Move over SEO - why your business needs GEO

Google have been busy prioritising AI snippets, aggressively boosting the position and prominence of Ads and generally burying actual websites well below the fold. Studies have shown that organic website clicks have declined by over 60% since the launch of AI snippets. That’s a huge shift.

Alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo and Ecosia are seeing a surge in activity, attracting users in search of a more straightforward experience that delivers website results without AI and tracking. Google is still the largest search engine globally, with a 90% share, but overall searches are down 20% year on year as users shift to other search platforms, social media and alternative AI platforms to find what they need.

If you've noticed a significant reduction in organic website traffic from Google, you're not alone. In fact, many businesses, such as media publishers and e-commerce brands, have been so severely impacted that they are suing Google, alleging that it is abusing its monopoly power to steal web content, answer AI queries natively, and keep users on Google.

The fact is, Google is no longer a traditional search engine; it’s an AI system with search engine functions. Its primary aim now appears to be to answer your questions, rather than direct you to websites that can help you. If you want quick answers, that’s great, but not so great if you have a business and you want people to visit your site.

The AI- era evolution of SEO - GEO

This is a big problem for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). How do you increase organic traffic to a website when the largest search engine is reducing the need for users to find websites and reducing their prominence in search results? The answer is to lean into this change and ensure that your company is featured in AI snippets. How do you do this? Enter a new iteration of SEO called GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation).

GEO is a natural, AI-era evolution of traditional SEO. While SEO focuses on ranking a website at the top of standard website rankings, GEO is the practice of optimising your site so that artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews and Perplexity choose to reference and recommend your brand in their text answers.

Some time ago, we changed the name of our optimisation service from SEO to just “website optimisation”. This was, in part, a recognition of the problems facing SEO in the AI era and also to communicate that keeping your site in good order is simply good marketing sense.

We have now further developed this service to deliver in the new AI landscape and renamed it GEO to reflect the new focus.

Our GEO service splits into three important components:

• Technical optimisation: Ensuring your site is completely error-free and passes important technical performance tests.

• Content optimisation: Creating comprehensive, engaging content designed to answer your customers' exact questions with an excellent user experience.

• Local visibility: Ensuring your business is fully featured on Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, Bing Maps, and the key registries that drive local leads.

The combination of these areas ensures that your site looks great, provides helpful content, and expands your local footprint. Crucially, it significantly increases the chances of your website being cited and featured in AI snippets.

Future-Proof Your Website Today

The digital landscape has shifted, but adapting doesn’t have to be slow or expensive. While no agency can guarantee a #1 spot in every AI overview, we can guarantee that your digital foundations will be solid.

To help your business transition smoothly, we have developed a straightforward, high-value GEO approach designed to get your site into great shape. We handle the technical complexities and content structuring, giving your business the best possible start in the AI era.

Want to see where your website stands? Contact our team today for a no-obligation chat. Let's make sure your business is the one the AI engines recommend.