From SEO to GEO: How marketing leaders stay visible in AI-driven search

Zero-click searches now account for about 59% of queries in the U.S. and EU, and they top 70% on topics dominated by AI. That shift compresses discovery and puts answers before any click, changing the rules for marketing and brand visibility.

Brands must be cited, not just ranked. Major reports from Bain, Pew, Adobe, and news about Perplexity’s bid for Chrome show browsers and assistants are the new launchpads for discovery.

For leaders in Italy and across Europe, this means moving effort toward being quoted within AI summaries. Classic metrics like rank and clicks no longer tell the full story.

GEO complements SEO: it trains answer engines to reference your site while structured content keeps you indexable. The result is a shorter path to decision and a greater premium on being a trusted source.

• Zero-click and AI summaries are reshaping discovery and reducing organic clicks.
• Brands now compete to be cited inside answers, not just to rank on a results page.
• GEO tactics make your content cite-worthy; classic crawlable pages remain essential.
• Browsers and assistants act as interfaces that control what users see first.
• Executives should align teams to build structured, quotable content that proves impact.

Discovery now often arrives as a single, synthesized answer. Users read compact summaries that supply context and a quick decision. That change lowers the incentive to open multiple pages.

Zero-click searches reach around 59% across the U.S. and EU and top 70% for topics dominated by AI overviews. When an AI summary appears, only about 8% of users click a link, compared with 15% without a summary.

Independent research shows 80% of consumers use AI-generated summaries for at least 40% of searches. This correlates with a 15–25% decline in organic traffic. Google’s Overviews show up on roughly 13% of queries, and ads tested inside these summaries further compress visible space for links.

Discovery now follows relevance and context to find people, rather than people hunting through results. Editorial and technical teams must structure content for machine comprehension and craft concise, attributable answers.

AI-driven answers reward sources that are concise, structured, and verifiable. That shift makes a clear split between classic page ranking and being quoted inside synthesized responses.

Generative engine optimization (generative engine optimization) centers on earning citations that answer systems reuse. By contrast, seo focuses on crawlability, structured markup, and position in result lists.

BrightEdge analyzed one million AI answers and found 68% of cited sites had strong authority and structured content. Niche expertise still wins when entities are clear and claims are attributable.

“SEO optimizes for rankings, GEO for citations in AI-generated answers.”

• Engines favor credible signals, clean entity definitions, and quotable formats.
• Workflow: seo maintains the technical substrate; geo crafts concise, attributable content that answer systems lift.
• KPIs shift to citations, mentions, and share of answer alongside rankings and clicks.

Practical tip: write short, sourced statements and add schema and FAQs so answer engines can quote you verbatim.

Data now shows a structural change in discovery. About 59% of queries produce no link clicks, and that rate rises above 70% for topics heavily exposed to AI overviews. Those figures are a clear sign that traditional referral volumes face pressure.

Pew research reports link click-through drops to 8% when an AI summary appears, versus 15% without it. That decline compresses organic performance for brands and lowers measured site traffic.

AI overviews show up on roughly 13% of queries and often occupy above-the-fold space. Ads tested inside these summaries shift paid inventory into the same tight answer real estate.

“This is not a temporary noise—these signals point to lasting structural change.”

Adobe found AI-assisted referrals to U.S. retail sites grew 10–13x between mid-2024 and early 2025. That suggests qualified referrals can surge even as overall visit counts fall.

• Zero-click rates and reduced clicks show the answer layer compresses traffic and performance for many sites.
• Overviews reduce above-the-fold share for organic and paid links, changing impression dynamics.
• Media coverage and authoritative sources feed training data, amplifying brand presence in answers.
• Monitor share of answer, not only share of traffic, and refocus KPIs on citations, recommendations, and assisted conversions.

Perplexity’s $34.5B offer for Chrome signaled a turning point: browsers are becoming primary AI distribution platforms.

Browsers and OS surfaces now act like default assistant platforms. They can surface answers, ads, and brand touchpoints before any click. That control changes which information users meet first.

When a platform chooses an assistant, it privileges specific engines and formats. That decision shapes brand exposure inside the immediate view.

