I Created a Guide to AI Search/GEO For You

Happy Wednesday! Below, you’ll find:

Let’s get started!

Last week, I argued that appearing in AI results is going to be increasingly important, and when it comes to generative engine optimization (or GEO), communications needs to be at the head of the table. A bunch of you reached out with the same question:

“I agree! But where do I start?”

So I put together three ways in: a free intro, a deeper guide, and a hands-on option if you want help applying it to your brand. Whether you want a quick primer, an in-depth reference, or direct support, I’ve got you covered.

First: Download my Free GEO Essentials Brief. A concise introduction to GEO — covering the strategic shift driving it, the factors that determine whether your brand gets cited or overlooked, and a practical framework for taking your first steps.

Second: When you’re ready to go deeper, get my 32-page Guide to Generative Engine Optimization — a practical playbook for communicators who want to shape how their brands appear in AI results. It’s yours for $65. I was lucky to have smart communications leaders help shape it, and their feedback is on my new GEO Services microsite.

And third: If you want more hands-on help, let’s talk. Book a 30-minute consultation with me — an initial conversation to understand how your brand is showing up in AI search and where I may be able to help. No pitch, no pressure — just an honest look at where you stand and what makes sense next.

Thoughts, questions, general gripes? Hit reply and let me know.

The impact of AI on employment is still uncertain — but concern about job loss is already here. Verizon CEO Dan Schulman, for example, recently told the Wall Street Journal that he expects unemployment to go up to 20 to 30% within the next five years. Whether that prediction is right is besides the point, at least for now; employees across sectors increasingly fear for their job security.

For communicators — who may have their own anxieties here too — this poses a problem: how do we communicate around this uncertainty without putting our credibility at risk, and without spooking our audiences unnecessarily? Change is scary, and change at this pace? It can be terrifying. In The CCO Dispatch, Jennifer George sums up the issue perfectly:

Why it matters: As strategic advisors, our role goes beyond wordsmithing — we need to ensure that our clients build trust during this period. Or, as George says in her newsletter, “that’s the push worth making right now, in whatever room you have access to.”

Your next step: Audit your leadership's AI messaging against what employees already know. If the internal story is rosier than the headlines they're reading, close the gap — before they close it for you. On the external side, pressure-test your client and executive talking points the same way: any AI narrative that sidesteps workforce impact will read as evasive to reporters, analysts, and customers alike.

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Six self-paced courses built specifically for comms pros. No tech background required. Start with the beginner track, or jump to the course that fits your needs.

📡 AI Made Simple — Your first 10 days with AI. No hype, no jargon. Learn what AI actually is, how to write prompts that work, and how to build a personal workflow that sticks.

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📬 AI with Confidence — Using AI well means knowing when not to use it. Quality control, hallucination defense, brand voice protection, legal guardrails, and how to bring skeptical colleagues on board.

💭 AI as a Thinking Partner — Move beyond drafting and into strategy. You’ll learn to use AI as a strategic partner, not just a writing tool.

🔁 AI Across the Organization — Learn to communicate through change, coordinate across functions, and respond effectively in moments of pressure.

🥇 AI-First Communications — Lead your team into the AI era. Build governance frameworks, design team workflows, evaluate tools, measure impact, and make the case for AI as a strategic capability.

Want free access to the intermediate courses? Refer a colleague to The Comms Stack!

Here are things I’ve built while figuring out how communicators can use AI well — shared here so you can experiment with them too. I’ll keep adding to this list over time.

The AI Report distills the day's most important AI news into one free 5-minute read. No jargon, no filler — just what 400,000+ business leaders need to know before their first meeting.

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Looking for a role at the intersection of communications and AI? Here are some opportunities to check out:

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Quick question: how can I help?

What workflows are you struggling with? Where does AI still feel mysterious or overwhelming? What has worked that you’d like to share with others?

I’m a builder, and I’d love to help you and the rest of The Comms Stack community find great new ways to use AI.

Reply and tell me.
I read every response.

Even a one-sentence reply helps. For example:
“I wish AI could help me with ______.”

Until next Wednesday,

Dan

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