How I GEO-Optimized My Author Websites
Why Most Author Sites Fail AI Search
If you’re wondering what it actually looks like to apply GEO to an author website—this is it. This is the exact structure I use to future-proof my client websites for the machine web.
My authors write dark romance and paranormal books where blood is spilled, souls are claimed, and antiheroes don’t apologize but when I looked at those author websites? It wasn’t doing any of that justice.
Sure, it was beautiful. But it wasn’t functionally discoverable—especially not by AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Mode.
That’s when I stopped thinking like a designer… and started thinking like a machine.
This is how I rebuilt my site to talk to AI the way it talks to readers.
Step 1: Ditch Vague for Trope-Rich Clarity
Instead of:
“A passionate tale of love and darkness.”
Revise:
“A dark paranormal romance featuring a morally gray vampyr hero, a witch with forbidden magic, and a deadly fated bond.”
That one change alone makes a difference and why does it work?
AI scrapes for specificity and when readers ask for "possessive alpha demons" or "spicy necromancer slow burns,” you want your stories showing up in those answers.
Step 2: I Created a “Start Here” Page for Humans—and AI
AI loves structured content. So does your reader.
Build a Start Here page that answers real questions using full, searchable headings:
What book should I start with?
Are your books spicy or slow burn?
Do I need to read your series in order?
Each answer should be short, conversational, and full of key phrases like “dark fantasy romance,” “immortal villains,” and “forbidden love.”
Bonus: You should link this page to the main nav and footer—AI crawlers prioritize accessibility.
Step 3: Structure Your Book Pages for AI Citability
Every book page should have:
A short, trope-packed blurb
A bolded tropes + themes list (e.g. “blood magic, enemies to lovers, morally gray hero”)
Buy links + series info
Mini Q&A:
Is this book part of a series?
Spice level on a scale of 1–5?
That little Q&A section? Gold. AI overviews love content that looks like FAQ.
Step 4: Create Blogs, Like an Answer Engine
Forget 1,000-word rambles. Start writing posts like:
What Order Should You Read the Broken Kin Series In?
Top 5 Dark Romance Tropes Readers Can’t Get Enough Of
Why Readers Love Morally Gray Heroes (and Why I Keep Writing Them)
Each post has bold headers, lists, and repeat phrases I know AI tools look for. I’m not gaming the system. I’m feeding it the right ingredients.
Step 5: Clean Your Metadata and Alt Text
Behind the scenes, you should update every page with:
Meta descriptions full of trope keywords
Alt text for images (e.g., “vampyr romance book cover with blood magic theme”)
Proper headers (H1, H2, H3) for better parsing
And yes, add structured schema (FAQ and article markup) where your platform allows it. It’s not sexy—but it’s what makes AI understand who you are and what you write.
Step 6: Link Your Universe
AI tools verify data by cross-referencing your identity. Make sure:
Your site links to my Goodreads, Instagram, Ream, etc.
Your author bio repeats genre keywords
I used consistent phrasing across every platform
Repetition isn’t redundant. It’s signal.
Final Thoughts: This Isn’t Just for AI. It’s for Longevity.
GEO doesn’t just help AI “see” you. It helps readers find you in more places and trust that you’re worth clicking on.
This isn’t about optimizing for robots. It’s about refusing to be erased.
Because visibility in the age of AI?
It’s not a luxury. It’s survival.
🔁 Want to Understand the Difference Between GEO and SEO?
If you’re wondering how these strategies stack up or work together, don’t miss this:
👉 GEO vs SEO: What’s the Difference—and Why Authors Need Both in 2025
🧠 Still Not Sure What GEO Is?
Start here:
👉 What Is GEO? The Indie Author’s Guide to Generative Engine Optimization
It breaks down exactly what it is, why it matters, and how any indie author (yes, even if you're tech-anxious) can use it to get found.
Because writing the book isn’t enough anymore.
You have to make sure AI knows you exist.
📲 Ready to future-proof your author site?
Book a 1:1 GEO session and I’ll walk you through it—step by step.
From FAQ structure to metadata, we’ll make your platform unforgettable to both readers and AI.
🖤 The algorithm won’t save you. But strategy will.
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