“Whoever controls the interface controls what customers see.”

• Browsers and devices embed engines that reduce friction between query and answer.
• Partnerships and defaults can rework distribution overnight, so monitor platform updates closely.
• Be technically ready to deliver structured signals so systems can quote and reuse your content.

Strategic implication: treat browser and device ecosystems as critical gateways. In Italy and the EU, privacy rules can shift which platforms lead, so keep the mix agile.

Brand recognition now depends on being named inside concise model answers, not just on impressions. This reframes awareness: it’s less about reach and more about whether an engine quotes your content when customers look for guidance.

Answer systems favor concise claims that are clearly sourced. Strategic PR that earns citations in reputable media and analyst outlets raises the odds of being picked up by generative summaries.

Signals that matter include consistent entity data, clear attributions, and context-rich explanations. Executive bylines and SME posts add social proof and reinforce entities as trusted sources.

• Define awareness as being named inside the answer customers read first.
• Make content quotable: clear claims, attributions, and structured formats.
• Prioritize reputable citations, consistent entity records, and contextual detail.
• Align PR, content, and technical teams to seed quotable material across channels.

“AI-assisted referrals grew 10–13x, showing customers rely more on model-led recommendations.”

Today’s priority is feeding models clear, attributable facts that can be reused. Publish short, sourced claims that an answer system can lift verbatim. BrightEdge found 68% of AI-cited sources had strong authority and structured content, and niche expertise still wins in focused topics.

Think beyond page tags. Produce explainers, FAQs, and data-backed summaries designed for extraction. Add schema, clear attributions, and concise quotations so a generative engine can reference you.

• Publish analyst reports and executive-authored posts on reputable outlets.
• Seed community forums, authoritative media, and platform-native formats such as video transcripts and posts on key platforms.
• Reinforce entities across bios, bylines, and organization profiles for consistent engine optimization.

“Treat models as channels: feed them validated facts and measure citation share.”

Build a testing loop with simple prompts and tools to confirm which systems surface your content. Align PR, seo, and content teams on a steady cadence so leadership priorities—category shaping and measurable demand—have the factual scaffolding engines reuse.

Visibility now often starts before a single click: measure the signals that answer systems read. Engines still rely on classic seo foundations—crawlability, structured data, and clear entities—yet outcomes now appear as citations and recommendations. Adobe’s data showing 10–13x growth in AI-assisted referrals reinforces the need to track evidence beyond visits. Pew and Bain research also report rising use of model summaries and corresponding traffic shifts.

Track technical health: clean sitemaps, indexability checks, schema coverage, and consistent entity markup across key pages and profiles.

Monitor mentions in trusted sources, executive bylines, analyst notes, and high-authority backlinks. Capture the context of those mentions so the information is attributable and quotable.

Measure assisted sessions from AI surfaces, recommendations captured in transcripts, and your share of answer for priority questions. Run periodic question-based tests to confirm inclusion and benchmark movement.

• Instrument connections from pre-click visibility to downstream conversions.
• Create a visibility index focused on citation share alongside seo metrics.
• Set a cadence tied to PR and content releases and document evidence with screenshots and logs.

“Documented proof builds internal trust in the new visibility model.”

Brands that earn model citations do so through coordinated teams, not lone content pushes.

Frame the work as cross-functional: editorial crafts short, cite-worthy pieces; seo geo teams add structure and schema; PR secures media mentions; social amplifies experts and executive voices.

Set an operating model with shared calendars and joint briefs. Use unified entity and style guidance so systems read one coherent brand signal.

Encourage SMEs and leaders to publish regularly. Their quotes and bylines raise trust signals and help models prefer your sources.

• Create repeatable workflows: research-backed content, proactive outreach, and standardized packaging for easy extraction.
• Assign owners for schema, citations, and social amplification to close gaps in the signal chain.
• Hold monthly rituals to align on priority queries, target sources, and GEO-ready content to ship.

“Optimization wins only scale when teams move in sync, not in silos.”

After launch, do post-release reviews. Trace how content became citations and which channels seeded visibility. Repeat what works and tighten governance.

