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Critic: Chad Frederick Gilbert

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<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/chad-gilbert">Chad Frederick Gilbert</a> is Vice President of Content Marketing at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://npdigital.com/">NP Digital </a>and a CMS Critic contributor.<hr />People are changing the way they search for information online. Previously, they would launch their browser and enter a phrase or keyword into a search engine, then review the list of search results, looking for the most relevant source that met their needs. Sometimes, this process required a substantial amount of time.With the advent of AI, all that has changed. People now explain what they need to large language models (LLMs) and ask them to search, comb through the results, and produce executive summaries. This enables users to locate information simply by having a conversation. As a result, the new science of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/generative-engine-optimization-geo/">Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)</a> has emerged, in which marketers craft content to appeal to LLMs. Showing up in those conversations can create new leads, drive traffic to the website, and ultimately lead to increased revenue.Here’s how these changes are affecting content teams, their content management systems (CMSs), digital experience platforms (DXPs), and the types of tools businesses should consider incorporating to improve their GEO results.<h3 id="what-today’s-llms-want">What today’s LLMs want</h3>Marketers now have a new goal: not only attracting AI models to their website but also having AIs cite it in responses to user queries. Publishing content that achieves this requires a different approach.First and foremost, today’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.19421">AIs prioritize content that is accessible</a> and offers clear value to the audience. They evaluate pages for the accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness of their content through fact-checking. They also consider the site’s cybersecurity, transparency, and honesty. Any deceptive tactics or misinformation count against websites.Another element that current AIs are looking for is substance. Today’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.14436">AI models still like SEO keywords</a> and phrases, but only when they are used in a natural way. Attractive content also demonstrates the depth and richness of true mastery. It not only covers the fundamentals clearly and concisely but also answers common follow-up questions.In addition, authority arguably matters more now. Today’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/llm-seeding/">AI models consider the source</a>. Authors who have official credentials or qualifications to back up their position, or some kind of lived experience with the topic, have an advantage. The same is true for sources who have been quoted in top-tier publications. If a site has no clear authorship, LLMs recognize this as a bad sign, which has ramifications for the kinds of content that businesses need to produce today.<h3 id="how-to-attract-today’s-ai-models">How to attract today’s AI models</h3>AI models pull from sites that offer authoritative content presented in a clear, structured way that addresses users’ needs. For this reason, content teams now <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcontentmanagement/tip/How-to-integrate-GEO-with-an-SEO-strategy">organize information differently</a> so AI can interpret it more easily. For instance, it’s advisable to use more headings and subheadings, as well as lists marked off with bullet points. It’s also a good idea to use a question-and-answer format or include a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.To meet the criteria for thoroughness, the text should be thorough, detailed, and concrete. Include definitions of key terms, as well as real-world or hypothetical examples. Backing claims up with supporting evidence is also important, as it reinforces trust. LLMs also appreciate content that explains its own reasoning.To establish authority, use your content to showcase your business leaders, their credentials, and any relevant lived experience. Pursue a PR strategy of earning media coverage in reputable publications to build visibility and credibility. Embed external URLs only from high-quality, disinterested sources like academic studies or industry research in your content.<h3 id="how-ai-makes-marketing-easier">How AI makes marketing easier</h3>While the demands of producing such high-level content might seem daunting, today’s AI technologies also alleviate some of the burden from human staff. Content teams that have implemented AI assistance can work faster and more effectively than ever. AI resources can conduct research, generate ideas, perform quality checks, and even provide preliminary drafts of potential content.The good news is that it’s often not necessary to invest in a whole new CMS or DXP to stay abreast of these changes. Supporting tools that help businesses improve their digital presence are readily available on the market.<h3 id="what-tools-improve-geo">What tools improve GEO</h3>Most businesses don’t need the most advanced CMS or DXP to succeed. They just need a tech stack that supports the production of high-quality content, provides telling insights about the audience, and can measure real-world performance.Here are the tools that most business leaders should incorporate into their workflows:<ul><li>AI-driven content tools: These AIs help produce content, from conducting the underlying research to generating possible outlines and even coming up with potential copy. They can scale your existing content quickly while ensuring consistency and a positive consumer experience.</li><li>GEO optimization tools: These resources optimize your content for today’s LLMs. They find good URLs — both external and internal — to embed in your copy and suggest appropriate metadata and tags. They also analyze the structure of your content and propose improvements, ensuring the page is easy for both humans and AIs to understand. This not only improves the customer experience but also boosts the business’s online visibility.</li><li>Audience insights and analytics platforms: These help you understand your audience. They track how users engage — or fail to engage — with your website. They also sense the patterns that underlie the conversions your business makes. Moreover, they can tell you what your ideal customers search for, steering you toward the right messages.</li><li>Quality-control tools: AI models’ ability to process large amounts of information quickly enables them to spot problems with your content’s quality or consistency. For instance, they can identify broken links and other issues on your website and suggest practical solutions.</li></ul>Having a suite of such tools would help future-proof your enterprise, even as the next AI iteration promises further changes.<h3 id="position-your-business-for-the-future">Position your business for the future</h3>While GEO requires content teams to rethink their approach, having the right resources enables them to create compelling content for humans and AIs alike at scale. By delivering clarity, substance, authority, and trust, marketers can position their organizations to dominate the future. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:34.15%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/logo_jday_hor.png" /><h4 id="joomladay-usa-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jdayusa.com/">JoomlaDay USA 2026</a></h4>April 29 - May 2, 2026 – Delray Beach, FloridaBe part of the Joomla community in one of the most iconic cities in the world! JoomlaDay USA 2026 is coming to Delray Beach, and you can join us for a dynamic event packed with insights, workshops, and networking opportunities. Learn from top Joomla experts and developers offering valuable insights and real-world solutions. Participate in interactive workshops and sessions and enhance your skills in Joomla management, development, design, and more. And connect with fellow Joomla enthusiasts, developers, and professionals from across the world.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jdayusa.com/"> Book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:30.06%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/cms-summit-26-logo.jpg" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit26">CMS Summit 26</a></h4>May 12-13, 2026 – Frankfurt, GermanyThe best conferences create space for honest, experience-based conversations. Not sales pitches. Not hype. Just thoughtful exchanges between people who spend their days designing, building, running, and evolving digital experiences. CMS Summit brings together people who share real stories from their work and platforms and who are interested in learning from each other on how to make things better. Over two days in Frankfurt, you can expect practitioner-led talks grounded in experience, conversations about trade-offs, constraints, and decisions, and time to compare notes with peers facing similar challenges. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit26/tickets">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:30.13%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/12/image-1765546475634.png" /><h4 id="umbraco-codegarden-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://codegarden.umbraco.com/">Umbraco Codegarden 2026</a></h4>June 10–11, 2026 – Copenhagen, DKJoin us in Copenhagen (or online) for the biggest Umbraco conference in the world – two full days of learning, genuine conversations, and the kind of inspiration that brings business leaders, developers, and digital creators together. Codegarden 2026 is packed with both business and tech content, from deep-dive workshops and advanced sessions to real-world case studies and strategy talks. You’ll leave with ideas, strategies, and knowledge you can put into practice immediately. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://codegarden.umbraco.com/">Book your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a>

How Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI are Transforming Content and Human Strategy

Chad Frederick Gilbert is the Vice President of Content Marketing for NP Digital.

Chad Frederick Gilbert

Articles by Chad Frederick

Articles by Chad Frederick

NP Digital

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