Generative Engine Optimisation – The SEO Obituary Has Been Written Too Many Times. Here’s What’s Really Happening.

Every few months, someone declares “SEO is dead.”

Most of them know better.

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is no longer a fringe topic – it’s fast becoming the defining challenge for marketers and SEO leaders in the age of AI. As search engines evolve into answer engines, the old playbook of ranking for position #1 simply isn’t enough. GEO is about understanding how AI systems interpret, summarise, and surface content – and adapting now to stay visible in a very different search landscape.

Yes, search is changing like never before, and AI is accelerating that shift, but let’s look at the facts:

✅ Google Search is still by far the biggest source of leads for most businesses. That’s unlikely to change overnight, but when it does change, it can happen fast.

✅ SEO remains at least twice as cost-effective as PPC in my experience. Yet Google’s PPC revenues are growing.

✅ Position #1 is no longer enough. Click-through-rates are dropping as AI summaries take more of the real estate, but here’s the twist: Average Engagement Time is rising. When was the last time you checked yours?

✅ AI traffic is still low, but sales from Generative Engine Optimisation searches are disproportionately high. Early adopters are seeing outsized results.

✅ Page speed has never mattered more, and neither has your content mix. Google’s AI Overviews love YouTube, if video isn’t part of your strategy, it should be.

The bottom line?
SEO isn’t dead. But the rules are shifting. The brands who adapt quickly will win the next chapter of search.

Are you ready for it?

Case History on Leighton Fine Art who we’ve been working with for years.

More on GEO.