For years, SEO has been a predictable game. Keyword research, backlinks, page speed – rinse and repeat. Then AI search engines arrived, and suddenly the rules changed. If you’re in digital marketing, recruitment marketing, or even a role where web visibility matters, you might want to pause and look closely at what’s happening. Because we’re not just talking about another Google update; we’re talking about a new search battleground altogether.
What Is GEO and Why Should You Care?
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the art of making your content show up in AI-driven search results. Instead of a page of blue links, users now get direct answers from tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s generative search features. These engines scan the web, summarise it, and deliver answers in a neat paragraph.
The catch? If your content is not written in a way that these AI systems can understand, trust, and cite, you might simply vanish from visibility. According to a recent report by NYMag, this is already shifting traffic patterns for big publishers and smaller brands alike.
Real-World Shifts Already Happening
Rebekah May, an SEO strategist who runs a site called Marketing Aid, recently shared that AI search engines are now responsible for about 10 percent of her site’s traffic. And it’s not just niche marketers seeing the change. Forbes saw referral visits from AI platforms jump from around 11,000 to over 236,000 in a single year. That is a seismic shift in where audiences are coming from.
This is exactly what trend-spotting looks like in real time. The people paying attention now are the ones who will be ahead in two years.
The Career Implications: Recruiters and Job-Seekers Take Note
For recruiters:
- GEO expertise will soon be a rare skill. Candidates who can adapt SEO strategies for AI search will be gold in the digital marketing job market.
- Knowing which marketing professionals have GEO skills – and being able to talk intelligently about them with clients – will differentiate you from other recruiters.
For job-seekers:
- If your role touches content, marketing, or brand visibility, start experimenting now. Learn how AI search engines pull, interpret, and attribute content.
- This is an opportunity to position yourself as someone who can guide teams through the transition, not just react to it.
How to Spot and Act on Early Trends
- Track tech announcements – When Google, OpenAI, or Microsoft push an update, look beyond the PR and think about the downstream effect on skills demand.
- Follow the traffic – Use analytics to see where visits are coming from. If AI referrals are creeping up, that’s a signal to pivot your optimisation strategy.
- Test and iterate – Create content designed for AI summarisation. Short, clear explanations and authoritative sources are key.
- Build the narrative – In interviews or pitches, be ready to talk about how you’ve adapted to this shift. That story could set you apart.
Why This Matters More Than a Regular SEO Update
The difference here is speed and scale. GEO is not just about tweaking a headline or fixing a meta description. It’s about positioning yourself, your team, or your clients for visibility in a search world that is less about links and more about being the trusted source the AI quotes directly.
Those who learn this early will not just keep up; they’ll lead.
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