I think a lot of indie makers still treat SEO like it is only about keywords, backlinks, and publishing blog posts.
That is still part of it, but in 2026 it feels incomplete.
Search is changing. AI answers, Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT-style discovery, Reddit threads, YouTube videos, directory pages, and “best tools for X” lists are all part of the same discovery surface now.
So when people say GEO — generative engine optimization — I do not think it should mean “hack AI search.”
For small products, I think it means something simpler:
Make your product easy to understand, easy to cite, easy to compare, and easy to discover across the places where people already search.
That is the idea behind how I am thinking about growing Linxalium, a curated directory for developer tools, SaaS products, and useful projects.
SEO is still the base layer
I do not believe SEO is dead.
But I also do not think “write 100 AI articles and wait” works anymore.
The stronger approach is boring but more durable:
- clear landing pages
- useful category pages
- good titles and descriptions
- real screenshots
- fast pages
- internal links
- honest product descriptions
- no fake reviews
- no thin duplicated content
For a directory like Linxalium, this matters a lot.
A project page should not just say:
“Best AI tool for productivity.”
That says almost nothing.
A better page explains:
- what the product does
- who it is for
- what problem it solves
- what category it belongs to
- whether it is free, paid, open source, waitlist, or early stage
- why someone should care
This is useful for Google, but more importantly, it is useful for humans.
And if the page is useful for humans, it has a better chance of being useful for AI search systems too.
GEO is mostly about being easy to mention
I see a lot of people trying to overcomplicate GEO.
They ask:
- Should I create an llms.txt file?
- Should I write special AI summaries?
- Should I create pages only for ChatGPT?
- Should I stuff every page with question-answer blocks?
Maybe some experiments are worth trying, but I would not start there.
For small products, I would focus on making the product easy to describe in one sentence.
For example:
Linxalium is a curated directory where makers can submit developer tools, SaaS products, and small projects for discovery.
That sentence is simple. It explains the product without hype.
A good GEO strategy needs more of that:
- simple positioning
- consistent naming
- clear category pages
- comparison-friendly descriptions
- public pages that can be crawled
- real use cases
- real examples
- external mentions from relevant places
The goal is not to trick an AI model.
The goal is to create enough clear public context that when someone asks, “Where can I submit my developer tool?” or “What are some smaller Product Hunt alternatives?” your product has a chance to be understood.
Distribution beats waiting
One mistake I made before: publishing something and expecting traffic to arrive.
That rarely happens for small projects.
A better approach is to build small distribution loops.
For Linxalium, one simple loop could be:
- Add a useful project to the directory.
- Write a short, honest description.
- Create a category page around the problem.
- Record a short demo or walkthrough.
- Post it on YouTube.
- Use the same YouTube account to join relevant conversations.
- If people click the profile, they discover the project naturally.
No aggressive promotion. No “check out my site” spam. No copy-paste comments.
Just useful participation from an account that is clearly connected to the product.
The YouTube strategy I like
YouTube is underrated for small SaaS and developer tools.
Not because every video will go viral. Most will not.
But YouTube gives you three things:
- Searchable content.
- A public proof of work.
- A profile that can become a soft discovery channel.
For example, if I create a YouTube channel for Linxalium, I would not start with polished ads.
I would start with simple videos:
- “How I submit a developer tool to Linxalium”
- “How to write a better project description for directories”
- “5 places to promote a small SaaS without spamming”
- “What makes a project listing look trustworthy?”
- “How I think about SEO and GEO for small tools in 2026”
These videos do not need to be cinematic.
They need to be clear.
A screen recording, a real example, and a useful explanation is enough.
Commenting under big videos can work, but only if the comment is useful
This is where many people get it wrong.
They find big videos with many views and write:
“Great video! Check out my tool.”
That is not marketing. That is spam.
A better comment should add something to the discussion.
For example, under a video about SEO for startups, I might write:
One thing I’d add for small SaaS projects: don’t treat GEO as a separate magic channel. I think it starts with clear public pages, simple positioning, and examples that are easy for both humans and AI systems to understand. We’re testing this with a small curated directory, and the hardest part is not keywords — it’s writing descriptions that don’t sound generic.
This kind of comment does not need a link.
The account name, profile, and channel content do the soft work.
If the comment is useful, some people may click. If nobody clicks, the comment still helped the conversation.
That is the right mindset.
The account itself becomes part of the funnel
This is a small but important point.
If your YouTube account name is connected to your project, then every good comment becomes a small brand touchpoint.
You do not need to force the link.
People can see the name. They can open the profile. They can watch the videos. Then they can decide if the product is relevant.
This is much safer and more natural than dropping the same link everywhere.
For example:
- account name: Linxalium
- channel description: curated directory for developer tools and SaaS projects
- videos: useful tutorials about launch, SEO, directories, project discovery
- comments: thoughtful opinions under relevant videos
That creates a small ecosystem.
Not a huge one. But a real one.
Directories are not just backlinks
This is also why I think directories still matter.
A bad directory is just a link farm.
A good directory helps people discover products.
For makers, a listing can provide:
- a crawlable public page
- a clean product description
- a relevant category
- a backlink
- a small discovery surface
- a place to explain the product outside your own website
The backlink is useful, but it should not be the only reason to submit.
If the directory is curated, indexed, and relevant, it can also become a trust signal.
That is the direction I want Linxalium to go: less spam, more useful project pages.
A simple 2026 promotion plan for a small project
If I were starting from zero, I would not try to do everything.
I would do this:
Week 1: Fix the base
Create or improve:
- homepage title
- homepage description
- project tagline
- project description
- Open Graph image
- category pages
- sitemap
- internal links
- clean screenshots
Week 2: Create proof
Publish:
- one real blog post
- one demo video
- one comparison page
- one use-case page
- one founder story
Not AI filler. Real experience.
Week 3: Start distribution
Join conversations on:
- YouTube
- Dev.to
- Hacker News
- Bluesky
- niche directories
- founder communities
But do it carefully.
Do not post the same thing everywhere. Do not drop links without context. Do not pretend to be a neutral user if you are the founder.
Week 4: Repeat what works
Check:
- which pages get indexed
- which comments get replies
- which videos get impressions
- which directories send traffic
- which posts get saved or shared
Then repeat the best channel.
Small projects do not need 20 strategies.
They need 2 or 3 channels that compound.
My current view
SEO in 2026 is not only about ranking pages.
It is about building a public footprint that makes your product understandable.
That footprint can include:
- your website
- your blog
- your docs
- YouTube demos
- directory listings
- useful comments
- social posts
- comparisons
- founder notes
- community answers
For Linxalium, I want to test this slowly.
No fake hype. No comment spam. No mass-produced AI pages.
Just useful pages, useful listings, useful videos, and useful participation in places where makers already search for answers.
That sounds less exciting than “growth hacks.”
But I think it is much more durable.
