Future search will be dominated by AI chatbots like Google's Gemini, which are trained on content from platforms like YouTube Shorts. Consistently posting relevant content on these platforms now is a form of long-term SEO to ensure your brand is visible in future AI-driven search results.
Google's Robbie Stein explains that because AI models, including Google's own, use web searches to gather real-time information, creating trusted, authoritative content remains the most effective strategy for being featured in AI-generated answers.
When repurposing short-form videos to YouTube Shorts, prioritize search engine optimization in your titles. Even if the content only lightly touches on a topic, title it based on what users are searching for to leverage YouTube's power as the world's second-largest search engine, not just as a social feed.
In an AI-driven world, optimizing for website traffic is a losing game. A better long-term strategy is to create high-value content (podcasts, videos, newsletters) across various platforms. This approach helps people directly and simultaneously feeds the large language models that are increasingly becoming information gatekeepers.
The paradigm is shifting from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). The content you post now on platforms like LinkedIn will be consumed by AI models to answer future user queries, making it a critical asset for long-term visibility and authority.
The future of search isn't just about Google; it's about being found in AI tools like ChatGPT. This shift to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) requires creating helpful, Q&A-formatted content that AI models can easily parse and present as answers, ensuring your visibility in the new search landscape.
With 80-90% of AI-powered searches resulting in no clicks, traditional SEO is dying. The new key metric is "share of voice"—how often your brand is cited in AI-generated answers. This requires a fundamental strategy shift to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), focusing on becoming an authoritative source for LLMs rather than just driving website traffic.
Marketers must evolve from SEO to GEO, optimizing content for how brands appear in LLM results. This requires a new content strategy that treats the LLM as a distinct persona or channel, creating content specifically for it to crawl and ensuring accurate brand representation.
The classic SEO role is evolving. To gain visibility in AI search, efforts must expand to channels like YouTube, Reddit, and Quora. This gives SEO professionals a strategic seat at the table, influencing brand and PR teams on what content to create and where to place it.
As users increasingly get answers from AI assistants, marketing strategy must evolve from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). This means creating diverse, authoritative content across multiple platforms (podcasts, PR, articles) with the goal of being cited as a trusted source by AI models themselves.
Unlike the ephemeral nature of TikTok and Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts have a longer shelf life. By titling videos with search terms, creators can tap into YouTube's function as the world's second-largest search engine, generating views long after being posted.