Is Traditional SEO Dying? Here's GEO!

TL;DR:

Search is evolving fast, with AI-powered engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity replacing traditional search results with direct answers and recommendations. To stay visible, businesses need to shift from traditional SEO to GEO, focusing on website clarity, digital reputation, and being cited by trustworthy sources. Success now comes from showing up in AI-generated responses, YouTube content, and detailed online reviews and not just Google rankings anymore.

 

The Full Breakdown:

Search is changing. Fast.

AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are rewriting the rules. They don’t just show links. They generate answers and cutting through the noise and delivering direct recommendations to users. Organic rankings are getting pushed down the page, and if you're not in the AI-generated results, you might as well be invisible.

So what now?

It’s time to evolve from regular SEO to GEO: Generative Engine Optimization.

Traditional SEO Is Losing Its Edge

Let’s be blunt:

• Most users don’t scroll.

• Google is now filled with ads, snippets, and AI-generated answers before you ever see a real website.

• Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity summarize answers without linking to you unless you’ve earned that recommendation.

That’s why ranking #1 on Google doesn’t guarantee the clicks or leads it used to.

Enter GEO: Generative Engine Optimization

AI SEO or GEO is about showing up in AI-generated answers. It’s how you get recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other tools that users increasingly trust more than Google.

Here are the core GEO strategies every business should know:

1. Website Clarity = AI Clarity

AI tools pull content from websites to summarize and recommend. That means your website must clearly communicate:

• Who you are

• What you offer

• Who you help

Think like a machine. If a bot landed on your homepage, would it instantly know what you do? If not, you’re missing out.

This is why I created this mini-course: The Homepage Conversion System to make it easier for you to write the right copy on your homepage - meant for clarity and conversions.

2. Build Your Digital Reputation

Mentions across the web matter more than ever.

When other reputable sites mention or link to you (especially news sites, podcasts, and high-authority blogs), AI models take notice.

This is your digital reputation. The more respected sources reference your brand, the more likely you are to be pulled into a generated response.

3. Use AI-Optimized Press Releases

Press releases are back (groan!) but only if you do them right.

Write AI-friendly, well-structured releases and distribute them through reputable services like Brand Featured. These help you control the narrative and plant reputable content across the internet that AI tools can reference.

4. The Controversial “Listicle Hack”

Create your own listicles. For example:
“Top 10 Marketing Consultants in Denver”
…and rank yourself at the top.

Yes, it’s a little gringe worthy (and to be honest, I haven't done this yet but am thinking about it). But if you distribute it across third-party platforms and optimize it for AI pickup, it works. These listicles often get cited and surfaced by AI engines.

5. Get Detailed Reviews Across Platforms

Don’t settle for “Great service!” Push for detailed, descriptive reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp (it seems to be still a thing!), Capterra, and industry-specific sites. I'm currently testing out Product Hunt, we'll see how that goes (if it's a good platform for this I will add it to my CMO Growth Guide newsletter, make sure you've signed up).

Why? Because AI tools scrape and summarize these. A well-written review can actually feed the AI language model with rich, specific insights about your service.

YouTube: The Search Engine King

Google might still dominate traffic, but YouTube wins on lead quality. People who watch a 5-minute video from you are more likely to trust you, buy from you, and recommend you.

YouTube is now the second-largest search engine, plus it's more visual, more engaged, and harder to fake. I used to do a lot on YouTube with my first business, I'm getting ready to go back on it now for the CMO Growth Guide.

How to Win on YouTube:

• Title your videos with frequently asked questions (FAQs). Example: “How much should a startup spend on marketing?”

• Create step-by-step tutorials and educational content.

• Speak directly to your target customer’s problems and goals.

YouTube also feeds into Google’s search results and more and more I'm seeing that AI tools pull YouTube content into their answers.

LinkedIn & Substack: Newsletters are Back

Everything old is back? Kinda. 

I asked ChatGPT "What does CMO Growth Guide do?" and the answers were creepy but correct.

What was interesting is that it pulled most of the information from these 3 spots:

• this website (good!)
• my LinkedIn newsletter (surprising, it actually quoted one of my newsletter sentences verbatim)
• and Substack (I haven't been on there long enough yet so for me I did not see this, however a lot of reports are saying some AI pulls from there) and PS: if you haven't subscribed yet to me there, let's connect on Substack, just subscribe to my Substack CMO Growth Guide there

 Final Thought

We’re witnessing a big change in SEO. But that’s not bad news, it’s an opportunity. And personally, I love to learn new things.

If you’re willing to shift your approach and show up where the future of search is headed (AI engines, YouTube, and digital reputation signals), you’ll stand out before your competitors catch on.

Welcome to the era of AI SEO | GEO: Generative Engine Optimization.

Need help showing up in AI-powered search results?
Check out my upcoming course: The GEO Visibility System — built for founders, creators, and marketers who want to future-proof their traffic strategy.