Clarity has long been important in B2B marketing, and in the era of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), it has become one of the most consistently recommended ways to strengthen content performance. As AI-driven marketing platforms reshape how enterprise buyers discover information, traditional SEO tactics alone are no longer sufficient to secure visibility.
“The algorithm is always going to do its own thing,” says David McGuire, our Propolis Copywriting Expert. “Nobody knows how the algorithm will respond to queries. Everyone is experimenting, testing and learning.”
David has spent years helping B2B marketers adapt their writing to evolving digital behaviours. His advice for thriving in an AI-search environment is deceptively simple: write clearly, with authority and in digestible, self-contained chunks.
“One of the most widely agreed-upon techniques is clarity and readability,” he explains. “It’s about looking at sentence length, avoiding unnecessarily pompous language, which is something B2B has historically struggled with, and balancing technical authority with accessibility.”
In B2B, technical terminology is often essential. It signals expertise and builds trust. The problem comes when brands confuse technical with needless complexity: long sentences, passive constructions and elaborate vocabulary that reduce readability.
This tends to happen particularly in sectors like professional services, finance and technology. Readability metrics already influenced Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) but only indirectly, while GEO brings them closer to the core of visibility.
In practice, the well-structured, scannable content preferred by AI is also what time-poor B2B audiences value most, making clarity and readability a win for both humans and AI-powered Large Language Models. Learn more about the impact of AI on marketing with our Propolis AI Strategy Pack.
Answering Questions in a Zero-Click World
More than a buzzword, the shift from SEO to GEO represents a fundamental change in B2B content marketing strategy. Traditional SEO focused on relevant keywords and backlinks to drive website traffic, even if answering frequently asked questions was already on the radar. With GEO, it’s all about becoming a cited source for AI search tools.
To be cited consistently, AI models must be able to easily extract your key messages, which makes clarity, structure and accessible language critical to GEO success. As Stuart Hanna, VP, Industries and ABM, Genpact, explains:
“Buyers are no longer starting their journey on company websites. They’re using AI agents that summarise the market for them and help them get the information they need faster.”
That change has led Stuart’s team to focus on GEO strategies: “We’re focusing on becoming a cited source for AI,” he says. “That means creating content that models are trained on, so that we appear more frequently in AI-generated answers.”
In a zero-click environment, visibility is measured not by website traffic but by online presence and influence. “Even if clicks decline, we’re still generating demand that leads to a deal. We’re still proving marketing’s contribution to the business,” Stuart adds. Marketers must embrace nuanced indicators of success such as brand authority and buyer engagement across channels.
How AI Discovery Shapes the Buyer Journey
AI-driven discovery is becoming the first touchpoint in the B2B buyer journey. Buyers ask AI which brands they should be considering, and if yours is not shortlisted, getting noticed becomes significantly harder.
That’s why B2B marketers need to rethink the role of content across the buyer journey. “Large Language Models might get you on the radar,” says David. “But they won’t differentiate you or make your case. You still need follow-up content that hooks people and builds trust.”
Stuart’s team aligns content formats with stages of the buyer journey. “Short-form content helps with initial visibility, but deeper assets like reports, webinars and case studies drive authority and trust,” he explains.
In practice, that means rebalancing your content portfolio. Early-stage AI summaries may influence discovery, but human-led storytelling, events and expert commentary still play a crucial role in conversion.
“We’re doubling down on owned media and multi-channel visibility, ensuring our leadership and client-facing teams use channels like LinkedIn to build direct contact with our audience,” Stuart notes.
The most successful B2B brands will blend automation with authenticity, using AI to scale reach but relying on human creativity to build resonance and trust.
Storytelling Still Cuts Through the Noise
Even in an AI-first environment, storytelling remains the strongest differentiator. With algorithms summarising and rewriting content, marketers must ensure their core narrative still shines through. David believes this starts with clarity and consistency:
“When someone shoves your whitepaper into Gemini, Chat GPT or Claude and asks ‘what’s this about?’ your storytelling needs to come through clearly. That means clear subheadings, consistent tone and nutshell paragraphs that carry your message.”
This is where human input becomes irreplaceable. AI can distribute and summarise content, but it can’t replicate lived experience, point of view or emotional nuance, the elements that make a brand memorable.
Stuart adds that “When AI presents buyers with three options, we want to be the brand they recognise and trust. Building brand authority and strong storytelling helps us stay top of mind.”
Storytelling builds that recognition by creating a consistent narrative across every touchpoint, from live events to webinars, podcasts and social interactions. This is something AI alone can’t generate. “Social media isn’t fully AI-summarised yet,” David points out. “That’s where your attitude and point of view can really cut through the noise.”
AI can amplify reach, but human creativity creates connection. Knowing your brand voice, understanding customer challenges and crafting narratives that resonate remain uniquely human tasks.
Measuring Success Beyond Traffic
As AI search reduces traditional website visits, ROI metrics need to evolve. For decades, web traffic has been the go-to metric for proving effectiveness. Now, B2B marketers must find an alternative way of measuring outcomes.
Stuart identifies the metrics that matter in a GEO world: “Share of voice, citations, intent data, sales-accepted opportunities and pipeline velocity. These show influence and demand creation, even in a zero-click environment.”
Marketing and sales alignment remains critical. GEO reframes metrics within a broader picture of influence, authority and demand creation. AI is changing not just how buyers find information, but who gets found.
In this new landscape, clarity is strategy, authority is currency and storytelling is survival. Brands that position themselves for success merge human creativity with algorithmic intelligence, answering not only AI queries but deeper motivations and business needs that only humans understand.
Five Practical Steps for Winning the GEO Game
B2B marketers can take the following steps to thrive in the AI-driven landscape:
- Write for humans and algorithms alike. Prioritise clarity and readability without sacrificing authority. Use technical terminology where it adds precision but avoid unnecessary complexity.
- Become a cited source. Create authoritative, question-driven content that AI models can reference confidently.
- Balance automation with creativity. Use AI for scale, but rely on human insight for storytelling, differentiation and emotional connection.
- Rethink your metrics. Focus on influence and track share of voice and pipeline impact.
- Double down on brand and owned media. As traffic declines, your brand’s authority becomes your strongest asset.
