GEO – What it is and Why You Should Understand It

Part 2 of our four-part series exploring how AI search is transforming visibility, SEO, and digital strategy - and what CEOs need to do now to stay competitive.

For years, SEO has been a pillar of digital strategy - helping companies attract traffic by optimizing their websites to rank in Google. But in 2026, that formula is no longer working the way it used to. If your organic traffic is down and your content isn’t performing, it may not be the story you are telling. It may be that the rules of the game have changed.

What’s emerging is something new: AI Search - and the practice of optimizing your presence in AI Search via Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO.

Why Traditional SEO Isn’t Enough Anymore

Google still matters. So do rankings. But increasingly, AI engines - not just search engines - are shaping buying decisions.

Platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity don’t just list links. They generate synthesized answers, drawing from content across the web - including your competitors. Google and Bing now serve AI-generated overviews in an estimated 20-35% of their searches, often replacing the need to click through to a site.

So what does that mean for getting qualified site visitors? It’s no longer about keywords and backlinks alone. It’s also about whether AI sees your brand as relevant, trustworthy, and worth citing.

As one of our AI panelists noted during a recent Chief Outsiders webinar, “SEO isn’t dead - it’s just changed. If you start executing the newer, nuanced AI content strategies without the foundational SEO elements like page speed and crawl-ability your AI strategy won’t work.”  See the full video here.

From Search Rankings to AI Citations

To secure AI Citations your content now needs to be:

• Structured for AI interpretation, not just human readers.

• Fresh and updated regularly - AI favors current insights.

• Answer-oriented - short, clear, direct content wins.

• Well-referenced across the web — especially in trusted forums, reviews, and third-party sites.

• Created to answer lengthy, detailed questions, not just 3-5 word traditional queries

In this new world, brand mentions in Reddit threads, product forums, and review sites can matter more than ranking #1 for a keyword. And top-of-funnel content - the early educational material that used to drive new leads - is now often summarized by AI before a user ever visits your site.

If your lead volume has declined - it may be that your company is not visible in AI search.

For a deeper look at how AI engines interpret your brand - and what’s needed to show up in their responses - download the free AI Search Report.

And if you're ready for a more precise read on your AI readiness, the AI Search Readiness Assessment offers a strategic benchmark tailored to your business.

Want the full discussion? Watch the complete webinar recording to hear directly from our AI and SEO experts on how these shifts are impacting mid-market growth.

AI Search Team

Carol Eversen Area Managing Partner, CMO & CRO Chief Outsiders	Sabrina Donley CMO Chief Outsiders	Doug Bell Partner & CMO Chief Outsiders	John Prinzo Team Outsiders	Jon Aron Team Outsiders

Catch up on the full series

• AI Search is Here – And it’s Reshaping the Buyer Journey
• GEO – What it is and Why You Should Understand It
• You’re Being Talked About (or Ignored) - Offsite Signals Drive AI Search Visibility
• Your AI Search Playbook - 6 Moves to Reclaim Visibility and Demand