Wednesday, February 25, 2026

GEO Is Rewriting the Rules of Search

 

TL;DR:


GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the natural evolution of SEO. Search isn’t disappearing, but the path to discovery is changing: users increasingly get AI-generated answers before deciding whether to click. That means visibility now depends not only on rankings, but also on whether your brand is cited, mentioned, and synthesized in those answers.



GEO Is Rewriting

the Rules of Search

It seems like GEO is all we hear about lately. People are unsure what to make of it, and no one wants to miss the boat, so everyone is jumping in without truly understanding what it implies.


We’re here to tell you: GEO is simply the natural evolution of SEO. And if your SEO is strong, chances are LLMs are already finding you and referencing you.



SEO and GEO Aren’t Too Far Apart



Let’s clear this up.
SEO isn’t disappearing. It’s still the foundation.


But discovery no longer follows a straight line:
search → click → site


More and more often, it looks like this:
search → AI-generated answer → then (maybe) a click


In this model, SEO remains the foundation: it keeps your content accessible, indexable, and credible. But a new layer of visibility is added (the space of generated answers), where performance is also measured through citations, mentions, and inclusion in the synthesis.


The key shift: attention is fragmenting, and so is discovery.


With AI, search behaviour is becoming more specific and contextual. People aren’t just looking for a “product.” They’re asking detailed questions based on budget, weather, trip length, interests, or ready-made itineraries and “best of” lists.


As a result, your content needs to answer these increasingly precise questions to be visible (and citable) in AI-generated responses.



The Real Shift: From Rankings to Mentions



GEO isn’t about “optimizing for AI.”
It’s about making sure AI understands who you are and why you matter.


When AI generates an answer, it draws on what’s already out there: websites, articles, reviews, forums, and creator content.


And if the information isn’t there, it will find answers somewhere else, or worse… invent them.


Which means visibility today isn’t owned only by brands.
It’s shaped by the entire ecosystem around them.



Reddit: a Case Study



If you’ve used ChatGPT or Gemini recently, you’ve likely seen this pattern:
“According to discussions on Reddit…”


Reddit dominates GEO. Here’s why:

  • Authentic experiences: First-hand reviews and real-world insights help AI answer nuanced, human questions.

  • Crowdsourced quality: Upvotes surface the most useful and accurate responses.

  • Text-rich content: Easy for LLMs to parse, summarize, and quote.

  • Niche expertise: Subreddits provide detailed, community-vetted knowledge.

  • Strong search visibility: Reddit threads often rank high on Google, influencing AI outputs. (Hello SEO 👋)


Sound familiar? These concepts are the very foundation of traditional SEO.


And today, Reddit is one of the most cited platforms in generative answers across categories: tech, beauty, finance, fitness… you name it.



How AI Drafts Answers



When an AI responds, it doesn’t “guess” at random (even though it can make mistakes). In many cases, it retrieves, aggregates, and then composes an answer based on available information and what it has already learned.


This is often referred to as grounding: the AI relies on sources (web content, accessible data, documents) to anchor its response before reformulating it.


So if your brand is cited on Reddit, for example, this could be a significant advantage in terms of GEO. But be careful to regularly monitor conversations to ensure that the information being surfaced is accurate, so you don’t lose control of your brand’s narrative (more on brand drift here).



Structured Content is Key



Recent analyses show that LLMs pay attention to the order of information, the hierarchy of ideas (headings and subheadings), formatting (lists, tables, highlighted elements), and repetition that reinforces what matters.


That’s why poorly structured content (even if it’s rich in keywords) may not surface in AI responses, while a clear, well-organized article can be cited or reformulated, even without technical sophistication.



What’s in it for you, you ask?



The benefit of GEO is very tangible: being recommended or cited acts as a trust accelerator.


For a festival or attraction, that’s significant. You’re selling an experience, often planned in advance and shaped by constraints like budget, travel, weather, or group dynamics. A mention in an AI-generated response can feel like validation.


As organic discovery becomes more fragmented, the temptation is to buy attention elsewhere (social, search, retargeting). Over time, that can increase dependence on paid media, putting more pressure on CAC (customer acquisition cost) and margins. GEO is also a way to diversify your visibility without relying on a single channel.


Here’s what’s important to remember about GEO:

  • Answer real, contextual questions. Create content that reflects how people actually search: specific, detailed, and scenario-based queries.

  • Invest in structured, scannable content. Use clear headings, logical flow, lists, and concise explanations.

  • Monitor brand conversations. Track discussions on platforms like Reddit to ensure accuracy and prevent narrative drift.

  • Prioritize accuracy and consistency. Ensure your core information (pricing, positioning, key facts) is consistent across platforms.

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