The new search reality – why user behaviour is shifting
Two years ago, search was simple: someone typed a question into Google, clicked a result, landed on a website. Today, a growing share of users do something different. The question goes into ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity – and the answer comes back directly, without a single click to any website.
This shift is changing the rules of digital marketing fundamentally. As of October 2025, ChatGPT counts 800 million weekly active users – double the number from February 2025. Perplexity processes 780 million search queries per month. And 58% of consumers already use generative AI for product recommendations – up from 25% in 2023.
Among younger audiences, the shift is particularly rapid: among 16–29-year-olds, 5% report using AI search exclusively, 11% predominantly – and 20% use it roughly as often as traditional search engines.
For SMEs and startups, this means: relying solely on Google rankings risks losing visibility with a growing audience segment.
What exactly is GEO?
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) describes all measures that help AI systems know, understand and recommend a company as a relevant answer source for user queries.
The core difference from SEO lies in the goal:
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rankings & clicks | Mentions & citations |
| Metric | CTR, rankings | AI Mentions, AI Citations |
| Content logic | Keyword-driven pages | Dialogue-oriented content |
| Visibility | Own position in SERP | Citation in AI answers |
| Sources | Own rankings | Earned media, external sources |
What GEO Optimisation Focuses On
1. Owned content optimised for LLM readability
AI systems “read” your website much like a person would – just more structurally. Texts should form self-contained paragraphs that are understandable without context. Start each section with the core statement (“Bottom Line Up Front”), then add details.
2. On-page structure and schema markup
Clear H2/H3 headings, bullet points and structured data (JSON-LD) help AI crawlers correctly categorise content. The most important schema types for SMEs: Organization, LocalBusiness, FAQPage and BlogPosting.
3. Backlinks and mentions from trusted sources
What applies to SEO applies to GEO: being mentioned or cited by reputable domains increases credibility with AI systems. Press coverage, industry directories, partner websites and guest posts are key levers.
4. Trust and transparency
Author profiles, source references, data with year and a clear “About us” page strengthen the trust AI systems place in a company. Vague statements without evidence are cited less frequently.
5. User generated content
Reviews, forum mentions, Reddit discussions and comments feed into the training data of many AI models. Actively asking for reviews and being present in relevant communities pays off.
6. Social media presence as an authority signal
Consistent activity on LinkedIn, Instagram and other platforms sends signals that AI systems consider when assessing company relevance.
Running GEO and SEO in parallel – how SMEs do it
The most important message first: traditional search engines still deliver around 34 times more traffic than AI-powered searches as of 2025. SEO is not dead. But GEO-ready content is generally also better SEO content – because clear structure, source references and precise answers are rewarded in both disciplines.
Concrete first steps for startups and SMEs:
- Add schema markup:
FAQPageon service pages andBlogPostingon all blog articles - Structure existing texts: Break long paragraphs into H3 sections with the key point first
- Add FAQ blocks: Answer real customer questions that someone might also ask ChatGPT
- Update data: “As of 2026” signals AI systems about content recency
- Build mentions: Actively work on presence in industry directories and relevant media
Conclusion: Both disciplines belong together
Anyone wanting to be digitally visible in 2026 doesn’t have to choose between SEO and GEO. The smartest strategy combines both: technically clean SEO as the foundation, GEO-optimised content as the structure built on top.
Our projects show: a structured content overhaul – as needed for GEO – simultaneously improves classical SEO metrics. Two birds, one stone.
Want to know how visible your business is in AI searches? We’ll run a free GEO check for your website. Request now →