Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

• Generative engine optimization (GEO) refers to the targeted optimization of digital content for AI-powered search engines that generate personalized responses based on user input.
• GEO builds on SEO by adding strategies that improve visibility within AI-generated answers.
• AI search platforms draw from existing web content, translate user prompts into traditional search queries, and deliver curated responses instead of classic link lists.
• GEO requires new KPIs and measurement methods, considers evolving search behaviors, and favors content with clear structure, concise key passages, and strong cross-channel presence.
• Getting an early jump on GEO helps offset traffic losses from AI search and strengthens long‑term brand visibility.

The way people search for information and make purchasing decisions is undergoing a fundamental shift. Users are increasingly turning not only to Google, but directly to AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Microsoft’s CoPilot. Google itself is integrating generative AI directly into the search experience with AI Overviews and the newly launched 'AI Mode' in the U.S.

With our clients, we’re already seeing a measurable uptick in traffic from AI-driven search. At the same time, since AI-generated overviews started appearing in Google search results, we’ve seen tangible drops in organic traffic for certain keywords.

GEO, AEO, LLMO? An industry still looking for a name

Optimizing content for AI-powered search is still a young field, and it shows in the variety of terms that are currently in use.

While generative engine optimization (GEO) is increasingly becoming the standard label, alternative terms are still in circulation: AEO (answer engine optimization), AIO (artificial intelligence optimization), and GAIO (generative AI optimization). Others include LLMO (large language model optimization), AI SEO, LLM SEO, and GSO (generative search optimization).

Is it the SEO/GEO rhyme that gives it traction? Perhaps. Though not officially standardized yet, 'GEO' has emerged as the most widely used and conceptually exact term within the content-marketing world.

“SEO is dead?” Not by a long shot.

Parts of the industry, especially on platforms like LinkedIn or X, have sounded the alarm, sparking unnecessary panic. We’ve seen that same uncertainty in client conversations. But the reality is far more nuanced.

Generative engine optimization isn't a replacement for SEO, it’s a logical evolution. GEO should be implemented in combination with SEO and ideally builds upon a strong SEO foundation. In fact, much of what is now being labeled as GEO stems from long-established SEO practices: targeting identifiable entities through focused keywords, clean site architecture, helpful content, structured data (schema.org), high-quality backlinks, and intentional brand mentions.

AI systems rely on classic search engine results

It’s important to remember: AI-powered search systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Overviews rely heavily on existing search indexes, especially the two largest ones: Bing and Google. When the information isn’t already part of their training data, these systems pull from external sources via retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) or grounding.

[Update as of July 31, 2025: Due to the recent leak of an internal OpenAI strategy document, it is known that OpenAI is indeed planning to develop its own search index. The document, which was leaked at the end of July, states: "ChatGPT is a super assistant that deeply understands you and serves as your interface to the internet. To fully be that interface, we need a search index and the ability to take actions on the web."]

This leads to a critical concept: Generative engines use a process called query fan-out (coined by Google at I/O-Keynote 2025), breaking natural language prompts into multiple conventional search queries. These are then used to retrieve relevant results from either training data or the live web.

Google remains the dominant source of organic traffic

There’s also a very practical reason why SEO still matters: Despite early drops for certain keywords and noticeable gains from AI search platforms, our traffic data reveals a consistent trend – more than 90% of organic website traffic still comes from traditional Google Search.

By comparison, AI search platforms currently account for less than 1% of traffic (as of July 2025) according to our data. That may change in the future, but for now, Google remains the undisputed leader in the organic channel.

GEO isn’t a replacement for SEO, it’s a logical extension. If you’re serious about GEO, you need to be just as serious about your SEO.

Generative engine optimization brings exciting new opportunities, but it also introduces a set of complex challenges for brands and their content strategies. Compared to traditional SEO, the requirements are broader and more demanding, especially around measurement, transparency, and content design.

