Digital marketing is undergoing a landmark transformation, with a significant shift towards Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
As a striking 50% of marketers now integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their content creation workflows, a critical challenge emerges:
How can organizations leverage AI’s unparalleled efficiency without sacrificing the crucial elements of authenticity and the indispensable human touch?
The risk of producing generic, uninspired content is palpable, threatening to erode trust and dilute brand voice in an increasingly AI-saturated digital space.
This article distills invaluable insights from leading business executives and digital growth professionals, revealing their go-to strategies for harmonizing AI capabilities with human creativity, ensuring content remains compelling, relatable, and genuinely impactful amidst the AI revolution.
Read on!
Ivy Boyter
My favorite tactic to improve authenticity when using AI content is to have a general content strategy in place (SEO research content outlines based on what I see in search).
Before the draft phase, I feed the LLM I’m using my keywords and either important topics to touch on or the general outline I’d like to see. Then, I have my LLM act as an interviewer, asking one question at a time, to get a better understanding of my opinions or experiences on the topic.
Once the interview phase is over, I then move into the content drafting phase.
Afterward, I spend time reviewing for accuracy, expanding on important points from my own perspective and experiences, preparing external and internal links, and providing unique images for the content to be unique to my brand.
J . Ivy Boyter
Founder & CEO, Full Throttle SEO
Seth King
The key to maintaining authenticity is keeping a human in the loop throughout the content process.
AI is incredibly valuable for surfacing unique ideas and angles—for example, analyzing Reddit threads or niche communities to uncover topics traditional tools miss. But AI’s strength is research, not judgment. Much like a Tesla still requires a driver’s attention, AI requires a writer’s editorial eye to keep it on track.
We use AI to accelerate discovery and draft generation, but final content always reflects human intent, tone, and expertise.
Seth King
Co-founder, Trendhopper
Sergio Oliveira
As we make the transition from SEO to GEO, it will be important to have a balance between our authenticity and the human component of the copy or content that is generated by AI.
I believe that 50 percent of all marketers are using AI today; our challenge is having the AI generate as much content as possible and still ensuring that we keep the personal and relatable tone of the copy that resonates with your audience.
My method for keeping the authenticity and AI-generated content in symmetry is by using a hybrid, both AI to get the heavy lifting done, and then always combining it with human thinking and creativity.
AI does a good job of analyzing data, creating keyword rich copy, and doing repetitive tasks, but only a human can provide emotion, meaning, and context that readers relate to or respond to.
For example, I would use AI to get the content created, then I would refine that content to reflect the brand voice, audience knowledge and considerations, and trending current events to curate a more personalized and relevant content experience for the audience.
I also prioritize the development of collaborative feedback loops. AI tools should ideally be trained using robust data sets that recognize the preferences and characteristics of your audience or community. That forms the basis of your data, but human feedback will help you adjust and refine output according to user data, experiences, and choices.
Examining data and interaction statistics regularly, such as engagement rates, actions taken by an audience, and other metrics related to sentiment, in order to tweak content will help you develop AI enabled, authentic messaging when delivering your brand or enveloping the audience.
Last but not least, transparency is essential in an era of GEO. Because audiences are increasingly aware of content generated by AI, it is important to be transparent about how this plays a role in content creation. So we are upfront with our audiences about how content is written with AI assistance to establish trust.
Remember GEO is not just optimizing for algorithms, but also connecting with audiences emotionally, staying true to the content, serving those audiences useful information that is relevant to them while also maintaining the human voice behind a brand.
Director of Development, DesignRush
Michael Lazar
As we embrace GEO, our strategy is to use AI as a powerful assistant, not a replacement for human creativity. We leverage it for data analysis, idea generation, and initial drafting to boost efficiency.
However, every piece of AI-generated content undergoes rigorous human review, ensuring it resonates with our unique brand voice, provides authentic insights, and genuinely connects with our audience. We prioritize adding that human touch—personal anecdotes, expert opinions, and nuanced perspectives—to keep our content relatable and trustworthy in this evolving landscape.
