From Keywords to Prompts: Optimizing for AI-Powered Search Assistants

Introduction

The world of search is changing. Traditional keyword-based SEO strategies are giving way to AI-powered search assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Bing Copilot. Instead of typing simple keywords, users now ask conversational prompts, expecting direct, personalized answers. This shift marks the rise of prompt-driven SEO — a new frontier where businesses must adapt their strategies to stay visible in the age of generative AI.

In this blog, we’ll explore how SEO is evolving from keywords to prompts, and how you can optimize your content for AI-driven search engines.

1. Why Keywords Alone Are No Longer Enough

For decades, SEO revolved around keyword research — identifying high-volume terms and sprinkling them into content. But with AI assistants, search intent is expressed in natural language:

• Old search: “best SEO tools”

• AI-powered prompt: “What are the best SEO tools for small businesses in 2025, and which ones use AI features?”

This means content must go beyond targeting short-tail keywords. Instead, it must answer specific, context-rich queries.

2. Enter Prompts: The New SEO Currency

Prompts are essentially conversational questions or instructions users give to AI. Search assistants don’t just retrieve links — they generate answers. To appear in these answers, your content must:

• Cover long-form, detailed topics

• Use natural, conversational language

• Anticipate follow-up questions and provide context

Think of prompts as the new “keywords,” but far more nuanced.

3. Strategies for Optimizing Content for AI Search

Here are actionable steps to transition from keyword SEO to prompt-driven optimization:

 a) Target Conversational Queries

Instead of only using short-tail terms, create content around question-style searches:

• “How do peak lapel suits differ from notch lapel suits?”

• “What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and how does it impact SEO?”

 b) Emphasize Context & Depth

AI assistants prefer content that is comprehensive, structured, and semantically rich. Cover a topic in detail, including definitions, comparisons, pros/cons, and FAQs.

c) Optimize for Entities & Semantic SEO

AI systems rely heavily on entities (people, brands, products, concepts). Use schema markup, internal linking, and well-defined terms to strengthen your site’s authority in an AI knowledge graph.

 d) Use Prompt-Like Subheadings

Structure blogs with subheadings that mimic user prompts:

• “What is the difference between keywords and prompts?”

• “How do AI-powered search assistants rank content?”

This increases your chances of being pulled into AI-generated answers.

4. The Role of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

Just as SEO became an industry, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is emerging as the discipline of optimizing content for generative AI search. Businesses that learn how to structure content for AI-generated responses will have a competitive edge.

5. Practical Example

Imagine you run a fashion eCommerce store. Instead of only optimizing for “men’s charcoal grey suit”, you create content that answers:

• “What occasions are best for wearing a charcoal grey three-piece suit?”

• “How should men style a pleated pant suit for weddings?”

AI assistants are more likely to surface your content in answers when it’s tailored to prompt-style queries.

Conclusion

The future of SEO lies beyond keywords. As AI-powered search assistants dominate how users find information, businesses must adapt by creating prompt-optimized content that is conversational, comprehensive, and entity-rich.

Moving from keywords to prompts isn’t just a trend — it’s the next era of search visibility. Those who embrace it now will lead in the AI-driven search economy.

Tags: search engines, SEO, SEO Service

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The Future of SEO for AI-Generated Content

As artificial intelligence reshapes how people search online, a new discipline is emerging: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking in Google’s search results, GEO is about optimizing content for AI-powered engines like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other large language models (LLMs) that deliver direct answers instead of links.

If your business depends on visibility, it’s time to learn how GEO can help your brand appear in AI-generated responses and future-proof your digital strategy.

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization is the practice of tailoring digital content so that it’s easily understood, cited, and surfaced by AI-driven search engines and assistants.

Instead of optimizing for keyword rankings, GEO focuses on:

• Structuring content for machine comprehension

• Ensuring data is credible, up-to-date, and verifiable

• Using semantic richness and structured cues so AI models recognize your content as authoritative

Why GEO Matters for the Future of Search

Traditional search results are changing. With AI assistants providing direct answers, many users may never click through to websites. This means the old blue-link SEO model is giving way to answer-first search.