Here’s a look at the key challenges:

• New KPIs and measurement methods: Traditional metrics like traffic often aren’t enough anymore. Instead, metrics like impressions, mentions, and citations in AI-generated responses are becoming more important.
• Shifting search behavior: Instead of classic keywords, dialogue-based inputs and flexible prompts are now front and center. AI typically translates broad user intent into search terms, but those translations aren’t exactly predictable.
• Content is not adopted 1:1: Content provided by publishers is rarely used word-for-word. AI systems often paraphrase, shorten, or modify what’s written, and in some cases, that can distort the message.
• Limited transparency: As is increasingly and rightly criticized, many AI platforms operate largely as a black box and provide hardly any performance data of their own. Analyses therefore rely on observations, studies, and third-party tools.
• Bot management via robots.txt: With the rise in AI providers, the number of different data crawlers has also grown significantly. This makes it much more challenging to maintain an overview of 'good' and 'bad' bots when managing the robots.txt file.
• Consider training data: Some AI systems, like Google AIO, access real-time search data. But many LLMs rely on static training sets by default, unless users prompt a live search. That’s why it’s not just about optimizing your website, it’s also about maintaining a strong overall brand presence to increase your chances of being included in training data.
• Concise key content: AI systems often extract only short, highly relevant text chunks. Therefore, content should be strategically structured so that key messages are clear, concise, and compelling.

But especially in light of the last point, we want to emphasize: The GEO hype has sparked a wave of so-called 'miracle workers' claiming they’ve unlocked totally new rules for AI-optimized content. But much of what’s now being marketed as revolutionary is, in reality, based on long-established principles of good content creation.

Because guess what? Great content has always been clearly structured, and key messages should always have been concise and compelling. So don’t fall for the hype. GEO isn’t rewriting the playbook – it’s just reframing the fundamentals and reminding us why they matter more than ever.

Generative engine optimization (GEO) is a young and rapidly evolving field. The rules of the game are changing, often even faster than in traditional SEO. Still, a number of clear strategies have already emerged that can help brands boost their visibility in AI-powered search systems in a sustainable way.

Success depends both on the fine details and the bigger picture: On the micro level, elements like structure, writing style, and how content is broken into clear, digestible sections all play a crucial role. On the macro level, it’s about broader questions such as how trustworthy your brand appears, how easily your content can be discovered by machines, and how strong your cross-channel presence is.

Generative engine optimization isn’t some far-off trend – it’s already becoming a key factor in today’s search landscape. So what opportunities does GEO really offer in this new era of AI-driven search? In this final section, we’re sharing our perspective as hands-on digital marketers and close observers of a space that’s evolving fast.

Where do the opportunities lie in GEO and AI development?

Our assessment:

• Now is the time. Early adopters still have a real advantage.
• Smaller brands can punch above their weight if their content is strategically optimized.
• We’re witnessing the rules being written in real time and can actively adapt our strategies as they evolve.
• LLMs allow for longer, more specific queries. Brands that deliver relevant, well-structured answers will stand out.
• While total clicks may decrease, the ones that do happen – especially at the bottom of the funnel – are often more qualified.
• Taking this one step further: AI could lead to higher conversion rates. This is already being observed in certain sectors, such as healthcare, and we're seeing similar patterns reflected in our own analytics data.

The bottom line: Brands that embrace generative engine optimization today, and take a strategic approach to content and digital presence, can gain a lasting competitive edge in the next generation of search.

Is GEO really relevant – and if so, will it stay that way?

Our assessment:

• Traffic data and industry research show a clear shift: more people are turning to generative AI instead of traditional search to find information.
• Visibility is no longer just about rankings. It now happens inside curated, AI-generated answers.
• Traditional search (based on indexes) and AI search (based on training data) are converging, both technically and in terms of content.
• Presence in both areas pays off and influences each other.
• Google is pushing AI-powered search aggressively, with little regard for publishers, through AIOs, AI Mode, and long-term strategic initiatives.
• While generative search currently dominates informational queries, features like ChatGPT Shopping and Google’s AI Mode suggest that transactional queries are next.

The bottom line: Generative engine optimization isn’t a trend. AI search is here to stay, and GEO is becoming a core component of every future-ready search strategy.

Can GEO compensate for growing traffic losses?

Our assessment::

• Google is still the primary source of organic traffic, but user behavior is shifting.
• AI search engines often deliver impressions without driving actual clicks.
• As a result, traffic losses from declining click-through rates (CTR) are real, but they vary widely by industry, audience, site maturity, optimization level, and competitive landscape. In some cases, we’re even seeing gains.
• Still, brands need to adapt: visibility in AI search is becoming more important than raw traffic numbers.
• Our own AI traffic analyses also show that brand perception is becoming measurably more significant.

The bottom line: GEO probably won’t make up for all traffic losses, but it creates value in a different way: through visibility in AI search and a shift toward more meaningful, forward-looking performance metrics.