Let’s talk about GAIO

Let’s talk about GAIO

Aferdita Kastrati, Head of Data & AI in Communications at Merck, gave a keynote presentation to the “Data and Insights Experts” interest group of the AG CommTech, in which she presented the results of her case study on GAIO.

Generative AI Optimization (GAIO) is a new and exciting field focused on optimizing content for generative AI systems such as chatbots and AI search engines. While traditional search engine optimization (SEO) remains relevant, GAIO requires an adjustment of strategies to maximize visibility in AI-generated responses.

Results from Merck’s field studies

Merck conducted a two-month field study in which 100 specific prompts were sent daily to various AI systems, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. The results showed:

• Differences in visibility depending on the platform. The need to optimize content individually for different AI systems.
• The company website remains an important source for LLMs. However, user traffic is expected to decline over time as users increasingly receive answers directly through AI chatbots. As a result, traditional metrics such as page views are becoming less important, since AI systems use content directly without users visiting the website.
• Content must be clearly structured and machine-readable, for example, through FAQs, concise statements, and semantic HTML.
• AI systems prefer content with clear authorship, verifiable sources, and a consistent message.

GAIO is a promising but still nascent field without established benchmarks. However, it offers tremendous opportunities to increase companies’ visibility and influence in the world of generative AI. Adapting content and strategies is crucial to succeeding in this new environment. Effective communication must be equally suitable for target audiences, search engines, and AI.