GEO Gems Content Series: Article 1: Gatesman is on top of the ever-evolving digital landscape. In our newest series called Geo Gems, we will bring you up to speed on all things Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and how you can lean into current trends to ensure your brand is not left behind.
Over the past year, I’ve noticed a subtle but unmistakable shift in how people look for information. A recent survey from Innovating with AI found that 83% of users now prefer AI-powered search tools over traditional search engines, a trend that’s showing up everywhere I look. Colleagues, clients, even friends… they’re not always typing questions into Google anymore. They’re using ChatGPT to find out the scoop on competitors or learn new things. They are using Perplexity to understand the difference between competing services.
What used to be “search behavior” has become “AI consultation,” and it’s happening frequently and quietly. Here’s the part most brands aren’t ready for: AI results shape perception just as powerfully as search results ever did, and in many cases even more.
This is where Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) becomes the next real frontier in brand visibility and reputation. No, it’s not totally new. In fact, we have written about it before when talking about how GEO pairs with SEO. What is new is the urgency. Brands can’t afford to wait. Now is the moment to build a strong GEO strategy before competitors shape the narrative for you.
So, more on the reputation front. AI platforms behave a lot like your smart friend who has consumed everything ever written about you (think about your mega fans, your inner clique). When someone asks:
- “Who’s actually good at this?”
- “Is that company reputable?”
- “What sets these two apart?”
…the AI answers confidently, even when the information it relies on is thin, outdated or pulled from sources you would never choose for yourself. And because the tone feels neutral and matter-of-fact, people tend to believe it. If the platform’s understanding of your brand is incomplete, that incomplete version becomes the one people see.
Many brands assume AI already “knows” who they are. It doesn’t. Not unless you have given it something meaningful to interpret. Think of GEO as a combination of what you feed the models and what you learn from how they respond. PR is what fills the pantry. It provides:
- Credible press
- Expert commentary
- Awards and rankings
- Published thought leadership
- High-authority third-party validation
Before you spend time or budget trying to optimize for AI platforms, you need to know how these platforms currently describe you. In our work, this step often reveals things leadership teams were not aware of, both positive and negative.
A strong GEO audit evaluates:
- Accuracy: Does the description reflect who you are today?
- Freshness: Is the model referencing recent content or information from years ago?
- Completeness: Are your capabilities, products or locations represented clearly?
- Tone: Is it neutral, outdated or generic?
- Competitor presence: Who shows up more strongly, and why?
- Missing signals: Awards, updated bios, recent coverage and basic brand definitions
Silence can be just as damaging as negative coverage. When little is written about you, AI fills gaps however it can. We are advising clients to take several immediate steps as this space evolves:
- Invest in high-authority earned media: Generative engines lean heavily on trusted journalism. If your most recent piece of coverage is outdated, the AI’s understanding is outdated too. Press releases are also seeing new relevance because of how clearly they communicate structured facts.
- Simplify and clarify owned content: AI rewards clean, accurate, well-organized information.
- Build credibility signals intentionally: Awards, rankings and certifications are not vanity metrics in GEO. They influence how models assess your authority.
- Maintain steady thought leadership: Interviews, bylines and quotable commentary help engines interpret your expertise and leadership role in the category.
- Monitor quarterly, not annually: Models update quickly and competitors publish constantly. GEO requires steady attention.
GEO is about making your brand and its differentiators discoverable in the places people now go to for answers. That includes ensuring that copy and design on your website are easy for LLMs to find and also align with user prompts that people are leveraging in their queries. If you are not shaping that story, something else fills the space. That might be competitors, outdated content or incorrect assumptions. Brands that treat GEO as a core reputation function today will gain significant advantage. Those who wait will spend years trying to catch up.
At Gatesman, our collective digital strategists help organizations understand and influence the AI narrative forming around them.
We help brands:
- Audit their presence (and competitors’) across major AI platforms
- Strengthen the authority signals engines rely on
- Optimize owned content for AI discoverability
- Build GEO roadmaps that adjust as models evolve
- Design PR programs that increase AI-driven visibility
If you are ready to understand and guide how AI platforms talk about your brand, let’s talk. Be sure to stay tuned for more coverage in our Geo Gems Content Series.
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