Course Outline: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)A comprehensive guide to optimizing for AI-driven search engines, moving beyond traditional SEO to influence the synthesis layer of information.Introduction to GEO Best Practices

• Understanding the Shift: Defining Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) versus traditional SEO (Retrieval vs. Synthesis) and why businesses must adapt.
• The "Query Fan-Out" Concept: How LLMs break down single queries into multiple sub-searches and why this creates a "long, long tail" of opportunity.
• Content Types that Win: Why multimodal content, first-party data, and complex calculators outperform generic text in an AI world.
• Optimizing for Mentions: Shifting from a link-only mindset to valuing unlinked mentions and "co-citation" across trusted sources.

How to Measure GEO Outcomes

• Prompt Tracking: How to select and track high-value prompts (Branded vs. Product-related) to measure visibility, sentiment, and ranking position.
• The "Compass" vs. "GPS" Approach: Managing expectations around attribution and using directional data to inform strategy.
• Building ROI Models: A practical framework for estimating GEO impact by correlating visibility scores with self-reported lead data.
• Input vs. Output Metrics: Identifying the key activities (pages published, reviews generated) that drive AI visibility outcomes.

Creating a GEO Strategy

• Identifying Your "Source Universe": How to use LLM tools to discover the specific domains (Affiliates, Reddit, YouTube) that inform answers in your industry.
• The "Best X" Mapping Exercise: A step-by-step process to map your product universe to transactional "What is the best..." queries LLMs use.
• Leveraging "Credibility Signals": Strategies for influencing third-party platforms, including affiliate marketplaces, review sites, and "Best of" listicles.
• Programmatic GEO: Using AI to generate long-tail use case pages and product descriptions that match the specific, granular queries of LLM users.

GEO in Action: Example Case Studies

• Winning on Reddit: How brands like Fidelity and Purple use AMAs, branded subreddits, and "search-focused content" to dominate conversational results.
• Affiliate & Review Mastery: Analyzing how brands use sponsorship listings and aggressive review generation (NPS triggers) to secure top spots in LLM citations.
• YouTube as an LLM Source: How to influence video results through "Best of" roundups and optimizing video metadata for AI retrieval.

B2B vs. B2C Playbooks: contrasting strategies for high-ticket SaaS (data-led PR, review sites) vs. consumer goods (long-tail product pages, influencer roundups).