The rules of search are being rewritten and brands need to evolve fast.
Today, it’s not enough to rank #1 on a search results page. Increasingly, AI-powered engines like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Copilot and Perplexity are delivering direct, synthesized answers — often without a single click.
In this new environment, SEO alone won’t guarantee visibility.
Enter Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): the critical next step for brands that want to stay discoverable, authoritative, and trusted in a world of AI-generated content.
At Edelman DXI, we believe GEO is not a replacement for SEO — it’s the natural extension of it. And it’s the strategy brands need to future-proof their search performance as AI reshapes how people find information.
What is GEO?
GEO ensures a brand’s content is recognized, referenced, and accurately represented in AI-generated responses across Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI search engines. Unlike traditional search, AI engines generate direct, multimodal responses using text, images, and videos instead of simply listing links.
As AI search evolves from static training data to real-time synthesis, GEO becomes essential for ensuring brands are accurately positioned, positively represented, and highly discoverable.
By structuring information for AI readability, brands can enhance authority, reduce misinformation risks, and secure their presence across AI-driven search results.
Why GEO Matters
Search behaviour is shifting as AI-driven search engines challenge Google’s dominance. With over 600 million AI-powered searches monthly, users increasingly turn to AI-generated answers.
Brands that fail to optimise for GEO risk losing visibility in this evolving search ecosystem. AI-generated content influences user perception, decision-making, and reputation, making it essential for brands to take a proactive role in how they appear in AI search outputs.
With nearly 60% of Google searches resulting in no clicks, users are consuming AI summaries rather than visiting websites.
GEO gives you visibility in these summaries and could be the difference between owning your brand’s future or letting an AI model define it for you.
GEO and SEO: The Search Power Duo
You might be thinking: Wait, isn’t this just SEO 2.0? Sort of, but with some critical differences.
People will always need to search to find information online, and with more fragmented places to search, search becomes use case based. It will be important to target users wherever they search when their intent is relevant.
Traditional SEO optimizes for the search engine algorithm, with the aim to become one of the 10 ranking links on the first page of Google. GEO optimizes content for AI search engines algorithms with the aim of being synthesized into an answer.
GEO is built on strong SEO foundations:
- Structured, authoritative content
- Topically relevant content on and off your site
- Keyword-optimised metadata and schema markup
- A machine-readable, technically sound website
- Brand citations and online mentions — linked or not
Without strong SEO, your content won’t even be in the AI engine’s field of vision.
GEO takes things further - optimizing your content not just to be found, but to feature within AI-generated answers.
This means layering on additional GEO specific tactics, using clear citations and attributions, publishing formats like listicles and FAQs, and earning mentions on sources favoured by AI models.
GEO relies heavily on SEO principles, as structured, authoritative, optimized content forms the foundation of what AI models pull from.
Getting Started with GEO & SEO
At Edelman DXI, we take a data-driven approach to GEO, ensuring brands adapt to the evolving AI-powered search landscape. Our strategy includes:
- Analyse AI Visibility – Track brand presence, sentiment, and content sources referenced by AI search engines.
- Understanding Brand Search & Content Sources – Measure search volume, sentiment, and keyword performance while identifying content sources AI models pull from.
- Optimizing Content & SEO – Strengthen owned and earned content with structured data, authoritative citations, and AI-focused schema markup.
- Leveraging Earned Media & Citations – Secure references in trusted sources that LLMs prioritize.
- Implementing Technical GEO – Ensure AI readability, optimize for conversational queries, and improve indexability.
- Continuous Measurement & Optimization – Conduct AI-driven audits to refine content strategies and track visibility shifts over time.
Want to see how your brand appears in AI-search? Get in touch with Edelman DXI for a free AI visibility check. Contact us.