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On marketing blogs, the term is being thrown around everywhere lately: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). We often read that we can forget about SEO and should only optimize for AI from now on.
If you follow that course blindly, I believe you are making a costly mistake. The reality is not that AI will replace the search engine. The truth is much more complex: your customer’s search behavior is fragmented.
The End of the “Golden Search Bar”
It used to be simple. Someone had a question, went to Google, typed in a keyword, and clicked on the first result.
Now, the customer journey looks completely different:
- Your customer searches for products on Amazon or Bol.
- Asks ChatGPT or Gemini for advice on a business problem.
- Searches for tutorials on TikTok or YouTube.
- Still uses Google in between.
So, it is not about choosing between SEO (for Google) or GEO (for AI). It is about Cross-Surface Visibility. Are you visible in all the places where your customer is looking for answers?
The New Rule: From Keywords to Entities
Whether you are optimizing for Google’s algorithm or for a language model like GPT-4, the foundation is indeed changing.
Where we used to stuff pages with keywords (“accountant Amsterdam”), we must now think in terms of entities and context.
- Google wants to understand who you are and whether you have authority (E-E-A-T).
- AI wants to understand how your product relates to the user’s query.
If you practice “good SEO” in 2026—meaning creating strong, helpful content that answers questions and is written by experts—you are automatically practicing GEO. They are not separate worlds.
How Do You Survive This Fragmentation? 3 Strategic Moves
You don’t need to fire your SEO specialist for a “GEO guru.” You need to broaden their focus.
1. Focus on ‘Total Visibility’ (Not Just Rankings)
Stop staring at your position in Google. A number one position is worthless if your customer is on TikTok at that moment or asking ChatGPT, “What is the best software for X?”
- Action: Map out where your specific target audience asks questions. Is it Reddit? LinkedIn? A specific AI tool? Ensure you are present there with answers.
2. Become the ‘Source of Sources’
AI models do not invent things; they cite. This applies to both SEO and GEO: if you have unique data, original research, or a distinct vision, you will be cited.
- Action: Publish “first-party data.” If you are the only one with the figures, both Google and ChatGPT must refer to you.
3. Structure Your Data for Both Humans and Machines
Both search engines and AI bots love structure. They need to be able to ‘read’ and understand your content easily.
- Action: Use clear headings, lists, and schema markup. Answer the question directly in the first paragraph (“The Inverted Pyramid”). This works well for the hurried human reader, but it is also perfect fodder for the AI bot that needs to generate a summary.
Conclusion: It Is Both
Marketers who are now panicking and shifting their entire strategy solely to AI will fail. Tomorrow’s winners understand that SEO and GEO are two sides of the same coin.
The goal is no longer to “rank for a keyword.” The goal is: To be the inevitable answer, regardless of who (or what) is being asked.