Companies that adopt GEO strategies now will gain a competitive edge by ensuring their content is cited in AI outputs, keeping their brand in front of users even without traditional clicks.

Key Strategies for Generative Engine Optimization

1. Use Structured Data and Schema Markup

      Implement schema.org markup and structured metadata. This makes it easier for AI engines to parse your content and link back to your site in generated answers.

2. Create Credible, Authoritative Content

      AI models prioritize trustworthy sources. Cite reputable references, include author names, and build domain authority through backlinks.

3. Optimize for Questions, Not Just Keywords

     Since users often ask conversational queries, craft Q&A-style content. Example: “What is GEO in SEO?” or “How does Generative Engine Optimization work?”

4. Leverage Long-Form, Evergreen Content

     AI systems look for comprehensive resources. Well-researched articles with semantic depth are more likely to be used in AI-generated responses.

5. Add Transparency and Accuracy Signals

     Use clear citations, statistics, and updated facts. AI models trained on reliable data will be more inclined to surface your content.

6. Adopt llms.txt and AI-Specific Guidelines

     Just as websites use robots.txt for crawlers, new standards like llms.txt are emerging to signal how AI models should interact with your content. Implementing these early will future-proof your site.

Challenges of GEO

• Measurement Difficulty – Unlike Google rankings, tracking how often AI cites your site is not yet straightforward.

• Rapid Evolution – AI engines update faster than traditional search, so GEO best practices may change frequently.

• Competition – As more businesses adopt GEO, standing out will require unique insights and niche expertise.

Final Thoughts

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the next frontier of search visibility. As AI assistants dominate the way people consume information, businesses must adapt to ensure their content remains discoverable, authoritative, and cited in AI-generated results.

By focusing on structured data, credibility, question-based content, and future AI standards, you can position your brand at the forefront of this new search era.

Tags: search engines, SEO, SEO Service

Google’s Test: Underscores vs. Hyphens in URLs

Introduction

When it comes to SEO best practices, even the smallest details matter — including how you structure your URLs. For years, there’s been debate among SEOs about whether underscores (_) or hyphens (-) are better for search engine optimization. Google itself has tested and clarified this issue multiple times, but confusion still lingers.

In this blog, we’ll break down Google’s stance on underscores vs. hyphens in URLs, why it matters for SEO, and the best practices you should follow in 2025.

1. Why URL Structure Matters for SEO

Your website’s URL is more than just an address — it’s a signal for both users and search engines. A clean, descriptive, and well-structured URL can:

• Improve click-through rates (CTR)

• Help search engines understand page context

• Enhance overall user experience

For example:

• Good URL: www.example.com/seo-tips-for-beginners

• Poor URL: www.example.com/seotipsforbeginners123

That’s where the hyphen vs. underscore debate comes into play.

2. Google’s Official Position

According to Google’s Search Central documentation and past statements by engineers like Matt Cutts and John Mueller:

• Hyphens (-) are treated as word separators.

  • Example: best-seo-tools = “best seo tools”

• Underscores (_) are treated as word joiners.

  • Example: best_seo_tools = “bestseotools” (a single word)

This means hyphens are more SEO-friendly, because they help Google and other search engines parse URLs into meaningful keywords.

3. Google’s Tests: Do Underscores Still Matter?

Over the years, Google has tested how underscores and hyphens affect indexing. While modern search engines have improved at understanding context, Google still recommends using hyphens as the default practice.

Why? Because:

• Hyphens improve readability for users

• Hyphens provide clear keyword separation

• Underscores can still cause ambiguity in certain cases

So while Google can interpret both, hyphens remain the safer, SEO-approved choice.

