The Top 10 Quick Wins

Here are the 10 most impactful optimizations you can make today, ordered by their effort-to-impact ratio. Each includes step-by-step instructions and real-world examples.

Optimize Image Alt Text

5 min per image

High Impact

AI search engines cannot see images directly. They rely entirely on alt text to understand what an image shows and how it relates to your content. Missing or vague alt text means AI models skip over your visual content entirely.

Bad Alt Text

alt="image1.jpg"

File names tell AI nothing about the image content or context.

Good Alt Text

alt="Bar chart showing 40% increase in organic traffic after GEO optimization over 3 months"

Descriptive alt text helps AI understand both the image and its relevance to the topic.

Quick Implementation Steps

1. Run a GEO-Score analysis to identify pages with missing alt text

2. Start with your highest-traffic pages and most important images

3. Write descriptive alt text that includes the subject, context, and relevant keywords

4. Keep alt text under 125 characters for optimal AI parsing

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to Image Alt Text for AI Search

Fix Content Structure

15 min per page

High Impact

A clear

content structure

with proper heading hierarchy is one of the strongest signals for AI search engines. When your H1, H2, and H3 tags follow a logical outline, AI models can accurately parse and summarize your content.

Content Structure Checklist

Every page has exactly one H1 that clearly describes the main topic

H2 headings divide the page into major sections (aim for 3-7 per article)

H3 headings break down complex sections into digestible subsections

Heading hierarchy never skips levels (e.g., no H1 directly to H3)

Headings use descriptive phrases, not vague labels like "More Info"

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to Content Structure for AI Search

Add Citations and Sources

10 min per page

High Impact

AI models heavily favor content that includes verifiable

citations and sources

. Adding references to authoritative sources signals trustworthiness and expertise, two critical factors in AI search rankings.

Types of Sources to Include

Industry research papers and whitepapers with publication dates

Official statistics from government or recognized institutions

Expert quotes with proper attribution and credentials

Links to primary sources and original data sets

Case studies with specific, verifiable metrics and outcomes

Sources to Avoid

Avoid citing outdated statistics (older than 2 years), unverified social media posts, anonymous sources, or content behind paywalls that AI cannot access. These can actually lower your credibility score.

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to Citations and Sources for AI Search

Improve Paragraph Length

10 min per page

High Impact

AI search engines process text in chunks. Paragraphs that are too long get truncated or poorly summarized. Optimizing

readability

by breaking content into digestible paragraphs significantly improves how AI models understand and cite your content.

Too Long

Paragraphs over 150 words get truncated by AI. Key information buried in long blocks is often missed entirely.

Just Right

Aim for 40-100 words per paragraph. Each paragraph should cover one clear idea that AI can easily extract.

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to Readability for AI Search

Simplify Complex Sentences

15 min per page

Medium Impact

Complex, multi-clause sentences are harder for AI models to parse accurately. Simplifying your writing style improves comprehension and increases the likelihood of your content being cited in AI-generated answers.

Before: Complex

"While it is certainly the case that there are numerous factors which contribute to the overall visibility of your website in AI-powered search engines, including but not limited to content quality, structural optimization, and technical performance, the most impactful single change you can make is improving your content's readability score."

After: Simplified

"Many factors affect your AI search visibility: content quality, structure, and technical performance. The single most impactful change? Improve your content's readability score."

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to Readability Optimization

Update Publication Dates

5 min per page

Medium Impact

AI search engines strongly prefer fresh content. Updating your

content freshness

signals by refreshing publication dates, statistics, and references tells AI models your content is current and reliable.

Best Practices for Content Freshness

Add or update the "Last modified" date on every article page

Replace outdated statistics with the most recent available data

Update year references in titles and headings (e.g., "Best Practices for 2025")

Add a visible changelog or update history for frequently revised content

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to Content Freshness for AI Search

Add Transition Words

10 min per page

Medium Impact

Transition words

help AI models understand the logical flow and relationships between your ideas. They act as signposts that guide AI through your argument, making it easier to extract accurate summaries.

Common Transition Words by Purpose

Adding Information:

Furthermore, moreover, additionally, in addition, also, besides

Contrasting:

However, nevertheless, on the other hand, in contrast, conversely

Explaining:

For example, specifically, in other words, that is, namely

Concluding:

Therefore, consequently, as a result, in conclusion, ultimately

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to Transition Words for AI Search

Add Natural Keyword Variations

20 min per page

High Impact

AI search engines understand synonyms and semantic relationships. Instead of repeating the same keyword, use natural variations and related terms throughout your content. This helps AI models understand the full scope of your topic coverage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't stuff keywords unnaturally. AI models detect and penalize keyword stuffing.

Don't use the exact same phrase more than 3-4 times per 1,000 words.

Don't force variations that sound awkward or unnatural to human readers.

Don't ignore long-tail variations. AI often surfaces content for specific, conversational queries.

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to LSI Keywords for AI Search

Implement Schema Markup

20 min per page

High Impact

Structured data gives AI search engines explicit information about your content type, author, dates, and relationships. Schema markup is a powerful signal that helps AI accurately categorize and cite your pages.

Most Impactful Schema Types for GEO

Article/BlogPosting: Defines your content type, author, and publish date

FAQ: Marks up question-answer pairs for direct AI extraction

HowTo: Structures step-by-step guides for easy AI summarization

Organization/Person: Establishes author credentials and E-E-A-T signals

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to Content Structure for AI Search

Add FAQ Sections

30 min per page

Medium Impact

FAQ sections directly address the types of questions AI search engines answer. Adding a well-structured FAQ to your key pages improves

comprehensiveness

and gives AI models pre-formatted question-answer pairs they can surface directly in responses.

How to Create Effective FAQ Sections

Research actual questions your audience asks using tools like AnswerThePublic or Google's People Also Ask

Answer each question concisely in 2-4 sentences before expanding on complex topics

Include FAQ schema markup so AI can identify the Q&A format programmatically

Cover both basic and advanced questions to serve different audience segments

Update your FAQs regularly based on new questions from customer support and analytics data

Deep dive:

Complete Guide to Comprehensiveness for AI Search