Jeff For Local Marketing (YouTube video) introduces "GEO" — Generative Engine Optimization — explaining that generative search engines synthesize answers from across the web and can display a single tailored response (a "zero-click" result). He contrasts GEO with traditional SEO practices (keyword frequency, E‑E‑A‑T) and demonstrates the concept using a live search example (query: "Why is my air conditioning blowing warm air?"), noting the potential disruption to content marketing and reduced click-throughs to source sites.
Chapters
Today on the Local Voice, I want to talk to you about SEO and geo. Now for some of those people who haven't heard of the term or the acronym geo, it's Generative Engine Optimization. And just like search engine optimization, we have to be aware of what is going on so we can make sure that we're ready to make sure our content, our answers are in front of our audience. So again, we have a chance of being seen. Now.
This is disrupting or there's definitely a shakeup in the SEO world or quite frankly, content marketing world because typically when content is created, it has been created in such a way that, hey, make sure the keywords are in there and that they occur frequently enough and, and that there is some authority, we call it E, E A T, expertise, experience, authority and trust. And so that involves maybe writing some content that has a story, an example, answering questions, FAQs and things of that nature. Well, this is all important, but what's happening is there's a term called zero click. And let me give an example, let me share my screen. I'm going to pull something up.
And I just want to give you an example of this I put in and this I'm using Microsoft, Bing, it doesn't matter who we use, but you can, this just happens to be the one I put in there. It says, why is my air conditioning blowing warm air? Well, unlike traditional search with SEO, what would happen? It was normally you would see like 10 different examples here. Well, there are 10 different resources. Well, here's the cool thing. Now what happens as, as someone who is seeking that answer, I get an answer. I get one answer. And as it was explained that it's searching the entire Internet, it's creating a piece of content that says, hey, I'm taking all these answers and I'm giving you the best based on who you are. What does that mean? Well, that means fewer and fewer of us are actually clicking past this. And one of the things that, that comes out of this when we talk about content is.
Well, there's a reference here. Like, you know, maybe as early as six months ago they were, there were tests and what would happen is it would give an answer and then down below it say, okay, here's all the, here's all the, the resources for that article in hopes that what would happen is I, after reading this, I'd say, well, who said this? And so what would happen is I would now, why is my air conditioning blowing hot air? Five common fixes. And I would click on that and it would take me to their website. But here's what's happening in reality is fewer and fewer of us are actually doing it because it says hey, incorrect thermostat setting. It didn't just say that, it said hey, this is one of the simplest solutions to check your thermostat. So I'd like o okay, I'm going to go check my thermostat. I don't really need to go to somebody's website to figure out what should I actually contact that or read further on how to check my thermostat. Now I don't want to oversimplify it because sometimes there are results that say okay, do this, here's a little explanation that I do need more of and I may click into that, but when I don't click into that and I don't go to that contributors website if you will, they call that zero click because I did a search but I didn't click and go to someone's website for more information.