4. Best Practices for URL SEO in 2025

If you want your URLs to perform well in both search rankings and user experience, follow these guidelines:

Always use hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_)
Keep URLs short, descriptive, and keyword-rich

Avoid unnecessary words, numbers, or parameters
Use lowercase letters only
Don’t change old URLs unless absolutely necessary (redirect properly if you do)

5. Practical Example

• Hyphen URL: www.example.com/mens-suits-charcoal-grey

• Underscore URL: www.example.com/mens_suits_charcoal_grey

Both might rank, but the hyphen version is clearer for both users and Google — improving chances of higher CTR and better SEO performance.

Conclusion

Google’s tests confirm what SEOs have suspected all along: hyphens are better than underscores in URLs. While Google has become smarter at interpreting different formats, hyphens still provide the cleanest, most user-friendly, and SEO-friendly approach.

If you’re building a new site or optimizing an existing one, stick with hyphens for clarity and rankings. It’s a small detail that can make a big difference in your overall SEO success.

Tags: latest seo trends, search engines, SEO

How Long Will GMail Remain Without Safari Support?

As of now, GMail lacks native support for the Safari browser, leaving users of Apple’s web browser without a seamless experience. While GMail is optimized for various browsers, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Safari users have faced limitations in accessing certain features.

The absence of dedicated support for Safari prompts questions about the future and whether Google will extend compatibility to cater to Safari users. As technology and web standards evolve, there is a possibility that Google will address this gap and enhance GMail compatibility with Safari, aligning with the diverse preferences of internet users.

Google, known for its commitment to accessibility and user experience, may prioritize expanding browser support to include Safari in its ongoing efforts to make GMail accessible across different platforms. The dynamic nature of the tech industry suggests that solutions and updates are continually in progress, and users may witness improvements in Safari compatibility for GMail in the foreseeable future.

As the web landscape evolves and user preferences diversify, enhancing cross-browser compatibility remains a strategic consideration for major platforms like GMail. Users can anticipate updates or adjustments to ensure a more inclusive experience across a range of browsers, potentially addressing the current lack of dedicated Safari support in GMail.

Nielsen’s Latest Top Ten in Usability

Nielsen’s Latest Top Ten in Usability provides valuable insights into the current trends and benchmarks in user experience. This list, curated by usability expert Jakob Nielsen, reflects the evolving landscape of usability in digital interfaces. The rankings likely encompass factors such as website navigation, accessibility, responsiveness, and overall user satisfaction.

Usability is a critical aspect of web design, influencing user engagement and success in achieving specific goals. Nielsen’s expertise in this field ensures that the Top Ten highlights platforms that excel in creating intuitive, user-friendly experiences. It’s essential for businesses and developers to stay informed about these rankings, as they offer a snapshot of best practices and emerging standards in usability.

Staying abreast of Nielsen’s Latest Top Ten in Usability is not only beneficial for professionals in the web development and design industries but also for users who increasingly rely on digital platforms for various tasks. As technology evolves, the usability of digital interfaces plays a pivotal role in enhancing user experiences and shaping the future of user-centric design.

When it comes to user experience (UX), few names carry as much weight as Jakob Nielsen, co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g). Known as the “guru of web usability,” Nielsen’s research has shaped how businesses, designers, and developers approach digital product design for decades.

Recently, Nielsen and NN/g released their latest “Top Ten in Usability” list, highlighting the most important principles shaping the future of user experience. Whether you’re a UX designer, product manager, or digital marketer, understanding these insights is essential to building products people love to use.

1. Why Nielsen’s Usability Guidelines Matter

Nielsen’s usability principles are not just academic theories — they are data-driven best practices backed by decades of research and testing. Following these guidelines can help you:

• Reduce user frustration

• Improve task completion rates

• Increase customer satisfaction and retention

• Drive better business results through user-centered design

2. Nielsen’s Latest Top Ten Usability Insights

Here’s a breakdown of the latest usability priorities highlighted by Nielsen and his team:

 1. Mobile-First Experience

With mobile usage dominating, usability now hinges on responsive, mobile-first design. Small-screen optimization is no longer optional.

