I keep hearing “generative engines” and I’m not sure what this means exactly.
My confusion:
What I think I know:
Can someone explain this clearly? The jargon is overwhelming.
Let me break this down simply:
What is a generative engine?
A search system that CREATES answers instead of FINDING webpages.
The key difference:
| Traditional Search (Google) | Generative Engine (ChatGPT) |
|---|---|
| You search | You ask |
| Returns list of links | Returns an answer |
| You click and read | You read the answer directly |
| Ranks existing pages | Generates new text |
| Shows sources as links | May cite sources within answer |
Simple analogy:
Traditional search = Library card catalog “Here are books that might answer your question. Go find them.”
Generative engine = Librarian who reads everything “Based on what I’ve read, here’s the answer to your question.”
Why “generative”?
Because these systems GENERATE new text. They don’t just retrieve - they create.
The main generative engines:
Now let me explain why marketers care:
The fundamental shift:
| Traditional SEO | Generative Engine Optimization |
|---|---|
| Rank on page 1 | Be cited in the answer |
| Get clicks | Get mentioned |
| Compete for ranking | Compete for citation |
| 10 spots on page 1 | 3-5 sources cited |
Why this matters:
The marketing opportunity:
If you’re cited by AI when users ask questions, you’re influencing millions of decisions without them ever visiting your website.
That’s why we care.
Let me break down the major generative engines:
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Google AI Overview
Claude
Microsoft Copilot
For marketing: You should care about all of them, but prioritize:
Here’s what makes each platform different for your content:
Google AI Overview:
ChatGPT:
Perplexity:
Claude:
What this means for optimization:
| Platform | What Matters Most |
|---|---|
| Google AI Overview | Google rankings, structured content |
| ChatGPT | Authority, brand recognition, Bing visibility |
| Perplexity | Fresh content, clear answers, citations |
| Claude | Quality, depth, training data inclusion |
The universal factors: Quality, clarity, and authority help across all platforms.
Let me show the difference with a real example:
Query: “Best project management tools for small teams”
Traditional Google:
ChatGPT: “For small teams, I recommend considering [Tool A], [Tool B], and [Tool C]. [Tool A] is great for simplicity with features like… [Tool B] excels at… Based on your team size, [Tool C] might be best because…”
Perplexity: Similar synthesized answer but with:
Google AI Overview: At the top of Google results: “Based on various sources, the best project management tools for small teams include…” Then regular results below.
The user experience difference: Traditional: Browse 5-10 sites to compare Generative: Get a synthesis immediately, maybe click one source
Marketing implication: In generative engines, you’re either cited or invisible. There’s no “page 2.”
This makes total sense now. My understanding:
Generative engines = AI systems that CREATE answers
The main ones:
How they differ from traditional search:
Why this matters for marketing:
My next steps:
No longer confused. Thanks everyone!
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