OPINION: GenEO, THE SEO EVOLUTION AI DEMANDED (OR, HOW TO NOT GET OVERLOOKED BY GenAI)
Written by Stefan Dulman, Chief Architect, Choir Digital
If you're still immersed in the fine art of keyword optimization for SEO success, it's time for a brief pause. The landscape has shifted. Welcome to GenAI Engine Optimisation, or GenEO - SEO's more astute evolution. Rather than pursuing clicks from users browsing Google results, GenEO targets AI-driven tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Google's AI Overviews, which deliver concise, synthesized answers. The era of "10 blue links" is giving way to streamlined summaries that may reference your content... or simply synthesize it without a nod.
You've likely encountered the acronym proliferation: GenEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation), AIO (AI Optimisation), LLMO (LLM optimisation), AISO (AI Search Optimisation), .... The LinkedIn commentary often dissects these distinctions with fervor, yet it overlooks the broader imperative: integration is key. These systems aren't supplanting search; they're refining it, drawing from the web's most relevant elements to provide immediate insights. If your content isn't tailored for this synthesis, it risks becoming an afterthought.
The Traffic Challenge: Why Your Metrics Are Under Pressure
Consider this scenario: You've invested considerable effort in an authoritative guide on quantum widgets, securing a top ranking for "best quantum widget tips." Suddenly, an 80% drop in traffic. This isn't isolated - it's the AI effect. Users are increasingly favoring platforms like Perplexity for rapid, summarised answers, bypassing the need to consult multiple sources. A recently published study indicated up to a 79% drop in click throughs, under specific circumstances. A recent Bain and Co report indicated that 80% of consumers rely on AI-driven summaries at least 40% of the time, resulting in zero click throughs. The preference is clear: distilled knowledge over exhaustive exploration.
Monetization for traditional search engines (like Google) faces similar headwinds. AI crawlers rarely engage with ads - they extract content for summaries, often bypassing promotional elements entirely. This erodes display revenue, transforming potential page views into missed opportunities. While Google is integrating sponsored elements into AI Overviews, the broader impact for publishers remains a revenue squeeze, akin to guests who partake in the essentials, but overlook the contributions.
Google: Far From Obsolete, Now More Essential Than Ever
The notion that "Google is dead - AI has slain the search giant" makes for compelling headlines, but it doesn't hold. Perplexity and similar tools aren't independently indexing the web; they rely on established engines like Google for curation - sifting through noise to highlight quality. Traditional search volumes remain stable, with modest growth as users seek that foundational layer of reliability.
As for traffic declines? The picture is nuanced (for now). Traditional users might explore two or three results; AI’s, by contrast, systematically access the top 10, generating backend traffic that bolsters server metrics - even absent direct clicks. Overall, organic visits are projected to ease 15-25% by 2026, yet AI referrals offer a counterbalance: currently under 3% of total search but accelerating in targeted areas. Strategic adjustments could recover a significant portion of those losses; inaction, however, amplifies the erosion.
The Top 10 Imperative: Where Algorithms Draw the Line
Google's recent adjustment underscores the stakes: In September 2025, the "&num=100" parameter was eliminated, restricting results to 10 per query. Scrapers and LLMs now face a firm boundary at position 11 - visibility hinges on that elite tier. The competition is intensified: secure a top-10 placement, or remain off the radar. A practical edge? Prioritize long-tail queries, where niches allow for more accessible prominence.
That said, position alone is insufficient. Content reigns supreme, particularly when it aligns with user intent. LLMs prioritize substantive responses over superficial appeal; a #1 ranking with a striking visual and sparse text may yield to the #10 entry offering detailed, query-responsive paragraphs. It's E-E-A-T amplified - Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness - where depth trumps design.
Niches Where GenEO Drives Meaningful Impact
At present, GenEO contributes modestly to overall traffic - around 1-3% of searches engaging AI pathways - but its trajectory is upward. In select domains, however, it commands a substantial share. Intricate topics like B2B SaaS evaluations ("CRM solutions for distributed teams") or financial analyses ("tax implications for freelancers") can see 10-20% of queries routed through AI, as these benefit from synthesized expertise over fragmented reading. Similarly, health assessments, e-commerce comparisons, and customized travel planning thrive, given LLMs' strength in integrating complex narratives.
Routine inquiries, such as weather checks, still favor conventional search. Yet the tide is turning: Forecasts suggest AI will capture 75% of search value by 2028, potentially reducing Google's share to 20% in these verticals by 2027. Content in lifestyle and culinary spaces draws volume, but GenEO excels where thoroughness translates to value.
Branding in the Age of Synthesis: Does It Register?
In AI's blending process, where multiple sources merge into a single response, branding can feel diluted - your insights attributed generically rather than distinctly. For established brands, this is an asset: LLMs gravitate toward credible entities, enhancing citation likelihood. AI-native ventures, by contrast, derive branding value more from direct engagement than aggregated outputs.
The strategy? Cultivate a unified authoritative presence across platforms. When your voice consistently signals expertise, it surfaces reliably in composites. Emerging metrics, such as "AI mention share," provide a way to quantify this influence.
Tools: Valuable Diagnostics, Not Complete Prescriptions
Platforms like Ahrefs and SEMRush remain indispensable, illuminating keyword opportunities and link profiles with precision. Yet they function as diagnostic instruments - measuring symptoms without dictating remedies. Complement them with GenEO-focused analyzers (e.g., Profound or SurferSEO for LLM compatibility) and expert interpretation. Data informs; judgment directs.
Essential GenEO Strategies for 2025
To translate insight into action, consider these targeted steps:
Structure overall website schema to be captured by GenAI platforms
Reposition content around a more conversational approach, with formats that LLMs favor
Align content around core themes that align to business objectives, as this drives traffic / activities to areas that are important to your organisation’s growth plans
Validate through simulation: Input your key terms / products into various platforms to assess your visibility and refine accordingly
Adopt a dual framework: Blend SEO for immediate traffic with GenEO for sustained citations - maximizing returns across channels
Work with an expert, given the rapidly changing environment it’s essential to be guided through this process
The Path Forward: Embrace GenEO Before It Becomes Imperative
AI-driven answers are no transient trend; they're reshaping the ecosystem, with the sector poised for over one trillion in value by 2027 as LLMs redefine discovery. To overlook this is to optimize for a bygone era. Engage now: Review your high-priority assets, reinforce content quality, and observe the resurgence in visibility and referrals.
Talk to Choir Digital
Choir Digital are beta-testing a holistic offering for organisations to enhance the growing impact of GenAI queries. Our offering includes a focus on understanding a client’s current GenAI context, defining / responding to a set of actions to secure more GenAI impact and tracking / managing ongoing GenAI activity. For more information on this grond breaking new solution, give us a call.