Gather Intelligence: The First Step in G.E.O.D.A.T.A.
If you want to take G.E.O.D.A.T.A. by the horns and really use it to your advantage, then you need to truly understand each step. And like with everything, the most foundational step is the first one.
AI-driven search is entering the search engine world like a bulldozer, which means you’ll want to jump on the Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) train as quickly as possible.
To do that, you’ll be using the G.E.O.D.A.T.A. framework, with the first step being “Gather Intelligence.”
A Match Made in Heaven: AI & Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
There’s been a big shift in how search engines function, and you’re probably noticing it without really understanding what’s happening behind the scenes.
Google still dominates traditional search, but AI search is excelling at providing direct, zero-click answers. To adjust to these changes, search engines are no longer just indexing keywords. They’re also looking at context, interpreting intent, and considering opinions.
This is all thanks to platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini that are reshaping how users engage with content. These AI models are trained on large datasets, including Common Crawl. These datasets are a huge collection of web pages that help AI understand language, trends, and user behavior.
In other words, old-school SEO isn’t enough anymore.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the next evolution of SEO. That means you need to understand how AI interprets and ranks content.
By gathering intelligence on how AI search engines operate, brands can:
- Create AI-friendly content: Sure, content’s made for users, but we can’t forget AI. Creating AI-friendly content that ticks all the boxes means you’re more likely to be seen.
- Leverage semantic search: AI prioritizes contextually relevant and comprehensive answers. Intent-based and topic clustering is essential.
- Optimize for multimodal search: Text isn’t the only thing AI cares about. AI-driven search also looks at images, video, and voice search. Knowing these different formats can help improve your visibility.
Why Gathering Intelligence Matters
When we say the first step of the G.E.O.D.A.T.A. framework is gathering intelligence, there’s a good reason behind it. Gathering intelligence on AI search will help you:
- Identify what AI-search deems as a priority: Learning how AI ranks content will help you develop an AI-aligned content strategy.
- Understand algorithm updates: AI is changing quickly. Keeping pace with all the updates can help keep your content relevant.
- Optimize your content: Understand how to tailor content to appease both AI and users.
So, in other words, don’t skip this step. No one likes spending hours researching, but gathering intelligence is a foundational step in this framework. If you overlook this step, it’ll catch up with you later down the road.
How to Start Gathering Intelligence
Think of yourself as a spy…like James Bond. Okay, you don’t have to be that intense (only if you want to), but you certainly want your marketing efforts to actually pay off.
If you’re feeling lost, it’s time to rethink your content strategy and cozy up to AI-powered search engines. Here’s how to start gathering intelligence.
- Keep an eye on AI search updates
You may have heard people talking about ChatGPT and Gemini, but have you tested them out? Do you understand how these platforms work? Or know how they’re evolving?
It’s not about becoming a guru in AI; no one’s asking that of you. But you should refresh your knowledge on the basics and stay informed of upcoming changes. There’s tons of content available on YouTube, and you can also follow blogs and thought leaders.
- Consider how AI sees your brand
Do you know what AI is saying about you? It may sound like a strange question, but in 2023 alone, 13 million adults in the United States used platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini for search queries. It’s predicted that by 2027, this number will reach 90 million online users.
AI isn’t magic. It gets its information from somewhere. These AI platforms take information from your website, forums, blogs, social media, and search engine results to generate answers. So, it’s extremely important you understand how AI sees your brand and the areas you need to improve on.
But how do you do this? Simple. Ask AI questions about your brand. Go onto ChatGPT or Gemini and ask questions like:
- What is [Your Brand]?
- What does [Your Brand] offer?
- Is [Your Brand] trustworthy?
- What do people have to say about [Your Brand]?
Read the answers and take notes. Look at how AI summarizes your business. Is what AI says about your brand true? What information is inaccurate? Where does this information come from? This will help you identify areas of improvement in your messaging and content. Because once AI starts perpetuating incorrect information, it’s hard to stop the cycle.
This is why gathering intelligence is so important. You need to know what you’re working with. Once you have the foundation, you’ll be able to move on to the next steps and make data-driven decisions that improve your business.
AI Platforms Are Saying Inaccurate Things About My Brand –
Where’s It Coming From?
If you notice that ChatGPT or Gemini are saying inaccurate things about your brand, first things first, look at your brand’s content.
This means going through your website and reading through your content with a fine-tooth comb. Look at your ‘About Us’ page or FAQs, go through your blog and social media profiles, and see if the information is up-to-date.
Most people also forget to look at forums like Reddit, LinkedIn, Medium, Quora, and Google Answers, even though AI also relies on user-generated information as well. It could be that there is some unfavorable content on Reddit about your brand that’s causing the issue.
Why the G.E.O.D.A.T.A Framework Is the Way to Go
The G.E.O.D.A.T.A. framework isn’t full of cheap tricks. This framework is based on a process to help you align your content and search strategies with the AI-driven online world. Each step builds on the last to ensure your brand is positioned for success.
With SEO Rank Media and the G.E.O.D.A.T.A. framework, you won’t need to relearn SEO all over again. Rather, you’ll have a reliable roadmap and the support you need to get your brand in the spotlight. This is your chance to jump ahead of your competitors and prepare your business for the next shift in content.