What Is GEO and Why It’s the Future of Search

The future of search is already here, AI tools are rewriting how we find answers.

The marketing world is changing faster than we have ever witnessed. For years, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) was the gold standard for getting your brand found online. You’d rank high on Google, people would click, traffic would come in, life was good.

Now? Not so much. AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Claude are becoming the new “search engines.” People are asking them questions directly and those AI tools are serving up answers without sending users to your site.

That’s where Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) comes in.

What Is GEO?

GEO is like SEO’s younger, cooler cousin. Instead of optimising your content for Google’s search rankings, you’re optimising it so AI tools talk about you.

Think of it this way:

SEO tries to get clicks.

GEO tries to get mentions.

When someone asks an AI tool, “What’s the best accounting software for small cafés?”, GEO can help that AI answer have your brand's name in there.

According to Wikipedia, GEO was first defined academically in 2023 and can increase visibility in AI-generated responses by up to 40%.

Why GEO Matters

Buying decisions are no longer made exclusively on Google. Your audience is asking AI directly for recommendations, about products, services and brands.

If your name doesn’t show up in those AI-generated answers, you’re missing the conversation entirely. The user doesn’t even know you exist.

Google is calling this “SEO for the AI era” and they’ve even launched tools like AI Visibility Overview to track how often your site appears in AI answers.

So here's what to do.

1. Structure Your Content for AI Use clear headers, bullet points, tables and FAQs. Add schema markup so AI can read and extract your information easily.

   
   

2. Build Authority Through Mentions Publish unique stats, cite credible sources and get mentioned across reputable platforms, blogs, news sites, forums. AI models scrape widely and credibility signals matter.

   
   

3. Be Omnipresent Don’t just stick to your own site. Publish guest posts, join industry discussions and post on social media. The more places your brand appears, the more likely AI is to pick you up.

   
   

4. Real Connections, Not Just Keyword-Heavy The stronger the bond between you and your audience, the more you'll be thought of and spoken about. Become a part of their conversation.

SEO isn’t dead, it’s just evolving. GEO builds on your SEO foundation but adapts it for a world where AI delivers answers instantly.

Your goal is no longer just to be on page one of Google, it’s to be inside the AI’s answer.

And that means:

• Structured, extractable content.

• Credibility through mentions.

• A consistent, multi-platform presence.

• Conversational depth in your content.

The AI era isn’t coming, it’s here. GEO is how you stay visible in it.