"When you type a question into an AI search engine like ChatGPT or Google AI Mode and it comes up with an answer, that information comes from somewhere. Scouring the web for content that's contextually relevant to the asker, it typically assembles an answer based on several different sources, interpreted through the lens of its training data and system prompt. The fight over being one of those sources is the new game of online discovery that's replacing SEO."
"The rewards for winning at search were clear. Earning a high rank in search results means people click to your site, interact with your content, and either give you ad impressions or "convert" into some kind of paying customer. As I've written before, being cited in AI answers is more akin to advertising your brand than a viable business strategy. A win in GEO means successful reputation management."
AI search engines assemble answers by scouring the web and synthesizing multiple sources through their training data and system prompts. Generative/answer engine optimization (GEO/AEO) is an emerging field focused on becoming a source for AI-generated answers. The field is nascent, with unclear rules, best practices, and benefits, but it is growing quickly. Media companies and marketers pursue GEO to gain visibility, brand recognition, and reputation management rather than direct monetization. Practical tactics—content optimization differing from SEO, leveraging social and PR, and building systems to understand AI queries—remain under development. Some publishers block AI crawlers while strategies for winning are still being worked out.
Read at Fast Company
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