Is GEO the New SEO? How to Ensure Visibility in the Search Landscape of the Future

What is GEO?

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. It is a newer discipline focused on optimizing a website’s content to increase brand visibility in generative AI models and search engines, as well as in Google AI Overviews (more on this further down in the article). The goal is to appear in AI-generated responses through product placements, citations, and source references in response to user prompts/queries.

GEO can make a brand visible in AI-generated results when people search for related products or services. As user behavior evolves, increased visibility in AI-generated search results can be crucial. It is not just about being seen – it is about engaging potential customers and target audiences meaningfully, no matter where they begin their search journey.

How Does GEO Differ From SEO?

SEO primarily focuses on traditional search engines like Google and Bing. The goal is to optimize a website and its content to rank highly, generating visibility and organic traffic.

GEO, on the other hand, targets the new world of generative AI. It is about optimizing for AI-driven search engines so that a company’s brand, products, and content become part of the AI models’ responses. This happens through mentions, recommendations, and source references directly within the AI’s answers.

In short: SEO aims to get users to click a link in the search results. GEO aims to be part of the AI’s direct response.

What Are the Similarities Between GEO and SEO?

There are many similarities between GEO and SEO, because traditional SEO lays the foundation for GEO. GEO builds on several classic SEO principles, such as creating well-structured and valuable content based on Google’s E-E-A-T principles of demonstrating Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness with the content. Google uses these four factors to assess the quality and reliability of website content. If a business demonstrates this and shows thought leadership in its industry – and consistently works with SEO over time – the chances increase that AI language models will cite the company and reference its content.

AI chatbots like ChatGPT rely on knowledge from authoritative websites. If a business is already visible in organic results, mentioned and linked by trusted sources, and maintains a strong reputation, the AI is more likely to use it as a source.

In summary, GEO builds on many of the same core SEO principles, such as understanding user intent, producing high-quality structured content, and building authority and trustworthiness – all while keeping the user at the center.

Google AI Overviews

In May 2024, Google started rolling out AI Overviews in the US. Since then, they have expanded AI Overviews to more than 100 countries.

AI Overviews are a feature that uses generative AI to display an AI-generated text summary at the top of the search results page. This summary mostly appears above both search ads and traditional organic results, meaning that it can impact both paid and organic website visibility – particularly for queries with informational intent:

*AI Overview for the query ‘what are ai overviews’, Google UK, 20/6 – 2025

This shift alters the layout of search results pages by displacing content, which means many businesses may see reduced visibility. This can potentially lead to lower website traffic and fewer conversions/sales.

AI Overviews can be seen as Google’s answer to ChatGPT and other AI-powered search engines in an attempt to retain users on Google.

Google Faces Challenges

Google held an almost monopoly-like position in search worldwide from 2009 to 2022*, with a 89–93% market share:

*Development in market share for search engines worldwide from 2009-2025, Statcounter, June 2025

But since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Google’s market share has slowly declined, indicating increased competition – particularly from AI-based solutions.

Although Bing has gained some traction and AI-driven search engines pose a threat to Google’s business model, Google is still undeniably the market leader. And while early adopters – especially younger, tech-savvy users – have embraced AI, millions still use Google daily as their preferred search engine and browser. New habits that require new technologies take time to develop, so while Google remains strong, we are clearly in the midst of a paradigm shift in user behavior.

SEO is Stronger Than Ever

It may seem like a bold statement to claim that SEO is stronger than ever – especially at a time when Google is under pressure, search result layouts are changing due to AI Overviews, and users are increasingly adopting AI chatbots. But skilled SEO professionals have always excelled at adapting to a changing search landscape and Google’s many updates – including ongoing core updates aimed at improving relevance and quality of search results, reflecting changes in search behavior, and preventing “spam” or search manipulation.

But looking at the global interest over time for Search Engine Optimization and the search term SEO in Google Trends, the SEO discipline reached its peak in April 2025 (on a 0–100 scale where a value of 100 represents the peak popularity):

*Interest over time for SEO, Google Trends, 14/5 – 2025

So, although many “experts” have proclaimed over the years that ‘SEO is dead’ – especially in light of AI’s rise, data from Google Trends proves otherwise. Interest in and demand for SEO remains high and growing.

That is not to say GEO is not important or worth paying attention to when when creating a strategy for online presence. As users increasingly turn to AI for information, many traditional searches and clicks will disappear. GEO can thus be seen as a strategy to maintain visibility and traffic in a future AI-driven internet. But for the vast majority of websites, traffic from AI-powered search engines still makes up less than 1%. That percentage will undoubtedly rise in the coming years, but until it becomes significantly higher, the value of SEO as a long-term and sustainable channel and source of revenue cannot be underestimated.

GEO should therefore not be seen as a replacement for SEO, but rather as an integrated part of a company’s SEO strategy. It offers unique competitive advantages that can help achieve business goals – and ensure continued relevance in the digital search landscape of the future by optimizing for algorithms, users, AND language models.

Do you want to stay ahead of the curve and explore how GEO and SEO can boost your visibility in both search engines and AI chatbots?
Reach out to Martin Thrysøe, Lead Consultant, SEO
mt@ambition.dk
+45 6016 2665