 2. Clarity Over Cleverness

Users prefer clear, straightforward interfaces. Overly creative labels, jargon, or hidden features reduce usability.

 3. Accessibility as a Core Requirement

Making websites and apps usable for all people, including those with disabilities, is both a moral obligation and a usability win.

 4. Faster Load Times = Better UX

Performance remains a critical factor. A faster site leads to lower bounce rates and higher engagement.

 5. AI-Integrated Assistance

As AI assistants become mainstream, usability now includes integrating AI features seamlessly without overwhelming users.

 6. Personalized Experiences

Adaptive content and interfaces that match user preferences improve engagement, but must remain transparent and easy to control.

 7. Simplified Navigation

Users expect clear navigation menus, breadcrumbs, and search functions that minimize friction.

 8. Error Prevention & Recovery

From form validation to undo features, designing for mistakes is a core usability principle that still holds strong.

 9. Trust & Transparency

Building credibility through clear policies, honest messaging, and secure design is a growing usability priority.

 10. Continuous Testing & Iteration

Usability is not one-and-done. Nielsen emphasizes ongoing user testing, feedback loops, and iterative design.

3. How Businesses Can Apply These Insights

Organizations can put Nielsen’s usability guidelines into practice by:

• Conducting regular usability testing

• Prioritizing mobile optimization and accessibility in every project

• Using analytics and feedback to track user frustrations

• Training teams to adopt user-centered design thinking

Nielsen’s latest Top Ten in Usability reaffirms that while technology evolves, the foundation of good design remains the same: make things simple, clear, and user-friendly.

By applying these usability principles, businesses can deliver digital experiences that not only meet user expectations but also drive long-term loyalty and success.

Google Fast Pickup Or Delivery Search Box

Google is currently experimenting with a new feature that highlights products within its index available for swift pickup or expedited delivery. Leveraging its knowledge of estimated delivery or pickup times, Google is consolidating these swiftly accessible items into a dedicated search box for user convenience.

This feature showcases products in their index with estimated delivery or pickup times, enhancing user convenience for quick and efficient online shopping experiences.

Tags: DataDrivenSEO, SEO

Google Ads Photo Guidelines Now Faster Reviews & More Creative

Google Local Service Ads play a vital role in connecting businesses with local customers. Recent updates to the platform’s photo guidelines have brought about improvements that impact reviews, creativity, and overall efficiency. This essay aims to explore these updates and their implications for businesses, customers, and the local service ecosystem.

Google Local Service Ads: A Brief Overview

1. Connecting Local Businesses: Google Local Service Ads enable local businesses to reach potential customers through targeted ads displayed in search results.

2. Service Verification: Google verifies businesses to ensure they provide high-quality services and meet customer expectations.

Recent Photo Guideline Updates

1. Enhancing Visual Content: The updates aim to improve the visual representation of businesses’ services, fostering better communication with potential customers.

2. Faster Reviews: These updates also expedite the review process by encouraging businesses to upload relevant photos that showcase their services.

Implications for Businesses

1. Improved Credibility: High-quality photos increase the credibility of businesses, allowing customers to visualize the offered services and facilities.

2. Customer Engagement: Engaging photos provide potential customers with a glimpse of what to expect, enticing them to choose a particular business.

3. Enhanced Conversion: Eye-catching visuals can lead to higher click-through rates, driving more conversions for businesses.

Benefits for Customers

1. Informed Decisions: High-quality images help customers make informed decisions about the services they are seeking.

2. Visual Transparency: Visual representations of businesses’ offerings promote transparency and help customers avoid surprises.

3. Streamlined Selection: With a clearer understanding of services, customers can quickly narrow down their choices.

Promoting Creativity and Uniqueness

1. Showcasing Uniqueness: Businesses can use images to highlight their unique selling points and stand out from the competition.

2. Enhancing Brand Identity: Creative visuals contribute to building a strong brand identity, which resonates with customers.

