Key Takeaways
- Difference: In GEO, the keyword is not the individual word but the complete question, along with its context; there are no official search volumes for assistants.
- Six sources: customer questions, rephrasings and suggestions from assistants, “other questions asked,” and Search Console, online communities (Reddit, forums), GEO tracking tools, and existing SEO keywords converted into questions.
- Deliverable: 30 to 50 key questions, organized by type and stage, along with the page where they are answered and a list of who is quoted today.
- Connection to SEO: Each question is linked to a query and a page in the existing SEO plan.
The SEO keyword research is based on volumes measured per query. For the GEO, this framework is no longer sufficient: users ask assistants complete questions, and no one publishes the volume of those questions. You must therefore compile a list of the questions your customers ask, categorize them, and link them to the relevant pages. This article outlines the method, the sources, and the expected deliverable. The types of intents are detailed in Identify user intentions in AI systems.
What's Different Compared to SEO
| SEO Keyword Research | Search for GEO Questions | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | Keywords (2 to 5 words) | The complete question (15 to 60 words) and its variations |
| Volume | Measured (Keyword Planner, tools) | Unpublished; estimated using proxies (Google searches, online communities, customers) |
| Difficulty | Page Authority | Who is cited today, and by how many sources? |
| Target | One page per goal | One page per set of questions, with one direct answer per question |
| Measurement | Position and Clicks | Quote, position in the response, share of voice |
The SEO plan remains the starting point: each keyword hides questions; the GEO process involves bringing those questions to light.
The Six Sources of Questions
- Your customers and prospects: Questions asked over the phone, on forms, to sales representatives, and to support staff. Ask three recent customers what they typed before contacting you. These are the most valuable questions—and the least expensive to obtain.
- The assistants themselves: Ask your initial questions to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini; note how they rephrase them, the follow-up questions they suggest (“You might also want to know…”), and the subtopics they add on their own. Perplexity displays “related questions” below each answer—it’s a goldmine.
- Google: "other questions asked," search suggestions, related searches; and in Search Console, queries that begin with "how," “why,” “which,” and “how many” (regex filter), which show the questions already addressed on your pages.
- Communities: Reddit, industry forums, LinkedIn and Facebook groups, Quora: questions are phrased there as they would be in a conversation, and the assistants monitor these platforms; see Sources of Generative AI.
- GEO monitoring tools: Several of them provide lists of questions by sector, along with a record of the brands mentioned; they can also be used for subsequent measurement.
- Your SEO keywords transformed: For each query in the plan, write down the three questions it implies (“marketing dashboard” becomes “how much does a marketing dashboard cost?”, “what tool should I use to create a marketing dashboard?”, “what should I include in a marketing dashboard?”).
Organize and Prioritize
| Criterion | How to Evaluate It | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Intention | Understand, compare, choose, do, check, delegate | "Choose" and "compare" first: that's where brands are recommended |
| Stage of the route | Discovery, consideration, decision, use | Priority Decisions and Considerations for an SME |
| Estimated frequency | Visibility across multiple sources (customers + Google + communities) | A question found in three sources is worth more than a single question |
| Current Attendance | Are you being mentioned today? Who is? | The questions where you are absent but still eligible are the winnings |
| Feasibility | Do you have a related page, facts, or expertise? | Start with the existing pages that need to be revised |
Group together questions that call for the same answer: one group = one page, with the main question as the subtitle and the variations addressed in the section or FAQ. A list of 30 to 50 key questions organized into 10 to 20 pages is a good starting point for an SME.
The Deliverable
- A painting : question (original wording), type, stage, sources where it appears, target page (existing or to be created), associated SEO query, cited today (by search engine), competitors cited, priority.
- A stable list For the monthly survey: questions are added, not removed; see GEO's KPIs.
- Briefs For priority pages, which include the question, the expected answer, and the facts to be included; see The GEO Content Brief.
Link to the SEO plan
Each GEO question is linked to an SEO query and a page: the question “What tool should I use to track my rankings if I’m a small local business?” corresponds to the query “rank tracking tool” and the page that targets it. Optimizing the page for the question (direct answer, variations, facts) benefits the search query, and vice versa. This unified approach prevents duplicating content and ensures consistent measurement. The integration process is described in Incorporate GEO into your SEO campaigns.
Errors
- Reuse the keyword list without turning it into questions.
- Come up with questions during meetings rather than collecting them beforehand.
- Neglect the "choose" questions—which are the most sales-oriented—in favor of the definitions.
- Changing the list every month: it becomes impossible to keep track.
- One page per question: assistants prefer pages that cover the entire situation.
How GreenRed Can Help You
Instead of juggling multiple tools, GreenRed's GEO tracking brings these metrics together in a single dashboard, compares them over time, and shows you which actions to prioritize. You can try it for free—no credit card required—from the page Rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a search volume tool for ChatGPT?
No, no assistant publishes its search volume data. We estimate the frequency of a question using proxies: its appearance in Google’s “Other Questions Asked,” in online communities, among customers, and in the assistants’ own suggestions. GEO tracking tools provide lists of questions by industry, without official search volumes.
How many target questions should you track?
Between 30 and 50 questions for an SME, condensed into 10 to 20 pages, with a majority of “compare” and “choose” questions related to the offering. The list must remain consistent to allow for monthly measurement; questions are added as new insights emerge, but none are removed.
Should there be a separate GEO keyword strategy from the SEO strategy?
No, there is only one plan: each GEO question is linked to an SEO query and a page. The SEO plan provides the topics and pages; the GEO work clarifies the complete questions behind each query and adds citation metrics. Two separate plans result in duplicates and inconsistent metrics.
How can you tell if a question is worth working on?
Three criteria: it’s closely related to the decision (comparing, choosing), it appears in multiple sources (customers, Google, online communities), and you’re in a position to address it with facts. If a competitor is mentioned but you aren’t—even though you have a relevant page—that’s the issue you should address first.