Summary:
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is becoming more crucial as more people use AI tools to search the internet for information on software solutions. MSPs should optimize content for AI searches. GEO best practices include focusing on answering commonly asked questions, summarizing the content for AI, and organizing content logically. MSPs can build authority and trust by including an author’s name and links to reputable sources. A schema markup will provide structure to unstructured content, increasing the chances that content will appear in generative engine search results.
What you’ll learn in this blog:
- How widespread is search using generative AI tools?
- 101-level generative engine optimization elements for MSPs
- Focus primarily on questions, rather than only on keywords
- Craft web content systematically
- Use a schema markup
- SEO vs. GEO: Take search optimization to the next level for AI
- GEO: What’s next for your MSP website
Generative engine optimization (GEO) needs to be on your radar for 2026. Optimizing web content for generative engines like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Gemini will make your business more visible to people in your target audience. The impact on your MSP business is likely to be minimal in the coming months. However, appearing in search results when people use generative AI will grow to become a competitive differentiator in the future.
How widespread is search using generative AI tools?
A study by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 60% of all Americans (and 74% of users younger than 30) use AI to find information “at least some of the time.” That AP-NORC research concluded that search is now AI’s most common use. People are beginning to add AI tools to their apps and web browsers and transforming searches into more personalized conversational experiences. When CPOs, CIOs, and other members of a prospect’s executive team search for software using generative AI, you want to make sure your content appears in results.
101-level generative engine optimization elements for MSPs
MSPs may have somewhat of an advantage when optimizing web content for generative engine optimization. It’s basically making unstructured data (your text, images, tables, etc.) understandable to a machine. The basics of GEO include answering commonly asked questions, organizing content logically, adding authority and trust signals, and using schema markup.
Focus primarily on questions, rather than only on keywords
People interact conversationally with generative engines, and when people want to know something, they often ask questions. GEO starts by determining which questions your target audience will ask about your IT and service offerings. You can ask your sales team, or make the most of AI or SEO tools to find the most popular questions people ask on your topic. The content you write, whether a blog, web page, or section of an FAQ page, should answer that question.
Craft web content systematically
Writing short-form content for GEO is fairly straightforward. Ask the question. Write the answer. But if the content is longer, it takes a little more planning. All parts of the page should answer a question, but they should all work together to give the reader a thorough understanding of the main topic and build credibility. You can do this by including these elements on the page:
- Summary: Give generative engines an overview of your content. Use your primary keyword at the beginning, include key points you address, and show cause and effect in “if-this-then-that” fashion. Write a good summary, and you could be rewarded with a snippet that appears in generative engine search results.
- Heading hierarchy: Tell AI what your primary topic is by using an HI for your title. The supporting sections should begin with H2 subheads. Any headings under an H2 should be H3s, etc.
- Table of contents: Consider listing your headings and subheadings at the beginning of the page with links to each section. It makes your content skimmable for GenAI and for your readers.
- Author and bio: Tell GenAI and your readers who the author is. Content is more credible and trustworthy when you name the author. E-E-A-T, experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, still apply.
- External links: Link to a few reputable sources with statistics to support your content and build credibility. Make sure the sources you cite are current. Don’t cite out-of-date content.
- Write clearly and conversationally: Content should be easily understandable. Focus on what your solutions do that will solve problems for your audience. Talk about the value it delivers or the role it will play in innovation or industry evolution. Don’t fall into a lengthy explanation of technical specifications, and if you must use an acronym, define it. Keep sentences as short as possible, and if they start to sprawl, use bullet points. Although you want to present information clearly, don’t dumb down your content. Generative engines are looking for unique information and original thoughts, not the same text they (or members of your target audience) can find anywhere. Be a thought leader while expressing yourself effectively.
- Multimodal content: Enhance your text with images, video, audio, graphics, and tables. Choose from all the options available to you to communicate with your audience.
- Conclusion and call to action: Summarize key points and give the reader direction for next steps to take. It could be to contact your team for more information, but suggesting ways to use the content to evaluate current systems or upgrade for positive business outcomes will make more of an impression on readers, human or otherwise.
- FAQs: An FAQ section is ideal for GEO. It lists commonly asked questions and answers that your audience is looking for. Write original content. Don’t be tempted to just copy it from another page on your website. Also, make sure answers have enough information to be valuable but not so long that you don’t get your point across quickly.
Use a schema markup
Schema markup allows generative engines to quickly understand what type of content you’ve created and the different parts (summary, TOC, FAQs, etc.) that it contains. You can learn more about schema markup on Google’s FAQ structured data page or get some help from GenAI with tools like Schema Markup Generator GPT.
SEO vs. GEO: Take search optimization to the next level for AI
If you have optimized content for search engines, you probably see some similarities to GEO. Take note that GEO doesn’t replace SEO. Continue to follow all the SEO best practices while incorporating new elements into your content that generative engines can understand.
Like SEO, GEO is more than correctly formatting content. Your website must be structured for AI searches. Search Engine Land offers a deeper look at getting your website ready for GEO.
GEO: What’s next for your MSP website?
Search Engine Land also published data from Datos and SparkToo that confirms 95% of searches are still through search engines, like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo. Interestingly, GenAI searches don’t seem to be cannibalizing that activity. Instead, they’re adding to it. Your audience could be using either way to find information about the type of solutions you offer, and you don’t want to miss any opportunities to collect new leads.
Evaluate the way you create content for the web now, optimize it for generative engine searches, use schema to add structure for AI, and make sure your website is structured for AI search. Implementing generative engine optimization best practices will increase the chances that when your audience uses AI tools to search, your content will appear in results.
