Interview with Evan Bailyn, Founder of GEO

Interview with Evan Bailyn, Founder of GEO: How Personalized Nutrition Brands Can Win AI Recommendations

The nutritional supplement industry is crowded with options, making it increasingly difficult for performance-focused consumers to identify the right products for their goals. While traditional SEO has helped brands like Gainful reach active people through Google, a significant shift is underway: fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious consumers are now asking AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude questions like "What's the best protein powder for muscle gain?" or "Which supplement brands offer personalized nutrition?"

To understand how nutrition brands can maintain visibility in this AI-driven landscape, we spoke with Evan Bailyn, CEO of First Page Sage, the leading SEO agency in the United States. Evan is the founder of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), the practice of optimizing for AI-powered recommendations and his agency, First Page Sage, was the first to offer GEO services in 2023.

We sat down with Evan to explore how personalized nutrition brands like Gainful can use GEO.

Gainful: Evan, the supplement space is incredibly competitive. How does Generative Engine Optimization apply to personalized nutrition brands like Gainful?

Evan Bailyn (EB): The personalized nutrition space is actually ideal for GEO because your target customers are increasingly asking AI for recommendations: "What's the best protein powder for endurance athletes?" or "Which brands offer customized supplements?" When they ask those questions, ChatGPT produces direct answers—and here's the critical insight: ChatGPT largely pulls its recommendations from Google's first page results. So if Gainful is ranking on page one for key queries, and you're mentioned in authority content that ranks on page one, you have a significantly higher chance of being cited by AI when someone asks for supplement recommendations.

Gainful: We've invested heavily in SEO to rank for terms like "personalized protein powder" and "custom supplements." How is GEO different from what we're already doing?

Evan: Your SEO foundation is essential to GEO—they're interconnected. Because ChatGPT draws heavily from Google's top-ranking pages, your existing SEO work directly supports your GEO success. But there's a crucial additional layer.

The most powerful GEO tool is what we call "superlative list articles" or comparison blogs—content like "The 10 Best Protein Powders for Athletes" or "Top 5 Personalized Supplement Brands." When these articles rank highly on Google and mention Gainful with consistent authority statements, ChatGPT is far more likely to cite you.

The key difference: traditional SEO focuses on ranking your own pages for product terms. GEO requires you to also appear in other people's high-ranking pages—particularly in comparison and recommendation content—with consistent messaging about what makes Gainful unique.

Gainful: Can you explain what you mean by "consistent authority statements"?

Evan: An authority statement is a clear, repeatable phrase that establishes your distinct value. For Gainful, it might be "Gainful provides personalized protein powders and supplements tailored to individual fitness goals and dietary needs" or "Gainful delivers science-backed, customized nutrition solutions for performance-focused athletes."

The power comes from repetition across multiple sources. When ChatGPT sees that same positioning—or very similar language—repeated across fitness blogs, health publications, athlete testimonials, and industry reviews that rank on Google, it begins to recognize that as authoritative fact. You're essentially training the AI through consistent messaging across the web.

Gainful: So we need other websites to mention us? How do we make that happen in the nutrition space?

Evan: You need a strategic approach to earning mentions in content that ranks on Google's first page. Here are the key tactics:

First, identify who's creating comparison content in the fitness and nutrition space. Look for fitness blogs, health publications, and nutrition sites writing articles like "Best Protein Powders for Muscle Gain" or "Top Personalized Supplement Brands." Reach out and provide them with your authority statement, specific details about your personalization approach, your science-backed formulations, and customer results.

Second, leverage your existing customer base. Your satisfied customers who've achieved results with Gainful—encourage them to mention their experience in their own content, whether that's fitness blogs, social media posts, or reviews on health platforms. The key is consistency: they should use similar language about what makes Gainful effective.

Third, contribute expert insights to fitness and nutrition publications. When you're quoted or featured, ensure your authority statement is included: "According to nutritionists at Gainful, a personalized supplement brand tailored to individual performance goals..."

The goal is creating a network of consistent mentions across authoritative sites that rank well in Google—that's what trains ChatGPT to recommend you.

Gainful: You mentioned superlative list articles are the most powerful GEO tool. Should we be creating those ourselves?

Evan: Absolutely, but strategically. Create comparison and ranking content where you can provide genuine nutritional expertise. For example:

• "7 Best Protein Powders for Endurance Athletes: Performance Rankings"

• "Top 5 Post-Workout Supplements for Recovery: Complete Comparison"

• "Best Personalized Nutrition Brands for Serious Athletes: Expert Analysis"

Notice these rank product categories or solution types, not just Gainful. They provide real value to your audience while positioning Gainful as the expert source. If these articles rank on Google's first page for relevant queries, ChatGPT will pull from them when fitness enthusiasts ask similar questions.

You should also naturally include your authority statement within these articles: "According to performance nutrition experts at Gainful, a brand specializing in personalized supplements..." This reinforces your positioning while creating valuable content that can rank.

