What's Changing in AI Search?

AI search engines like Google's SGE and Bing Chat are shifting from link-based discovery to answer-based consumption. This means traditional SEO tactics—keyword optimization, backlinks, technical audits—are becoming less effective. Instead, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) focuses on making your brand the default answer in AI-generated responses.

Why This Matters for Your Business

Tom Critchlow, a veteran search marketer, argues that the outcomes that matter in AI search—brand recognition, product authority, positive reputation—are not owned by SEO teams. In most organizations, brand, product, PR, and editorial teams drive those outcomes. If your SEO strategy relies solely on technical fixes, you're at risk of losing visibility to competitors who invest in brand marketing.

The Hidden Pillar: Brand Marketing

Google's algorithms have always used user behavior signals. PageRank itself was described as a model of user behavior. People naturally prefer familiar brands (Familiarity Bias). AI search amplifies this: when a user asks for a recommendation, the AI tends to surface brands it 'knows' are trusted. Building brand familiarity through PR, content, and product quality is now a direct ranking factor in GEO.

SEO as Foundation, Not the Whole House

Critchlow emphasizes that technical SEO remains essential—crawling, indexing, site speed. But it's just the foundation. What sits on top—brand perception, product authority, editorial mentions—determines whether AI recommends you. SEO teams that only focus on the foundation risk being sidelined as GEO grows.

Who Drives Outcomes in AI Search?

In both classical SEO and GEO, the people who drive outcomes are brand, product, PR, and editorial teams. SEO teams rarely own these functions. Critchlow calls this a 'career risk' for SEO professionals: if you can't influence the factors that matter, your role may become obsolete. CEOs looking to invest in GEO will likely turn to brand and product teams, not SEO.

What This Means for Your Business

If you run a business that depends on organic search traffic, you need to rethink who owns your search strategy. The days of 'just produce great content' are over. AI search requires a coordinated effort across brand marketing, product development, and PR. Your SEO team should be a partner, not the sole driver. For small businesses, this means investing in brand-building activities—getting mentioned in industry publications, earning customer reviews, and creating a strong product identity.

Action Steps for Executives

  • Audit who owns brand, product, and PR in your organization. Are they aligned with your search strategy?
  • Shift content from 'keyword-focused' to 'authority-focused'—aim to be the cited source in AI answers.
  • Invest in earned media and customer advocacy to build the familiarity signals AI search relies on.
  • Re-evaluate your SEO team's role: are they driving outcomes or just maintaining the foundation?

Bottom Line

AI search is not a technical problem—it's a brand and product problem. Businesses that treat GEO as an extension of brand marketing will win. Those that keep SEO in a silo will lose visibility. The risk is real, but so is the opportunity for those who adapt.



Source: Search Engine Journal

FAQ

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) focuses on making your brand the default answer in AI-generated responses, rather than driving clicks to your site. It relies more on brand authority and product reputation than on technical SEO.

GEO outcomes are driven by brand, product, PR, and editorial teams—not just SEO. Your SEO team should be a partner, but the strategy needs cross-functional ownership.

No, but it's becoming a foundation rather than the whole strategy. Technical SEO is still necessary for crawling and indexing, but it won't drive AI search rankings on its own.