Aligning Content with How People Search in the AI Era

Generative AI has officially rewritten the customer journey. Instead of the old-school, linear funnel, people now jump straight from question → synthesized answer → decision, often without ever clicking a site. That means your Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) efforts need to meet them where they are.

What is GEO in the customer journey?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is about making your content easy for AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews to cite. Instead of ranking in a list of links, the goal is to become the answer that the AI provides at each stage of the funnel.

Here’s how GEO plays across the funnel:

Top of Funnel (TOFU): Awareness & Discovery

  • What happens: Users ask broad, exploratory questions (“What relieves plantar fasciitis?”).
  • GEO goal: Get cited as a trusted explainer. Think FAQs, clear definitions, and “explain it like I’m 5” clarity.
  • Persona angle: For awareness, your audience isn’t looking for you yet, they’re looking for context. Speak to pain points and curiosity, not products.

Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Consideration & Evaluation

  • What happens: AI tools act like research assistants (“Best CRMs for mid-sized teams”).
  • GEO goal: Make sure your differentiators show up in the AI’s comparison. Case studies, unique data, and clear positioning win here.
  • Persona angle: Buyers are weighing options. Tailor your content to what matters most to each persona, cost, scalability, ease of implementation, etc.

Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Decision & Action

  • What happens: Even purchase-stage queries can be mediated by AI (“Is product X worth it vs. product Y?”).
  • GEO goal: Feed the model with verifiable, trust-building proof points, reviews, testimonials, product specs, and transparent pricing.
  • Persona angle: At this stage, people want confidence they’re making the right choice. Content should reduce risk and reinforce trust.

Why Personas Are Important in GEO

It’s tempting to “optimize for the machine,” but remember: the machine is trained to mirror people. Building detailed customer personas, motivations, objections, preferred formats, ensures your content speaks to real humans in a way AI can easily extract and reuse.

Planning A Clear Path For Digital Marketing Success

Generative AI doesn’t erase the funnel; it compresses it. The best GEO strategies map to TOFU/MOFU/BOFU, backed by strong persona insights. If you want your brand to be the answer instead of just a link, you need content that’s clear, contextual, and trustworthy at every stage of the journey.

If you’re ready to put together a digital marketing strategy to get your content in front of the right audience for better conversions then contact our team today to learn more.