Accelerated Review Process

1. Quick Visual Feedback: With relevant photos, customers can quickly assess a business’s suitability, expediting the decision-making process.

2. Review Authenticity: Authentic photos enhance the reliability of reviews, as customers can visualize the experiences of others.

Best Practices for Businesses

1. High-Quality Images: Clear and high-resolution photos offer the best representation of services.

2. Variety: Businesses should include a variety of images that capture different aspects of their services.

3. Relevance: Photos should accurately depict the business’s offerings and facilities.

The recent updates to Google Local Service Ads’ photo guidelines mark a significant step forward in enhancing the user experience for both businesses and customers. These updates not only improve the efficiency of the review process but also allow businesses to showcase their offerings more creatively and authentically. Through the power of visuals, local businesses can engage customers, build trust, and drive conversions. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, these updates stand as a testament to Google’s commitment to fostering meaningful connections between local businesses and their customers.

Tags: Creative Ads, Photo Guidelines Update, SEO, SEO Service, Visual Content Guidelines

Top SEO predictions 2020

With more and more new web pages are popping up every day, the online world is much more competitive than ever before. So, if you are a business owner looking for ways to get ahead in online competition, you need to tackle search engine optimization in a new innovative way. Read on the article to know more about the top SEO predictions for 2020.

Authority matters – One of the huge ranking factors is domain authority and it continues to be same in 2020 too. The only thing changed is, how you earn it. In order to build the website’s authority, links are much more used and gathering backlinks is the name of the game. If you are getting more backlinks, your domain authority will be high. Also, to dominate search engine results page rankings, create incredibly great content for your website and build up your brand effectively. Once you focus more on creative and reliable content within your business, you can excellently demonstrate your authoritativeness and reliability. Try to clean up your page by removing poor content, broken links and some other technical faults if present. This is what big sites often do and this is how they earn higher rankings in major SERPs. Always be transparent about who you are and what you are doing exactly. Then, build your credibility by getting quality backlinks from numerous higher ranking pages eventually build your domain authority.

Voice search is going to be a big hit – This concept is nothing new, but the advancements in Google voice search certainly would add more excitement to your search and give you a happy browsing experience. The changing search trends have shown that Google voice search is a real thing finally. It is said that every single adult performs a voice search once or twice in a day. Actually the adoption rate of this feature is quite slower than predicted, but it has impacted our search options and it is predicted to be a huge hit in 2020.

Content is always king – Experts have been saying that content is the ultimate king for a long time now. If you place quality content on your website, you can attract more visitors and drive in more traffic to your website eventually. If you give your clients what exactly they want through quality content, they will offer you with higher sales and better profits. Always create value adding content and place it on your webpage to entice more visitors. Content was the king, is the king and will always be the king.

Fake reviews will be flagged as inappropriate – Prospective customers tend to read the review fist before going for a purchase. Many business owners are writing fake reviews to build their credibility. Since these reviews hold the power to elevate and destroy the business, major search engines are striving hard to prevent businesses from unreliable people and still looking for better ways to get rid of fake reviews.

Responsive pages will be rewarded more – With the availability of many free and cheap page builders, lots and lots of websites are being made every day. This is actually a challenging thing to Google, since it has to effectively process, assess and rank these sites. But these things apart, only unique pages will be indexed by Google. If the site has responsive pages with lean code and organized content, it will be rewarded high by Google. Having a strong online presence will earn you more visitors and keep your customers coming back to your over and time again. It also helps build credibility and constructive brand recognition.

Irrespective of the many changes made in search engine algorithms, factors like quality content, optimized content, device responsiveness and structured page remain indispensable elements in online success. Most importantly, try to make your website in compliance with Google guidelines and white hat strategies to earn lucrative long term results. As an SEO expert, you need to think outside the box and apply more effective ways to your SEO strategy 2020 and be at high point all the time. Since SEO is an intricate field, you need to stay abreast of the most recent developments in order to make certain that you are on the right track to achieve finest results. In the year 2020, Google is focusing more on websites that are filled up with quality and reliable content. So, change your SEO strategy in 2020, create rich feature snippets and you will be all set for success. In order to make your business thrive online, it is extremely important to partner with an SEO agency that helps you in your internet marketing campaign. A right SEO company will contribute more to your bottom line and help improve your online presence.

