Generative engine optimisation: advanced tactics for event visibility in a conversational era

In late June, we outlined why event organisers must evolve beyond traditional SEO to succeed in today’s AI-powered discovery landscape. This follow-up goes deeper, offering advanced strategies to help ensure your events not only appear but thrive in generative AI responses.

Embrace “chunked” machine-readable content

Why it matters: AI-generated overviews extract bite-sized facts, so your content needs to be easily digestible.

• Use JSON-LD event schema enriched with fields like startDate, image, location, organiser and performer
• Provide multiple content formats: plain-text copy, embedded structured data, rich FAQs, so the AI can understand your event from different perspectives

Tip: Add FAQs such as “What time does registration open?”, “Are student tickets available?” and “What accessibility options are there?” with concise, factual answers.

Target conversational queries, not just keywords

GEO is about understanding context and intent, not just phrasing.

Examples:

• For a London marketing summit: “What marketing events are happening in London this September?”
• For a regional roadshow: “Find B2B networking events near Manchester in October”

Approach:

• Incorporate natural phrases directly into H2 or H3 headings
• Craft conversational intros that provide direct answers—ideal for generative AI snippets

Leverage authority through expert and community signals

AI models like ChatGPT or Gemini assess content based on E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.

• Showcase speaker bios with credentials, accomplishments and links to published work
• Include attendee testimonials and data-driven outcomes (“95% of last year’s attendees rated the networking sessions excellent”)
• Gain citations from reputable third-party sites to increase trust in your event

Monitor visibility across generative platforms

Traditional SEO uses ranking tools. GEO requires prompt-based testing.

• Compile a list of conversational and factual prompts relevant to your event
• Test responses in ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, Google SGE, Perplexity and others. Record whether your event appears and how it is described
• Adjust content that underperforms by refining how it is framed, adding clarity or boosting its authority

Amplify reach with strategic content distribution

Generative engines draw from multiple sources, so it pays to spread your content.

• Submit press releases to industry media and local news outlets to increase both SEO and GEO reach
• Encourage speakers, partners and sponsors to publish blog posts or social media mentions with links to your event
• Combine owned and earned media to strengthen your digital footprint across AI tools

Keep everything fresh and updated

Unlike traditional search, generative engines often use frequently refreshed data.

• Update ticket status (“Early-bird sold out”) both on the page and within structured data
• Refresh speaker line-ups or venues across all formats, HTML, schema, FAQs, so AI tools have accurate snapshots
• Document post-event results (attendance, media coverage) to help the next edition rank more effectively

GEO checklist for event organisers

Final thoughts

GEO is not static. It is an evolving discipline in an AI-first world. Event organisers must regularly review their content, authority signals and visibility. By structuring content clearly, prioritising useful facts and distributing it widely, you can ensure your event is well represented in the answers people actually see.