From Google to ChatGPT — the shift in user behavior is forcing businesses to rethink their digital visibility strategies. Today, when a user asks a chatbot a question and receives a single, synthesized response, being named in that answer can determine everything. If your company isn’t mentioned, then to that user, you simply don’t exist.

The transition from traditional search to LLM-powered discovery is accelerating. For decades, Google and SEO defined the backbone of online visibility. Google processed over 5 trillion searches in 2024 and roughly 14 billion queries per day. But LLM-based tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are gaining traction fast. By mid-2025, OpenAI reported 700 million weekly active users on ChatGPT.

Even if Google still processes 370x more queries than ChatGPT (per SparkToro), LLM-powered discovery is already reshaping behavior in key verticals — from legal to SaaS to education. And Google’s own rollout of “AI Overviews” shows that even the dominant platform is preparing for a future where answers replace search results.

LLM interfaces change the logic of discovery: instead of offering ten blue links, they deliver one AI-generated summary. According to a16z, generative search queries are longer, sessions are deeper, and answers are consolidated. Users no longer scan — they ask and get an answer.

Which means that in 2025, digital visibility no longer means “ranking.” It means being mentioned directly inside the AI response. If your brand isn’t in the output, the click opportunity is gone before it even exists.
Introducing GEO: Generative Engine Optimization
This shift gave rise to GEO — Generative Engine Optimization — the practice of increasing the likelihood that a brand will be cited in AI answers. As a16z puts it, “visibility now means being the answer.” Unlike SEO, which optimizes for position, GEO optimizes for inclusion and citation.

• SEO measures impressions, clicks, and page rankings.
  
• GEO measures AI citations, brand mentions, and factual correctness in AI responses.

Real-world cases are emerging. Legal marketing firm JurisDigital found ChatGPT is now the second-most-used discovery tool for legal clients. But if a chatbot gives an answer and your firm isn’t in it, you’re out of the conversation. The same risk applies to SaaS and e-learning: if ChatGPT recommends an alternative and you’re missing, your competitor just won the query by default.

GEO involves understanding how AI models select what to cite. According to AccuraCast, LLMs prioritize recency, reliability, and reputation. This includes:

• Structured content: factual, clear, non-promotional copy.
  
• Authority signals: presence in reputable sources.
  
• Metadata: Schema.org markup that helps AI parse business facts.
  

In a recent audit, 81% of cited pages used structured data. Schema types like Organization and Person were most commonly seen. Simply tagging a page with FAQ markup isn’t enough — AI prioritizes context, not just format.

Tools like Forge and Smith recommend schema markup as a must-have. Tagging your content with Organization, Product, Author, or Event schemas gives LLMs the clarity they need to understand what your site is about — and increases the chance of citation.

Clear headlines, Q&A formats, up-to-date facts — these are no longer just SEO best practices. They are now prerequisites for visibility in AI-generated answers.

Emerging platforms now track AI Share of Voice — measuring how often your brand is mentioned in AI responses. Vercel’s Guillermo Rauch reported that 10% of his product signups came from ChatGPT citations. These aren’t just impressions — they’re earned recommendations from AI tools that users trust.

But this landscape is still evolving. LLMs update frequently, vary in citation behavior, and are often opaque. Some (like Perplexity) cite sources visibly. Others (like ChatGPT) do not. Optimization is system-dependent — and fragile.

Even though Google Search still dominates traffic, click-through rates are falling. When an AI block appears at the top of a search page, organic traffic can drop by up to 70%. That means businesses must now fight on two fronts: one for clicks, the other for mentions.

GEO doesn’t replace SEO — it augments it. And in some sectors (legal, medical, education, B2B SaaS), it may soon become even more important than search ranking.

GEO is still young, but its trajectory is clear. Businesses that embed their expertise into AI-accessible formats — through structured data, third-party mentions, and factual content — will shape how they appear in the next generation of search.

This isn’t about “gaming” the algorithm. It’s about building presence in a system where credibility and context define visibility. Between 2025 and 2030, the winners won’t just be ranked. They’ll be recognized — by the models billions of people turn to first.