AI and GEO are transforming the direction of the way we search and the future of SEO. As 2026 moves along the main questions amongst marketers are about what GEO is, if it even matters, if SEO is no longer a useful tool, and if there’s any actions we can take. 

 

What is GEO? 

 

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) refers to user experience in how content is read and interpreted. This content is citable through popular AI formats such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and has seen major platforms such as Google expand its GEO presence with AI overviews.  

 

Does GEO matter? 

 

Short answer, yes it does matter. GEO is becoming an essential part of our overall digital marketing strategies with objectives of making your website more visible. 

 

5 reasons why GEO matters: 

 

• Search engine priority: AI overviews are shown before initial rank 1 results organically. 
• Users who find answers within AI overviews or search engines are primed with more intent, increasing the chance of a website conversion. 
• AI follows the E-E-A-T format focusing on highly credible and trustworthy content, building brand credibility. 
• Adopting a GEO strategy now in its infancy stage can help monopolise AI generate results as competitors catch up especially with content that is more niche. 

GEO vs SEO – do we abandon SEO or adapt?

 

At Fresh Pies we see SEO still as the main core foundation to build website visibility with GEO being essentially an add-on towards your existing SEO strategy. SEO focuses on technical aspects of your site alongside keywords, GEO is more content based than this. GEO relies on: 

 

• Freshly updated content 
• Answer specific questions and content 
• Clear schema markup so search engines can clearly identify and crawl page structure (headings, faq’s, tables, lists etc.)

 

AI, GEO & SEO – Key trends and actions to take in 2026 

 

With AI and GEO growing year by year there are now more requirements to meet when conducting your SEO strategy. Here are some key trends you should consider to stay on top of the ongoing SEO changes: 

 

• Content population and structure – Google still favours high quality content that is updated regularly, however content now should aim to serve the purpose of answering direct questions. Answers should be concise and accurate supported by in-depth case studies. So whenever you are writing blogs consider H2’s as questions you would ask generally with the content proceeding answering this.
• Brand Authority? – Brand authority and backlinking in general has seen less importance these days, however with GEO, this may be something to consider. Ensuring your website is on highly authoritative websites increases the chances of your site being shown within AI search engines and overviews.  
• Local SEO – This has always been important. Ensure your business has accurate company information such as address, opening times, maintaining a consistent brand name and phone number across all directories. 
• Longtail keywords – Longtail keywords now are more important as users interact with AI. Users are now more willing to type longer queries in search engines to get the answers they need. So optimise for longer keywords/questions instead of short keywords. 

Our final takeaway – Is SEO dead? 

 

SEO is still very much alive – and we think it’s more vital than it’s ever been.

With the rapid growth of AI and GEO, SEO is morphing into more authoritative, trustworthy content, and user experience is becoming a lot more important by the day.

Yes, traditional metrics like organic traffic might take a knock as zero-click searches become more of a thing. But as AI starts to prioritise credible sources over quick fixes, the quality of user intent is likely to go up. This means referral traffic and engagement metrics are going to become even more important in showing whether your strategy is working.

The truth is SEO isn’t dying, it’s just evolving. If you integrate GEO into your SEO strategy, it’ll give your brand a much better chance of getting some solid, long-term results.