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.
| Executive Takeaways |
| GEO is about optimizing for answers within AI search engines. Ranking well doesn’t guarantee visibility anymore – AI citations are needed too. Offsite reputation and mentions are just as critical as on-page SEO. |
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 your execution. 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.
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 SEO? 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.
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 your visibility 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.
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Carol Eversen |
John Prinzo |
Jon Aron |