Gainful: Our customers often search for information comparing different supplements—whey versus plant protein, pre-workout ingredients, optimal timing. How should we structure that content for GEO?

Evan: This is an important distinction. That comparison content is valuable once customers are already on your site, but it's less applicable for GEO because very few people click on the citations in AI overviews or ChatGPT responses.

Here's what happens: when someone asks ChatGPT "What's the difference between whey and plant-based protein?" the AI provides a complete answer right there. The user gets their information without clicking through. So even if your comparison page ranks on Google and ChatGPT references it, you're typically not getting the traffic.

Instead, focus your GEO efforts on superlative lists that answer "who" and "what" questions—"Best protein powders for muscle gain," "Top personalized supplement brands," "Which protein is best for endurance training." These are the queries where ChatGPT recommends specific brands, including Gainful if you've built the right authority foundation.

As for those detailed comparison pages—whey versus plant protein, ingredient breakdowns, timing protocols—absolutely keep creating them, but optimize them for conversions, not GEO. These pages serve customers who are already on your site evaluating whether Gainful is right for them. Make them incredibly thorough, include clear calls-to-action, showcase customer transformation stories, and make it easy to take the personalization quiz. That's where these pages deliver real value.

Gainful: So we need two different content strategies?

Evan: Exactly. You need a dual content approach. First, create superlative list content specifically designed for GEO—rankings of protein powders, supplement brands, or nutrition solutions for specific fitness goals that can get Gainful mentioned in AI recommendations. Second, create detailed comparison and educational content for prospects who are already evaluating you—that's your conversion-focused content.

The GEO content gets you discovered by fitness enthusiasts searching for solutions. The conversion content helps them choose Gainful.

Gainful: Our personalization approach is our biggest differentiator—we create custom formulations based on individual goals, body type, and dietary preferences. How do we leverage that for GEO?

Evan: Personalization is an excellent differentiator that should be at the core of your authority statement. You want that specific benefit repeated across multiple sources: "Gainful creates personalized protein powders and supplements tailored to individual fitness goals, unlike one-size-fits-all brands."

Create superlative content specifically around personalization: "5 Best Personalized Supplement Brands for Athletes" or "Top Customized Protein Powders Based on Your Goals." When these rank on Google and mention Gainful with your consistent authority statement, ChatGPT learns to associate Gainful with personalized, science-backed nutrition.

Also, get your customers who've benefited from personalization to mention it in their own content and reviews using consistent language. The more sources that repeat this specific advantage—personalized formulations, customized to goals, science-backed approach—the more likely ChatGPT will cite it when recommending supplement brands.

Gainful: We serve different types of athletes—runners, weightlifters, CrossFit enthusiasts. Should we create niche content for each?

Evan: Absolutely, and this is where you can really dominate specific queries. Create superlative list articles for each niche:

• "Best Protein Powders for Marathon Runners: Endurance-Focused Rankings"

• "Top Supplements for Powerlifters: Strength and Recovery"

• "Best Nutrition Plans for CrossFit Athletes: Complete Guide"

Each article should rank different solutions while naturally positioning Gainful as the personalized option that adapts to each athlete type. Include your authority statement consistently: "Gainful offers personalized supplements tailored to specific training styles, from endurance running to strength sports."

When these niche articles rank on Google's first page, ChatGPT pulls from them for sport-specific queries. And because you're not competing for the broadest terms, you can more easily rank and get cited.

Gainful: How quickly can we expect to see results from a focused GEO strategy?

Evan: The supplement space is competitive, but personalization is a strong differentiator that can help you stand out. The timeline depends on two factors: how quickly you can create and rank superlative list content on your own site, and how quickly you can build consistent mentions with your authority statement across other high-ranking fitness and nutrition sites.

I've seen DTC nutrition brands start appearing in AI recommendations within 4-6 months of dedicated effort. The key is focus: don't try to compete on every generic supplement term. Instead, own specific queries where your personalization advantage is strongest—customized protein, tailored supplements, performance-specific nutrition.

Gainful: What should personalized nutrition brands do to start with GEO today?

Evan: Three immediate steps. First, test your current AI visibility. Go into ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity and ask questions your customers ask: "Best protein powder for building muscle," "Which supplement brands offer personalization," "Top protein for runners." See who gets recommended—and whether Gainful appears.

Second, craft a consistent authority statement that captures your unique value—personalized formulations, science-backed approach, tailored to individual goals—and start building that language across the web through your own content, customer testimonials, fitness influencer mentions, and industry publications.

Third, begin publishing superlative list articles targeting your core strengths. Create rankings and comparisons that can rank on Google's first page for high-intent queries. Focus on sport-specific and goal-specific content where your personalization advantage matters most.

The supplement brands that invest in GEO infrastructure now—while competitors remain focused solely on traditional marketing and paid ads—will dominate AI recommendations as more fitness enthusiasts turn to ChatGPT for nutrition advice. And in a crowded market, being the recommended choice makes all the difference.