As artificial intelligence reshapes the digital landscape, businesses are racing to adapt to a world where chatbots, not search engines, are becoming the primary source of information. Today, I’m thrilled to sit down with Milena Traikovich, a Demand Gen expert with a wealth of experience in analytics, performance optimization, and lead generation. Milena has been at the forefront of helping brands navigate this shift, particularly through innovative strategies like generative engine optimization (GEO). In our conversation, we’ll explore how GEO differs from traditional SEO, why AI chatbots are changing the game for online visibility, and how businesses can leverage these emerging technologies to stay relevant. We’ll also dive into the challenges brands face in this new era and discuss practical ways to integrate GEO into existing marketing efforts.
Can you explain what generative engine optimization (GEO) is and how it stands apart from traditional search engine optimization (SEO)?
Absolutely. GEO is a new approach to digital visibility that focuses on optimizing content for AI-driven chatbots rather than traditional search engines like Google. While SEO is all about ranking higher in search results through keywords, backlinks, and website structure, GEO zeroes in on how AI systems interpret and prioritize information based on factors like user intent, content clarity, and trustworthiness. It’s about ensuring your brand is the one that surfaces when a chatbot answers a query, rather than just appearing on the first page of search results. The shift reflects how people are increasingly relying on AI for quick, consolidated answers instead of browsing through multiple links.
Why do you think traditional SEO is losing its edge in today’s digital environment?
SEO isn’t obsolete, but its effectiveness is waning as user behavior changes. More and more people are turning to AI chatbots for instant answers, bypassing search engines altogether. Studies show over half of U.S. consumers use chatbots to research products, and in the B2B space, that number is even higher—around 89%. When users trust the first response from a chatbot, there’s little incentive to dig deeper into search results. If your brand isn’t in that initial AI answer, you’re essentially invisible, no matter how well your site ranks on a traditional search engine. That’s where SEO falls short in this new landscape.
What are some of the biggest challenges brands face with this shift toward AI chatbots as a primary information source?
One major challenge is the lack of awareness. Many marketers don’t even realize whether their brand appears in AI responses or not—they’re still focused on traditional metrics like search rankings. Another issue is adapting to how AI evaluates content. It’s not just about keywords anymore; it’s about authority, relevance, and how well your content aligns with specific user prompts. Brands also struggle with the risk of being overlooked if they’re not cited in that first chatbot response, which can drastically impact visibility and trust among potential customers.
Why do you think so many users trust the first response they get from AI chatbots?
It comes down to convenience and perceived reliability. Chatbots deliver a single, streamlined answer, which saves users the effort of sifting through multiple sources. People are often looking for quick solutions, and AI presents information in a way that feels definitive. There’s also a psychological factor—when a machine gives a clear, confident response, users tend to assume it’s accurate, especially if they’re not inclined to double-check. This trust is even stronger in B2B contexts, where buyers rely on chatbots for efficiency throughout their decision-making process.
How does this trust in AI responses change the way brands need to position themselves online?
Brands have to prioritize being the first answer AI provides. That means crafting content that aligns with how AI models evaluate and rank information—focusing on clarity, authority, and relevance to specific queries. It’s no longer enough to just drive traffic to your website; you need to ensure your brand is directly referenced in chatbot responses. This requires a deeper understanding of user intent and tailoring content to match the kinds of questions people ask AI. It’s a shift from broad visibility to pinpoint accuracy in addressing user needs.
Can you share how GEO strategies can help brands become more visible to AI chatbots without starting from scratch?
Certainly. GEO isn’t about reinventing the wheel—it’s about adapting what you already have. For instance, a lot of existing content, like blog posts or product pages, can be optimized by improving machine readability, refining headlines to match common AI prompts, and emphasizing trustworthiness through clear, authoritative information. GEO frameworks provide actionable steps to analyze what kinds of queries bring up your content and offer recommendations to increase citation rates. It’s about fine-tuning rather than overhauling, which makes it a practical approach for most brands.
How can brands integrate GEO into their existing SEO and PR workflows without causing disruption?
Integration is key, and GEO is designed to complement, not replace, existing strategies. Brands can start by using GEO tools to assess their visibility in AI responses while continuing to optimize for traditional search engines. For example, you can align content updates to serve both purposes—ensuring they rank well in search results and are easily picked up by AI models. It’s also about expanding your content strategy to account for AI-specific signals, like user intent, without abandoning proven SEO tactics. The goal is to create a cohesive approach where GEO enhances your overall digital presence alongside other efforts.
With such a high percentage of B2B buyers relying on chatbots, what do you think is driving this trend in that specific space?
In the B2B world, efficiency is everything. Buyers are often juggling complex decisions with tight timelines, and chatbots offer a way to consolidate research into a single, digestible answer. Instead of navigating multiple websites or whitepapers, they can ask a specific question and get a tailored response instantly. There’s also a growing comfort with AI technology in professional settings—businesses see it as a reliable tool for data-driven insights. This reliance is only going to grow as chatbots become more sophisticated and integrated into workflows.
What’s your forecast for the future of GEO and its role in digital marketing over the next few years?
I believe GEO will become a cornerstone of digital marketing as AI continues to dominate how people access information. We’re already seeing a race among brands to establish visibility in chatbot responses, and that competition will only intensify. Over the next few years, I expect GEO to evolve with more advanced tools and frameworks, helping brands not just get cited by AI but also control their narrative in those responses. It’ll likely merge with other strategies like answer engine optimization to create a more holistic approach to content visibility. The bottom line is, if you’re not adapting to GEO now, you risk falling behind as AI reshapes the digital landscape.
