If You’ve Been Investing in SEO, You’re on the Right Track With GEO: An AMA With Lily Ray

6. Should we invest in GEO, or is it just chasing a fad?

Both can be true. A lot of what’s being labeled as Generative Engine Optimization overlaps with what SEO teams have been doing for years. 

This includes: 

• Creating original, data-driven content with unique perspectives
• Featuring recognized authors and trusted brands. 

GEO improves AI visibility, but it’s not a new concept. Fundamentally, if you’ve been investing in SEO, brand building, and content marketing, you’re already doing GEO. If you haven’t, now’s the time because it definitely matters for AI search.

7. Should recipe, food, or travel bloggers block AI crawlers?

That’s a really hard one. I know some people in the travel space are already blocking AI crawlers because they see their content as original and don’t consent to it being taken and reused for free, and I totally understand that perspective.

However, there’s a trade-off: blocking AI crawlers limits your visibility in AI search. It puts bloggers in a kind of prisoner’s dilemma. If you wall off your content, you might protect it, but you also risk becoming invisible in the platforms where people are now searching.

Also, not all crawlers respect those blocks, so there’s no guarantee. But if you truly want to keep your content for your audience and rely on other channels for traffic, that’s a valid business choice.

That said, I think most companies and creators won’t go that route. If the majority of consumers are getting their answers from LLMs, it’s hard to justify removing yourself from that ecosystem completely.

8. How do you deal with stakeholders obsessed with GEO who don’t understand SEO?

The first step is education, but with an open mind. Acknowledge that search is changing, and have honest conversations about what it really takes to appear in AI search. 

At Amsive, we’ve been using Venn diagrams to show the overlap between SEO and GEO, which is approximately 90%. 

It can be frustrating when clients assume you’re not prepared for the future of search just because you’re not overhyping the newest trend. But that’s why it’s important to stay proactive. 

Share insights, provide resources, and demonstrate that you’re deeply informed about how these models work.

I actually presented on this at MozCon recently, and I’ve recorded a version that might help you explain GEO to your clients.

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