How SEO
Is Changing
in the Age of AI
The world of search is shifting. In Google results, you now often see AI-generated answers — no clicks required. Queries are increasingly handled not by traditional search engines, but by generative AI models.
Google Search is already testing SGE (Search Generative Experience), Perplexity defines itself as an “answer engine,” and tools like ChatGPT and Claude have long trained users to expect complete answers instead of links.
In this new landscape, classic SEO tactics — keywords and backlinks — are no longer enough. Two new paradigms are taking the stage: #AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and #GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
Numbers and Trends
According to Upwork’s September Hiring Report, demand for digital marketing grew by 9%, while among SMBs, SEO rose by 8% and #SEM by 7%. Businesses are actively seeking professionals who can adapt their strategies to GEO and AEO.
As reported by Search Engine Land, implementing GEO can increase a brand’s visibility in generative AI responses by up to 40%.
(SEM — Search Engine Marketing — refers to paid advertising and Google Ads campaigns, or any activity that buys visibility in search results.)
AEO — Optimizing for “Answer-Based” Queries
AEO focuses on ensuring that your content provides clear, direct answers to user questions, increasing the chances of appearing in “answer boxes” or “featured snippets.”
It’s a shift from classic SEO toward voice and contextual search optimization. The goal of AEO isn’t to be in the top 10 — it’s to be in the answer itself.
GEO — Optimization for Generative Systems
GEO aims to make sure that a company’s or author’s content is referenced or cited within AI-generated responses (on platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and others).
If SEO competes for a place in search results, GEO focuses on ensuring that AI relies on your content when generating its answers.
SEO/AEO/GEO - Key Differences
New Tasks for Digital Marketers
AI is transforming the very essence of search — and with it, the role of marketers. The new goal is not only to rank higher in search results but to make the brand visible within AI responses.
This means:
Creating content that AI can easily “read” — with clear structure, factual accuracy, and concise phrasing;
Monitoring where and how AI systems mention your brand;
Focusing not just on traffic, but on trustworthiness as a source.
Once, we competed for a place in search results. Now — for a place in AI’s answers. Yet the essence of the work remains the same: to make meaning visible amid the noise.
Technology changes fast, but the core value endures — the ability to create content that’s worth showing, worth quoting, and worth trusting.
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