The Essence of Driving Traffic
2026-01-03 00:08:03
In the SEO era, content creators acted as information sources for Google. When users submitted queries, Google presented search results to solve their problems while recommending products or e-commerce websites. At that time, being indexed by Google generally meant that a page would receive clicks and traffic.
In the GEO era, content creators have become sources of information for large AI models. These AI systems answer user questions directly and recommend products. AI crawlers update data through two main channels: their own proprietary bots, which crawl search engine content, and third-party data providers. In this environment, being cited by AI does not necessarily translate into traffic. In fact, the more easily content is cited, the more likely it may be bypassed.
Regardless of whether it is the SEO or GEO era, one fundamental question remains: with so much content and so many products to recommend, whose content appears first, and whose appears later? The criteria for determining this ranking generally come down to two factors:
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Authority and quality of content: Pages that rank highly in search engines are more likely to be cited by AI in answers.
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Monetary influence: Those who pay more are more likely to have their content recommended.
Understanding these dynamics is critical for anyone trying to drive traffic in a world increasingly mediated by both search engines and AI. The shift from being simply indexed to being strategically cited requires a focus not just on content quality, but also on positioning and recognition within AI and search ecosystems.