Kitchen Side: Generative Engine Optimization

Key Takeaways

• What Is GEO?: Generative engine optimization refers to tailoring your content for AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT and Claude—not just traditional search engines.
• From Keywords to Context: Search is shifting from keyword-based queries to conversational inputs and contextual, semantic understanding.
• Brand Mentions as the New Backlinks: In LLM-generated answers, offsite presence and brand mentions are becoming more valuable than traditional link-building.
• Surround Sound SEO Still Wins: Being mentioned across multiple credible platforms increases your chances of appearing in AI-generated outputs.
• Prompt Design & Data Quality Matter: Feeding models structured data, detailed context, and proprietary insights improves visibility and usefulness.
• AI Isn’t Replacing Google—Yet: AI tools like ChatGPT expand how we find information, but don’t fully replace deterministic, fact-based search.
• B2B Buyers Use Both Channels: AI tools may be used for early discovery, but buyers still verify information with Google before making decisions.

Show Links

• Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

What is Kitchen Side?

One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the “kitchen side” of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture.

You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside.

You understand how the sausage is made. 

As an agency ourselves, we’re working both on growing our clients’ businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business.

We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship.

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

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