Bryan Philips
My go-to strategy is anchoring every AI-assisted piece to a unique POV or experience only our team can provide.
We start with AI to structure and draft, but then layer in original insights, client stories, or internal data. This not only keeps the content authentic—it makes it unreplicable.
In the GEO era, content that reflects lived expertise will always outperform generic AI output.
Head of Marketing, In Motion Marketing
Michael Gargiulo
As we move into Generative Engine Optimization, maintaining authenticity and the human element in content created with AI is paramount.
Our go-to strategy involves a “human-in-the-loop” approach. This means AI handles initial research, outlines, and first drafts, but human experts then refine, fact-check, and inject unique insights, personal anecdotes, and brand voice.
We prioritize content that demonstrates real-world experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), which AI can’t genuinely replicate. It’s about using AI to enhance efficiency, not replace the irreplaceable human touch that fosters genuine connection and builds trust with the audience.
Founder & CEO, VPN
Chris Raulf
That 50% stat is terrifying because most of those marketers are using AI completely wrong — and it’s going to bite them hard as we shift to GEO.
The Authenticity Crisis:
Here’s what I’m seeing: agencies are churning out AI content at scale, thinking they’re being efficient. But Google’s algorithms can spot generic AI fluff instantly. More importantly, in the GEO world where your content needs to get cited in AI Overviews, authenticity isn’t just nice-to-have — it’s survival.
My “Experience-First” Strategy:
Every piece of content must demonstrate the second “E” in E-E-A-T — real Experience. I weave in specific case studies, actual client results (without naming names), and personal anecdotes from my 30 years in SEO. For example, when I write about algorithm updates, I reference specific ranking changes I’ve tracked, not generic advice.
The BSM Authenticity Framework:
AI handles research, humans handle insights — Our BSM Copilot does competitive analysis and creates outlines, but the strategic thinking and real-world examples come from human experts.
Author attribution is everything — Every piece gets proper bylines with detailed bios linking to speaking engagements, certifications, and industry recognition.
Cite real sources, not AI summaries — We link to original research, industry reports, and authoritative sources, positioning our content within networks of credibility.
For GEO Success:
The key difference with GEO is that generic content simply won’t get cited. AI Overviews pull from sources that demonstrate genuine expertise and unique perspectives. When Google’s AI cites our Local SEO Guide, it’s because we included proprietary methodology and real performance data — stuff only we could provide.
Bottom Line:
AI can accelerate your research and content creation, but it can’t fake expertise, replace real experiences, or create the unique insights that get you cited in AI Overviews.
The future belongs to experts who use AI as a research assistant, not a replacement for human knowledge. Everyone else becomes noise.
International AI & SEO Expert, Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, Boulder SEO Marketing
Andrew Peluso
My go-to strategy to maintain authenticity in the age of GEO is anchoring every AI-assisted article with a real human opinion or insight, usually from someone with hands-on experience.
At What Kind of Bug Is This, we utilize AI to help structure and research articles quickly, but we always insert a quote or story from a pest technician, homeowner, or editor who has dealt with the issue. That lived experience grounds the piece and keeps it from reading like a generic FAQ. We’ve even started including a “From the Field” blurb in some posts for that exact reason.
One example was a guide on “How to Get Rid of Drain Flies.” AI helped us cover the science, but it was a real tip from a technician that gave the article life and boosted time on page.
GEO is about being trusted once you’re there. Human experience is the shortcut to trust, and that’s something no model can fake convincingly (yet).
Founder, What Kind Of Bug Is This
Mohammed Kamal
In the digital marketing shift towards Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), it’s vital to balance AI’s capabilities with human creativity and emotional connection. While 50% of marketers utilize AI for content creation, maintaining authenticity requires human oversight. Reviewing and refining AI-generated content through expert curation ensures a relatable voice, preserving the nuances of emotion and context essential for engaging audiences.
Business Development Manager, Olavivo
On behalf of the BoostMyDomain community of readers, we thank these leaders and experts for taking the time to share valuable insights that stem from years of experience and in-depth expertise in their respective niches.
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