What the FUD is going on?
FUD stands for fear, uncertainty and doubt – a classic marketing acronym. And with all the hype surrounding AI, there’s a lot of it about.
I took a look recently at the growth mechanics that are working for marketers today. But I found minimal case studies focused on AI-driven results. So while we’re waiting for those to learn from, what can marketers do now to make sure their content is AI-friendly?
The Old and New of Digital Marketing
I’m going to look at a new (old) tactic that will stand marketers in good stead: GEO.
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
GEO is the evolution of SEO. With the boom in AI-driven search, optimising for generative AI engines is in its infancy. Marketers need to be in test-and-learn mode. It’s not just about page rank but about aiming for the AI-generated summaries at the top of the results page.
It’s worth harking back to the dim and distant past of 2022 when Google announced, just before ChatGPT hit the world, its E.E.A.T. search quality rating guidelines. Standing for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness, it guides how content is prioritised in search rankings.
GEO is educated guesswork at this early stage but EEAT is a good bet for guiding the creation of ‘helpful, people first, content’.
Artificial Intelligence engines approach content search much like human intelligence does. It’s looking for meaning, searching for credible, well-informed content in context, not just keywords and links.
So, think DASS: Depth, Authority, Structure and Signposting
Depth and originality of thinking – creating rich clusters of content that deliver insight and create context – using engaging content formats such as imagery and video. This can be your content or it could be your customers – think human
Authority – ensure your content is trusted by demonstrating domain expertise, using credible sources and references
Structure – aim for clarity by using sub-headers, bullet points, simple language to promote ease of reading.
Signposting – make sure your schema markup is up to date: tagging all structured content from authors and dates to image descriptions will make your content more accessible for humans and AI. Win win.
You can be sure bland AI content is being discounted, and distinctive human-led content is prized. So while GEO is not entirely new, it is newly important.
