A billboard has no reliably traceable ROI.
Depending on where it is, it can cost hundreds of thousands. But not one time, ever, has it driven perfectly attributable sales.
Still, we’ve been buying and selling billboards for a hell of a long time. They are durable (heck, even Steve Jobs loved them).
The article about a company and its vision falls into a similar basket. It probably took a PR team ages to put together.
And it drove few sales and likely talked about few products. But smart leaders still covet this sort of coverage.
Nowadays, there’s this hot new thing called Generative Engine Optimization.
The idea is to get an AI engine to list your company or product when a human asks something like “Who makes the best X?”
Being listed in those responses involves a range of previously separate activities: web architecture, optimized content, PR, community activity, Reddit, and more.
It’s hard. Costly. And as of now, there are not real subject matter experts with 10k hours under their belts.
Worse, the metrics you’re used to — especially clicks and attributable sales — don’t apply. LLMs don’t really generate clicks.
So should you wait until best practices and traceable metrics emerge?
That’s the big question.
I think reps matter. A lot. And those who get early reps tend to see outsized gains.
GEO is moving fast. But it will probably always sit at the top of the funnel, where direct attribution is harder. Especially for considered purchases.
That — and history — suggest the safer bet is moving now, not sitting around hoping AI answers become as easily tied to sales as a Facebook ad.
For more information on generative search check out our GEO Guide, a practical framework that shows brands how to earn credibility and visibility in today’s AI-driven search.