Generative Engine Optimization: The Definitive Guide to AI SEO - Hardcover

Hudgens, Ross

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1394439806 ISBN 13: 9781394439805

Publisher: Wiley, 2026

Synopsis

<p><b>Optimize your content for AI answer engines and protect your organic traffic</b> <p>As 77% of ChatGPT users now treat it like a search engine, traditional SEO alone no longer secures brand visibility. <i>Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The Definitive Guide to AI SEO</i>, by Siege Media founder and CEO Ross Hudgens, is a practical guide to optimizing content for AI SEO and answer engines including ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude so your brand appears positively in LLM-generated responses. <p><i>Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)</i> covers the practice of structuring content so it performs well inside LLM-powered systems that generate responses rather than retrieve links. Hudgens draws on experience driving organic growth for clients like Adidas, HubSpot, Instacart, and TripAdvisor to show how SEO practitioners and marketing leaders can modernize their search programs and drive measurable sales through AI SEO tools. <p>Readers will also discover: <ul> <li>Actionable strategies for increasing how often AI tools mention your brand positively in generated responses</li> <li>Techniques for adapting existing SEO and content marketing workflows to account for LLM-driven search behavior</li> <li>Methods to future-proof your organic growth program as traditional search engine traffic declines across industries</li> <li>Guidance for marketing leaders on evaluating and implementing GEO practices across content, PR, and affiliate teams</li> <li>Real-world approaches from an agency that has driven organic growth for blue-chip brands like Airbnb and HubSpot</li> </ul> <p>Ideal for SEO practitioners, marketing leaders at technology companies, CMOs, and content marketers, <i>Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)</i> provides the frameworks needed to modernize search programs, secure brand visibility inside AI answer engines, and stay ahead as consumer search behavior shifts toward large language models.

About this title

About the Author

ROSS HUDGENS is the Founder/CEO of Siege Media, one of the top firms specializing in SEO and Generative Engine Optimization. Siege Media made the Inc. 5000 six years in a row and has been named one of Inc.’s Best Workplaces. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, and Search Engine Land, and he is a frequent speaker at conferences including BrightonSEO, MozCon, SEO Week, and Tech SEO Connect. Notable clients include Airbnb, Adidas, HubSpot, Intuit QuickBooks, TripAdvisor, and Zendesk.

From the Back Cover

PRAISE FOR GENERATIVE ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

“What I enjoyed most about the book is how it separates hype from facts. Ross did a great job focusing on evidence and practical knowledge.”
―KEVIN INDIG, Growth Advisor and Former Head of SEO at Shopify

“Ross Hudgens is one of the finest minds, sharpest operators, and kindest humans in the marketing world. Reading his work has paid dividends throughout my career, and I promise it will for you, too.”
―RAND FISHKIN, Co-Founder of SparkToro and Author of Lost and Founder

“Ross Hudgens has been the rare SEO practitioner who actually leads the industry rather than reacts to it. Generative Engine Optimization is the playbook I’m recommending to every TinySeed founder who wants to win at AI search. It’s practical, battle-tested, and written by someone who has already done the hard work of figuring out what actually moves the needle.”
―ROB WALLING, Co-Founder of TinySeed and MicroConf

“Search isn’t dying―it’s evolving. This book shows exactly how marketers need to adapt, combining SEO fundamentals with the realities of AI-driven discovery.”
―ALEYDA SOLIS, International SEO Consultant and Founder of Orainti

From the Inside Flap

As much as 77% of ChatGPT users now treat it like a search engine, and that shift is rewriting the rules of digital visibility. Ross Hudgens, CEO of Siege Media and a recognized authority whose firm has served clients including Airbnb, HubSpot, Intuit QuickBooks, and Zendesk, delivers a practical guide to driving sales through large language models and the broader spectrum of AI tools. Generative Engine Optimization provides a concrete framework for ensuring your brand appears―and appears favorably―inside AI-generated answers.

Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, is the practice of optimizing content so it performs well inside AI answer engines such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini―systems that generate responses rather than merely retrieve links. This book explains how these LLM-powered platforms decide which brands and sources to reference, then shows you how to structure content so your organization is mentioned positively and consistently across these rapidly growing channels.

Beyond theory, the book offers actionable techniques for modernizing your search program at a time when traditional SEO traffic is declining for many businesses. You will learn how to adapt existing content strategies, measure your visibility within AI-generated outputs, and build a durable approach that keeps pace as AI tools evolve. Drawn from Hudgens’s experience building websites from launch to top rankings in highly competitive verticals like insurance and mortgage, the guidance is rooted in proven results.

Ideal for SEO practitioners seeking to extend their skill set into AI-driven search, marketing leaders at technology companies navigating the transition from traditional search to LLM-powered discovery, CMOs responsible for long-term brand visibility, and content marketers implementing day-to-day optimization, this book provides the strategic and tactical knowledge needed to ensure your organization does not get left behind as search itself transforms.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1394439806
• ISBN 13: 9781394439805
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320