The Big Shift in Search, from SEO to GEO

In this episode, Edwin sets the stage on the big shift as we move from a world of SEO to a world of GEO.

In our very first episode of Getting Mentioned by AI, Edwin takes the lead in explaining what might be the most important change of the decade: the rise of AI-driven discovery.

By 2028, traffic from AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity AI is expected to surpass traditional Google Search. That shift is already transforming how visibility, authority, and trust are built online.

In this opening episode, Edwin shares why this change matters now and why we are documenting our journey from SEO to GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization. The goal is to understand what it really takes to get mentioned by AI.

1. Why the timing matters

Edwin starts with one question: why now?
For more than twenty years, digital marketing has revolved around one idea: ranking on page one. But AI does not rank. It reads, reasons, and selects the most credible sources to answer a question.

Search has become conversational. People now ask full questions and expect one clear answer. If that answer does not include you, you are invisible. That is the reality we are stepping into.

2. The death of ranking

Old SEO rewarded volume: long articles, keywords, and backlinks.
AI discovery rewards clarity, structure, and truth.

Edwin explains that ranking is over. What matters now are citations. Success no longer means showing up on page one. It means being the source that AI quotes or summarizes when forming an answer.

Visibility now comes from being part of the answer itself.

3. Clarity, structure, and trust replace tricks

The tactics that once worked in SEO no longer apply.
AI reads structure, not slogans. It looks for consistent information, clear hierarchy, and factual writing.

Fluff confuses AI. Structure trains it.
That is why GEO focuses on clarity and verified content instead of keyword tricks.

4. AI traffic is about meaning, not clicks

AI often provides full answers without linking out.
That means traditional analytics like clicks and bounce rates no longer reflect your real reach.

Edwin calls this new phase dark discovery. Your content may influence thousands of AI answers without a single visit to your site. The new metric is not traffic but trust. Success means being the voice AI turns to when it explains something to users.

5. Think in concepts, not keywords

Another major change is the shift from keywords to concepts.
AI models do not look for exact matches. They map ideas, entities, and relationships.

To be recognized, your content must be built around connected concepts. It is less about the number of times a keyword appears and more about how clearly your topics relate to each other. You are no longer optimizing for search phrases. You are teaching AI what your ideas mean.

6. The rise of LLM citations

We discuss how LLM citations are becoming the new backlinks.
When an AI system references your content, that mention is a signal of authority.

Being cited by ChatGPT or Gemini shows that the system understands and trusts your work. Those mentions will become the key metric for authority in the AI era.

7. Truth goes decentralized

Edwin points out that the web’s concept of truth is no longer controlled by one search engine.
Instead, multiple AI systems collectively shape what gets surfaced.

This decentralization gives smaller creators a chance to compete with larger websites. If your content is clear, credible, and consistent, AI can favor your work regardless of size or domain age.

8. Authenticity is the new currency

AI models are trained to detect misinformation and inconsistency.
The fake-it-till-you-make-it phase of the internet is over.

Authenticity and transparency now define credibility. Verified authorship, factual writing, and consistent tone are the new ranking signals. Edwin believes that genuine expertise will soon outweigh technical SEO entirely.

9. Content must evolve

Static evergreen content is losing value.
AI learns from what is new, updated, and relevant.

Edwin describes this as turning your website into a living conversation. Content should evolve over time, be updated as insights change, and reflect ongoing dialogue with your audience and the AI systems that learn from it.

10. What to do next

We close the episode with a few practical steps:
• Build your own community space that you control.
• Become the trusted voice in your niche.
• Keep your content alive and evolving.
• Be authentic and verifiable. Credibility is the new SEO.

“It is a reset, but also a natural evolution of search. It is becoming more human.”