Top brands adopt repeatable habits that make their facts easy for models to lift and reuse. That discipline blends research, executive bylines, and short explainers built for extraction.

Produce sourced, data-rich explainers that answer core questions succinctly. Use clear claims and citations so engines can quote verbatim.

Activate executives and named experts to publish consistent commentary. Byline prominence and public profiles strengthen entity signals and trust.

Embed summaries, FAQ schema, and structured metadata on each key page. Analyses show many AI citations map to correctly marked FAQ content.

Make the playbook repeatable: drafting templates with claims, citations, and takeaways. Add optimization checklists to content ops and run prompt tests with simple tools.

• Produce quotable pages and one-page explainers for priority topics.
• Verify schema coverage and canonical references before publishing.
• Track success by citations, mentions, and share of answer over time.

“Define success as measurable growth in citations and share of answer.”

Coverage by high-authority outlets often determines which brands appear in concise answers. Earning mentions in Reuters, Bloomberg, and respected analyst reports raises the chance a model will reference your work.

Publications and analyst reports act as durable training signals. When a trusted outlet quotes your study or executive, that fact becomes a clean, attributable statement models can reuse.

Prioritize pitches that include quotable stats and clear attributions. Package releases so journalists and analysts can lift a short, factual sentence verbatim.

Executive posts and SME threads on LinkedIn, X, and YouTube often get embedded in articles and reports. Younger audiences treat social content like search, so these posts can seed discovery.

Coach spokespeople to answer common industry questions openly and to cite sources. Use simple, public language that a model can extract without ambiguity.

• Track placements with tools that show which publications and posts appear in answer layers.
• Align PR calendars with content launches and indexing windows.
• Document each placement’s downstream effect on answer inclusion and iterate.
• Treat PR and social as active inputs to model training, not passive awareness.

“Earned mentions in reputable outlets increase the likelihood models will surface your statements.”

Start by mapping the people, products, and places your brand owns across the web. That entity map becomes the backbone for short, attributable statements that answer systems can lift.

Define entities clearly: names, roles, product IDs, and location data must match across pages and external profiles. Consistent labeling helps engines match facts to your brand.

Group related topics into pillar pages and interlinked subtopics. Semantic clusters signal depth and make content easier to extract for recommendations.

Produce videos, podcasts, and infographics with transcripts and metadata. AI systems process multimodal inputs; transcripts increase the chance of accurate citation.

Apply schema (Organization, Product, FAQ, LocalBusiness) on priority pages and use tools to validate markup and monitor extraction.

For Italy, include consistent NAP, local case studies, and region-specific FAQs. Local data often appears in AI recommendations when well structured.

“68% of AI-cited sources came from sites with strong authority and structured content.”

A focused 90-day effort on structure and entities compounds visibility gains over time.

Start with a 90-day audit today. Map canonical names, product attributes, and schema gaps. Fix high-impact entity mismatches first.

Prioritize pages that already drive traffic and convert. Update Organization, Product, and FAQ markup so engines can extract clear facts.

Rewrite top assets into short, conversational answers. Add FAQ blocks and brief summaries that a model can lift verbatim.

Integrate product pages and solution hubs with specs, clear attributes, and ready-to-quote lines. This improves extractability and recommendations.

Expand into video, audio, and visual formats with transcripts. Use simple tools to track share of answer, assisted sessions, and citation growth.

Tie pre-click influence to performance and pipeline. Keep ongoing research into customer questions and run quarterly reviews to reallocate effort toward tactics that increase brand visibility.

“Early adoption compounds advantage; act now and measure what matters.”

As interfaces steer answers, brands must pair disciplined content work with tactics that earn direct citations.

Pair technical discipline and media strategy: keep pages structured, publish short, attributable claims, and coordinate PR and social media so answer systems can trust your lines.

Optimize for answers, not only results. Write for extraction, cite sources clearly, and align teams so brand authority is consistent across channels.

Measure what matters: share of answer, citations, and assisted outcomes alongside classic page metrics. Focus on real customer questions and decision moments.

In time, the brands that adapt fastest and weave generative engine optimization into routines will convert pre-click visibility into lasting presence and value.