Crucial Social Media Marketing Trends Updates for 2016!

To promote your brand on the social media, it is important to stay tuned to the market trends. So, read on which social media trends are going to rule in 2016!

Social media has all set to gain the potential clients for the businesses in the upcoming 2016. With the growing technology reach and increasing audiences, SMM strategies will remain in the limelight for showcasing products and services in a unique way. A research conducted by Mashable in the year 2014, shows that more than 81% of businesses ranging from startup to medium enterprises are making the full use of social media to promote their brand online. About 94% of these companies have invested in the aggressive marketing campaign. As per the forecast, the social media users are expected to reach a huge figure of 2.16 billion by 2016, in comparison to the existing 1.93 billion users in 2015, which is significantly a big leap.

However, there would be some social media marketing approaches that will no longer be effective in the upcoming year. The new social media trends have already replaced the way businesses used to approach their potential markets online. So, before you get befuddle which SMM strategy is going to work, here are some vital social media marketing trends to keep you in the loop.

1. Social Media Will Be Your New Google In 2016!

Though Google will still stay in trends for searching things online but it will be the social media that is going to influence the buyers’ decisions. So, the businesses will need to market themselves beyond the SEO and organic searches. The brands will need to keep their eagle eyes on social media users who look for product reviews on the Facebook, Instagram and others!

Are you aware that more than 88% of consumers are heavily influenced by the reviews? The comments they read online, directly impact their purchasing behaviours! This is what is going to be in trend in the upcoming 2016. Ranking on Google will help but more helpful will be ranking your social media business page having reviews. Stay alert!

2. Buy Buttons Are Set To Rule the Social Media In 2016!

With the addition of Buy Buttons on the Facebook and Pinterest, there has come a revolution in the social media marketing trends. Due to the ease of new “buy” features, it would be easier for the users to purchase a product without leaving the platform. This means a lot to the marketers as well. They can sponsor the AD and whenever a consumer finds it online, he can make a purchase with just a click. In other words, selling has been made easier with the new SMM strategies in 2016. Instagram is also following this trend and more industry social media leaders are expected to focus on this growing trend in the upcoming year.

3. Facebook’s Digital Assistant is ready To Shake the Market in 2016!

In the last August, Facebook has introduced a new social media functionality. It is the Facebook Messenger’s digital assistant which is much alike to the Siri in iPhones. It will help you in performing your requests like ordering your favourite pizza! Although it lacks a little bit in competition with Siri, still it will be a good option for the businesses who want to be listed with the Facebook products as a suggested answer to queries. This new kind of social media trend is expected to catch many eyeballs this 2016.

Conclusion

Social media is expected to grow at a bigger rate in 2016.

Accordingly, social media marketing trends will support the change with some out-of-box but customer-friendly approaches! As the social media giants like Facebook, Instagram have all set up for a big fight, you must stay well prepared with the social media trends mentioned here and 2016 will be victorious for your brand!

Why worry for your brands online visibility when a digital marketing leader, Search Engine Genie, is here for your help! With extensive experience of Internet marketing, only we know how to rise from the market’s fluctuations! Talk to our expert today for staying on the top of the digital world!

SEO beginner PPT from Educational institutions:

Here are some interesting SEO beginners PPTs from top universities. Today many universities are teaching SEO as part of their curriculum. If you are a beginner in SEO or a SEO service provider this set of SEO PPTs will be very useful for you. All SEO power point presentations are provided for education purpose only.

• search engine-optimization
• SEO-beginner
• seo_class – University of WestGeorgia
• seo-ppt – University of South Australia
• Search-engine-optimization-tips-within-commonspot
• Google-SEO-Search-Engine-Optimization-Introduction