A few months ago, I had a task I’d been putting off – finding better HR software for our business. Instead of clicking through countless websites, I turned to ChatGPT. With one prompt, I got a shortlist of five companies, complete with pricing, features, and pros and cons. It saved me hours of research.

This experience made me realise how much Generative AI (genAI) is reshaping how we find and evaluate brands. And I’m not alone. More people are turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Llama to guide their decisions.

In this new landscape, simply sticking with traditional avenues like SEO isn’t enough. Companies must embrace Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) to control and enhance their brand presence in AI-driven answers.

What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?

GEO is the practice of optimising brand visibility within AI-generated responses. A great way to look at this is to compare it to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Unlike traditional search engines, which rely on keywords and backlinks, AI models generate content by pulling from trusted media, expert insights, and authoritative sources, as well as low-to-mid value sources such as a company’s website, reviews, social posts, and user-generated content.

And importantly, these genAI tools generate answers, not just results.

Large Language Models (LLMs), which power genAI tools, generate answers through a complex process of contextualising and predicting words based on patterns learned during training. To influence AI-generated answers, the words associated with a brand, their frequency and consistency, and where they appear on the internet are all important factors.

“The companies that influence the sources LLMs draw from will define their brand narrative in the AI-driven era,” says Ben Gibson, CEO of reegen.ai.

AI as the new search engine

More users are turning to AI chatbots and assistants for research and decision-making. In fact, 13 million users in the US use genAI as their primary search tool, and it is a figure that is continually rising. Moreover, a study found that people who debated ChatGPT with personalised knowledge had 81.7% higher odds of changing their opinion, highlighting AI’s persuasive power in shaping public perception.
But, organisations mustn’t look at SEO and GEO in the same way.

“GEO and SEO are two entirely different disciplines because what they are looking to affect, and the outcomes they produce, are radically different from one another,” explains Ben Gibson. “While SEO drives authority for a page to generate traffic, GEO drives authority for a brand to generate awareness. SEO increases the position that a search engine will rank a page in its results for specific terms. GEO is increasing the chance that a brand will be recommended within a set of prompts.”

“As such, starting from an SEO point of view is a hindrance to GEO; starting from a PR perspective is a big advantage.”

Reputation control

Unlike traditional search engines, genAI tools don’t just provide links, they generate full answers. This means businesses have less control over what users see. If incorrect or outdated information dominates AI-generated responses, a brand’s reputation can suffer.

Organisations need to take charge of their narrative. Currently, 83% trust genAI results as much as or more than search results. Moreover, research suggests that when humans and AI are given the same personal data, AI is significantly better at communicating in a compelling manner because it draws from the collective intelligence of the internet. So, it’s not only a strong narrative, it’s a persuasive one.

There are three key elements to GEO: benchmarking current recommendation status, analysing the reasons for it, and implementing a content strategy. By doing this, a brand can change ChatGPT’s mind.

To influence AI-generated recommendations, brands must first audit how they are currently perceived. Take BMW, for example, if someone asks ChatGPT about the top five cars for luxury and speed, BMW is not currently on the list. However, if asked about what sort of car a BMW is, ChatGPT associates it with ‘luxury,’ ‘sporty,’ ‘build,’ and ‘technology’ as positives, and ‘maintenance costs’ and ‘ride quality’ as negatives. If BMW wants to be recommended for ‘luxury’ and ‘speed,’ it needs to use GEO to influence this perception.

“To do this, we need to understand why the models are making their current recommendations. By assessing what words BMW and its competitors are associated with, how frequently, and where, we can build a picture of what needs to change,” Ben Gibson explains. “This strategic content distribution is all about getting the right words, in the right order, on the right sites. If the models are learning from content that states ‘BMW is a car brand known for its luxury and speed,’ they will start recommending BMW for these phrases.”

First movers win

Brands that act now will shape how they are perceived for years to come, gaining a competitive advantage. As genAI tools compress the research process, people may only see two or three brands in AI-generated answers. Companies that fail to adapt risk being filtered out entirely.

“This is an entirely new, and rapidly growing, opportunity,” says Ben Gibson. “Although search engine marketing remains vital, brands need to move quickly to take advantage of the increasing time consumers are spending with genAI tools.”

Currently, the vast majority of brands have no idea what ChatGPT and other platforms think about them. Establishing an understanding of this quickly is critical to influencing it.

Taking the first steps in establishing a GEO strategy

One of the biggest challenges with GEO is determining ownership within a brand. “As currently GEO is associated with SEO, it may end up within a lead-gen focused team, rather than the brand team,” warns Ben Gibson. “GEO is very much about perception and awareness, so it needs to be properly aligned with the overall brand’s goals.”

Additionally, brands must avoid short-term tactics. “Trying to trick the models, use spam techniques, or other short-term strategies will not deliver sustainable success,” Ben Gibson says. “Brands need to invest in an approach that continues to deliver while the models adapt how they surface recommendations.”

We are in a new age of reputation management, and the brands that move fast will define the future. By implementing GEO strategies today, companies can ensure their brand is accurately and positively represented as AI-driven answers start to dominate the way we access information.

Just like my HR software search, more people will rely on AI to make decisions, only turning to Google for final confirmation. We’re in a transition phase, and brands that don’t adapt risk being left behind.

SEO isn’t dead, but as our use of genAI tools rapidly changes, GEO becomes the next frontier in brand visibility.

Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

• Charlotte Stoel is the Group MD at Firefly Communications, a pan-European communications and PR agency with offices in London, Paris and Munich, focused on shaping the reputations of businesses with technology at their heart.