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Is GEO taking over search? With the rise of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s Search Generative Experience, the way people discover and interact with online content is shifting. For e-commerce businesses, this isn’t just a trend, it’s a wake-up call.
So let’s unpack what GEO is, how it’s changing SEO, and what you need to do to stay ahead.
What Is GEO?
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the practice of optimising your content to appear in AI-generated search results, in addition to traditional search engine results pages (SERPs).
Instead of typing a query into Google and sifting through a list of links, users are increasingly asking generative AI platforms to answer their questions, recommend products, or solve specific problems. These engines don’t just index websites, they generate unique answers by pulling from multiple sources across the web.
That changes the rules of the game.
How Is AI Changing SEO?
Let’s be clear: SEO isn’t dead. But it’s no longer just about keywords, backlinks, and technical fixes.
AI is changing how people search, what they expect in return, and how they engage with content. Here’s how:
- Less screen real estate: Generative answers often appear above organic listings or replace them altogether.
- Source summarisation: AI tools summarise content from multiple sources, reducing direct clicks to websites.
- Context over keywords: AI understands nuance, intent, and semantics, meaning old-school keyword stuffing won’t cut it.
- Increased competition for visibility: If your content isn’t referenced by the AI engine, you’re invisible to users who never scroll past the AI summary.
And here’s the kicker: You can’t “rank” in GEO the same way you do in SEO. You need to be referenced, trusted, and clear.
What E-Commerce Brands Should Do Now
The rise of GEO is a challenge but also an opportunity. Here’s a practical checklist to future-proof your content strategy:
✔️ Write with clarity and authority
Generative engines prefer well-structured, factual, and digestible content. Think Q&A formats, how-tos, and expert opinion pieces.
✔️ Focus on topical relevance, not just keywords
Understand the questions your audience is asking and the problems they’re trying to solve. Then build content that directly answers them.
✔️ Optimise for trust signals
GEO engines lean on trustworthy sources. Use clear author bios, cite credible references, and demonstrate expertise in your niche.
✔️ Get featured in high-authority spaces
Be present on reputable websites, directories, and platforms. Generative AI often pulls from well-established sources first.
✔️ Use structured data
Schema markup helps AI better interpret your content and surface it in summaries or answer boxes.
✔️Test your visibility in generative search tools
Try asking AI engines questions your customers might ask. Is your brand showing up? If not, why not?
✔️ Keep content fresh
Generative engines are trained on relatively up-to-date data. Regular updates and publishing schedules help keep you in the loop.
Generative Engine Optimisation isn’t just a buzzword, it’s the next evolution of search.
While SEO will remain a foundational practice, GEO is reshaping the way visibility works online.
For e-commerce brands, this means thinking beyond rankings. It’s about becoming the source AI trusts, references, and includes in its answers.
The businesses that win in this new landscape will be the ones who adapt quickly—and write content not just for humans or for Google, but for both.
If you’re ready to start making GEO part of your content strategy, now’s the time.
Let’s help your brand show up—wherever your customers are searching.