3 Types of SEO/GEO Content That Build Authority

What’s best for GEO today is what’s always been best for SEO: Fresh, original, high-quality content. The trick is to put something on the internet that isn’t already there. Generative AI can’t do that. It can only remix what already exists. To get AI and search engines to see your site as an authority, you’ll need to create primary resources.   

Luckily, generating useful new information isn’t as hard as you might think. Here are three ways to create original material without requiring a dedicated research wing or tons of time and money. 

First, though, a little background on why we’re enthusiastic about novelty in SEO/GEO content. 

Research-Based Vs. Original SEO/GEO Content 

In the pre-AI days, a lot of SEO content was based on research alone. Organizing information was a valuable service even if you didn’t create the data from scratch. Done right, the results were both helpful (for your audience) and beneficial (for your web traffic numbers). 

For example, if your audience operates in a heavily regulated industry, you could create a list of relevant standards and regulations. You’d pull from existing regulatory and technical industry sources, but you’d create something new: An organized compilation of information that’s directly relevant to your audience. They’d click, they’d learn, and maybe they’d convert.  

These days, research-based articles are less likely to lead to a click — which doesn’t make them entirely useless, of course! They still build authority and show up in search, both AI and conventional. They just tend to move the traffic needle less than they used to. 

People still need to organize the internet’s information, but they increasingly trust AI to do it. Remember, the goal of content marketing is always to genuinely help your audience. That’s what brings them to your contact form. There’s no point offering something AI can do just as well. So, to stand out these days, create the content that AI can’t.     

The best way to show up in AI overviews and search engine results is to say something new. To put it in vaguely sciencey terms, you must generate new data. That’s the one thing AI can’t do. It’s the best way to stand out from the proliferating AI slop. It’s also kind of exciting.  

3 Types of SEO/GEO Content for Original Data Creation

Here are a few types of content that bring new ideas to the internet, broadening your visibility along the way: 

1. Case Studies

Case studies are great because they’re real-world stories. They’re your stories, and they’re yours to tell. That originality makes them extremely valuable on a stagnating internet. 

As we’ve mentioned before, we love case studies. They meet so many goals simultaneously. All at once, case studies are: 

• Great sales content. Hand them to leads who find themselves in similar positions to the ones described in your case studies. They’re proof of effectiveness. 

• Great SEO content. Only the most qualified leads will search for the sorts of challenges your case studies describe. They’re the most likely to click and take action. With well-structured success stories, you’ll show up for these highly relevant searches. 

• Great GEO content. The AI chatbots love to cite examples. Case studies give them those examples on a platter. 

Don’t have time to write up your success stories? At Relay Online Marketing, we make it easy. Fill out a questionnaire or just meet us on a 20-minute phone call, and we’ll take it from there. Contact us if that sounds helpful.     

2. Do-It-Yourself Surveys 

We’d estimate that 99% of content creators — human or otherwise — love a good statistic. Numbers look authoritative. They make our claims stronger. Good, new data that’s highly specific to your industry is very likely to show up in relevant AI responses and traditional search alike.   

The trouble is, it’s hard to generate good, fresh data. Scientists are expensive. One simple DIY solution is the humble survey: Solicit responses, generate some percentages, and write up your findings.  

Not comfortable surveying your strangers on Reddit? Survey your customers or staff. Any group that’s big enough to generate meaningful statistics can help you learn interesting facts about your industry — and if you’re interested, odds are your audience will be, too.  

3. Editorial Articles

You’re probably an expert in your industry. You’re definitely the expert on your business, and we’re sure you have opinions. Share them. 

Of course, you’ll want to keep it relevant to the business. Your political views aren’t likely to show up in search. But original ideas about how your industry could be more efficient, or more ethical, or more exciting — those might. Call it thought leadership if you must. The point is to express your point of view, to share what you’ve learned from your unique vantage point within the industry. 

If those insights are hard to get down on paper, we can help. Contact us to turn a quick conversation into original SEO/GEO content that makes your authority clear.