GEO & SEO with AI Workshop at the IHK Mittlerer Niederrhein

From January 8th to 9th, as well as 12th and 13th and 19th and 20th of January 2026, we immersed ourselves together with the entire team and colleagues from the IHK Mittlerer Niederrhein in Generative Engine Optimization and generative AI. Not in a one-off session, but deliberately spread across multiple dates. With time to reflect, apply, and think further.

The focus was clearly on real content from the very beginning. No theory, no tool showcases, no shortcuts. Instead, real texts, real questions, and real discussions from everyday work life.

Not talking about AI, but working with AI

This attitude shaped the workshop.

These were intense days that left a lasting impression. Not because something was particularly new, but because many things suddenly became clear. The workshop was entirely dedicated to AI, with AI. Practical, open, and with honest discussions around GEO, GSO, and SEO.

It wasn't about whether SEO is changing. That question is essentially no longer up for debate. It was about how profound this transformation already is and what concrete consequences it has for content, structures, and decisions.

Why content today must also be understood by AI

SEO is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation. Visibility is no longer created exclusively through rankings, but through comprehensibility. For humans and for AI systems.

An SEO with AI workshop addresses exactly this. Not by explaining new tools, but by showing how content can be structured so that it is clear, verifiable, and classifiable. Content wins today not through volume or creativity, but through precision.

This is unfamiliar for many. Especially for organizations that are technically very strong, but whose content has grown organically over time.

Why an SEO with AI workshop is crucial today

Much content is technically accurate, sometimes even of very high quality. At the same time, it is structurally imprecise. Often still readable for humans, but difficult for AI systems to interpret.

This is exactly where visibility is lost. Not because the content is wrong, but because it is not clear enough.

An SEO with AI workshop teaches how to structure content so that technical accuracy also becomes recognizable. For AI systems, it's not just about whether something is correct, but how clearly it is formulated and embedded.

What it was specifically about

At the center were questions that are present in the daily lives of many organizations, but rarely discussed openly:

• Is SEO really dead or is it fundamentally changing right now• How AI reads, understands, and evaluates content• Why this has a direct impact on visibility, rankings, and decisions along the customer journey• What requirements AI search places on content, beyond classic Google logic• Where content truly makes the difference today and where pure information is no longer enough• What role structure, clarity, and trust play for AI systems• How workflows with ChatGPT make day-to-day operations more efficient and consistent

The discussions were deliberately kept open. Different perspectives were not only allowed, but explicitly encouraged. That is precisely what noticeably raised the quality.

Working with real content instead of theory

Particularly valuable was the work on real texts and genuine questions. No examples, no model solutions.

Together we researched, analyzed, and evaluated prompts. It quickly became apparent how differently different departments interpret identical content. These differences were not a problem, but rather the true added value.

The best discussions emerged from exactly these shifts in perspective. Not theoretical, but concrete. Not abstract, but directly applicable.

Generative Engine Optimization from a professional perspective

Generative Engine Optimization describes the targeted structuring of content so that AI systems can correctly understand, classify, and reuse information.

Experience plays a central role in this. Content that originates from real practice can be formulated more clearly, structured more cleanly, and substantiated more precisely. AI systems recognize this difference because they evaluate consistency, repeatability, and subject-matter depth.

A central component of the workshop was therefore the question of how expertise becomes visible without having to explain it.

What we specifically implemented in the SEO with AI workshop

In the workshop, exclusively real content was worked on. That is precisely what made the results credible.

We:

• Created and revised texts together
• Worked with CustomGPTs from ChatGPT and other AI tools
• Consistently analyzed the customer journey from an AI perspective
• Tested which content is better recognized and picked up by AI

It became very clear that AI systems prefer content that is clearly structured, consistently formulated, and unambiguously substantive. Not opinions prevail, but verifiable statements.

Experience, expertise, and trust as success factors

One of the most important insights from the SEO with AI workshop was that AI systems prefer content based on traceable experience.

Texts that show they originated from real-world application appear more stable and are used more reliably. Professional authority is not created through claims, but through clean classification, clear terminology, and logical argumentation.

Trust is built where content is consistent and aligns with other reliable sources. These factors can be deliberately reflected in content, if consciously considered.

Relevance for the IHK and public institutions

Institutional content in particular brings ideal prerequisites. It is fact-based, neutral, and explanatory. That is exactly what AI systems prefer.

At the same time, much of this content has grown organically and is not optimized for machine interpretation. An SEO with AI workshop helps to restructure this knowledge without distorting or oversimplifying the content.

This makes existing expertise more visible, more comprehensible, and usable in the long term.

Personal reflection

For me personally, the workshop was also a challenge. Especially because I myself often operate deep within my own professional bubble. Bringing everyone along, bridging different levels of knowledge while still going into depth, was demanding.

At the same time, that was precisely the greatest added value. The shift in perspective, the questions, and the discussions showed how important such formats are right now.

Conclusion

An SEO with AI workshop strengthens content where it truly matters today. In terms of comprehensibility, structure, and trustworthiness.

Anyone who wants their content not only to be found, but also used and cited, must make experience, expertise, and clarity visible. Not through marketing, but through clean content.

The question is not whether AI evaluates content. But whether your content passes that evaluation.

If you are also interested in such a workshop, contact me.