema markup? Call it “labelling your content like you’d label files in a cabinet.” It sticks. 

Example: 
❌ “There are several digital marketing tactics to consider...” 
✅ “Digital marketing tactics include SEO, PPC ads, and email campaigns.” 

2. Implement Structured Data (Schema Markup) 

Why it matters: 
AI tools depend on structure to understand the context of your content. Schema markup is a bit like giving your content a name tag—“Hi, I’m a HowTo guide!” or “This is a product page.” Without it, you’re just another anonymous block of text. 

How to do it: 

• Use JSON-LD format (it’s the standard Google prefers). 
• Start with common types like FAQ, Article, HowTo, Product, and Author. 
• Use Google’s Rich Results Test to double-check your implementation. 
• Keep schema markup updated, especially if your content changes. 

Pro tip: Work closely with developers—good schema requires solid placement in your site’s HTML. 

3. Answer Specific Questions Directly 

Why it matters: 
AI platforms like Perplexity and Bing Copilot are designed to surface direct answers. If your content mirrors the way people ask questions, it’s far more likely to be featured. 

How to do it: 

• Frame subheadings using natural question phrases: “What is...?”, “How do I...?”, “Why does...?” 
• Give short, precise answers—2 to 4 sentences is ideal. 
• Stick to the point. No tangents, no vague intros. 

Example: 
Q: What is Generative Engine Optimisation? 
A: Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the process of structuring and updating content so that AI tools can easily cite it in search-generated summaries. 

4. Add Author and Credibility Signals 

Why it matters: 
AI doesn’t just look at what you’re saying—it looks at who is saying it. Profiles, credentials, and third-party trust signals all contribute to what Google calls E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. 

How to do it: 

• Add detailed author bios with credentials and relevant background. 
• Link to external proof points—LinkedIn, award mentions, published articles. 
• For business pages, include recognisable trust signals: logos of certifications, testimonials, press mentions, etc. 
• Implement author schema so this information is readable by machines. 

Example bio line: 
Written by James Martin, Content Strategist at Inspire Digital. James has over 12 years of experience in technical SEO and has contributed to Search Engine Journal and Moz. 

5. Update Evergreen Content Regularly 

Why it matters: 
No one wants to see a blog post from 2017 unless it’s been updated. AI tools check timestamps, page activity, and content relevance. Evergreen content signals help push your content to the top of the list—literally. 

How to do it: 

• Audit your content quarterly. Start with pages that get consistent organic traffic. 
• Add updated stats, swap out old screenshots, or rewrite outdated examples. 
• Clearly display a “Last updated” date to reinforce relevance. 
• Refresh metadata, especially your page titles and descriptions. 

Pro tip: Don’t just update the content. Reindex the page through Google Search Console to speed up the refresh. 

6. Use Lists, Tables, and Bullet Points 

Why it matters: 
AI models break content down into pieces. Structured layouts—lists, tables, and bullet points—are easier to interpret and summarise. Bonus: humans love them too, especially when reading on mobile. 

How to do it: 

• Use bullet points for tips, features, or step-by-step guidance. 
• Format tables for comparisons or data summaries. 
• Use headings to break up content and bold key phrases for quick scanning. 

Example table: 

7. Link to Credible External Sources 

Why it matters: 
AI checks your homework. When you back up claims with trustworthy sources, your content becomes more useful—and more likely to be reused by generative models. 

How to do it: 

• Link to original data sources—not secondary blogs. 
• Prioritise gov.uk, research journals, and respected publications. 
• Add contextual cues around the link: explain what the source supports. 
• Limit to 2–3 well-placed links per page to maintain focus. 

Example: 
According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, e-commerce sales rose by 5.2% in 2024. 

Monitor Your GEO Impact 

Think of this as your AI search health check, just like checking your pulse before a big run. 

You wouldn’t run a campaign without tracking ROI, and GEO is no different. If you're investing in content that should show up in AI-generated results, you need to know when and where it's working. 

Here’s what you can start doing today:

• Test branded prompts using tools like ChatGPT (with browsing enabled), Bing Copilot, or Perplexity. Ask questions like: "What services does Inspire Digital offer?” or “Top digital marketing agencies in the UK.” 
• Observe how your brand appears. Are you cited directly? Are competitors showing up instead? 
• Set up alerts with tools like BrandMentions, Talkwalker, or Google Alerts to track citations and mentions—especially for your business name, top authors, or unique services. 

These quick tests give you a feel for where you stand in the generative space and can highlight which pieces of content are working—and which might need refining. 

What’s coming next: 

Right now, there isn’t a one-stop dashboard for GEO analytics—but it’s coming. Expect SEO tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to roll out AI search monitoring, tracking how often your content appears in AI answers.  

By building these habits early, you’ll be well-positioned to take advantage of these features as soon as they launch. 

Additional Tactics to Consider 

These aren't mandatory, but they can give your content an extra edge in the eyes of generative engines. 

Optimise for Long-Tail Queries 

AI tools love context—and context lives in long-tail keywords. Short phrases like “email marketing” are too broad and often too competitive. Instead, target full, conversational questions: 

Example: 
Instead of: “email automation tools” 
Use: “What are the best email automation tools for freelancers in 2025?” 

Not only are these more likely to match how people actually type into AI search tools, but they also give your content a better chance of being picked up as part of an answer. 

Tip: Use free tools like AlsoAsked or AnswerThePublic to source real long-tail questions your audience is searching for. 

Create a Content Summary Box 

A content summary box is like a highlight reel for your blog. Adding one at the top (TL;DR style) or bottom (key takeaways) of your post makes it easier for LLMs to summarise your content. 

Try this format: 

• What’s the topic? 
• What are the 2–3 main things someone should remember? 
• Who should care about it? 

It helps AI engines parse and reference your content accurately—and it's useful for readers skimming on mobile too. 

Repurpose into Multiple Formats 

Different people (and different algorithms) digest information in different ways. Offering your content in more than one format not only increases reach—it improves your chances of being picked up by AI. 

Repurpose your content into: 

• Text: The core blog or guide 
• Video: Even short explainer clips can work well if you include transcripts 
• PDFs: Guides or downloadable checklists are great for B2B and often crawled 
• Slides or infographics: Useful for visual learners and social sharing 

The more formats you have, the more “entry points” AI models have to understand your content—and the more likely your brand is to surface in answers. 

GEO is Your Ticket to AI Visibility 

Search is evolving... and fast. Where we once focused only on ranking in Google’s top 10 results, we’re now looking at being cited, mentioned, or quoted in an AI’s answer. 

If your content isn’t structured, clear, and current, it risks being ignored by the very tools people are turning to for answers. 

GEO isn’t optional anymore—it’s essential. And the sooner you adapt, the sooner you start earning visibility in this new frontier. 

At Inspire Digital, we’re already helping brands make this shift. From content audits to schema markup to fresh writing that appeals to humans and machines—we’re here to make sure your content gets seen, cited, and trusted. 

Want to check your GEO-readiness? Get in touch with our team to book a tailored strategy session or request a free audit. 

Let’s make sure your content gets picked—wherever your audience is searching!