The other day, I caught myself doing something that would have seemed bizarre a year ago: arguing with ChatGPT about whether the Beatles recorded “Hey Jude” in 1968 or 1969. (It was 1968, for the record.) As someone who’s spent years helping companies figure out what’s next, this moment perfectly captures both the promise and the puzzle of AI-powered search.
There’s a gold rush happening right now in something called Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO – basically, the art of getting your content to show up in AI responses. And look, I get it. When you see how quickly these AI tools can synthesize information and spit out answers, it’s tempting to think traditional search engine optimization (SEO) is headed for the digital dustbin.
But here’s the thing: rushing to abandon SEO for GEO is like selling your car because someone promised you a jetpack. Sure, jetpacks are cool, but maybe wait until they’re not exploding in beta testing.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not some digital dinosaur arguing against progress. I’ve built my career on helping companies embrace new technology. But I’ve also seen enough “next big things” to know that the smartest moves in tech are usually the ones that build on what works instead of starting from scratch.
Remember when mobile apps first exploded? Everyone rushed to build standalone apps, only to realize later that responsive websites could do the job just fine for most businesses. We’re at a similar crossroads with search. Yes, AI is changing how people find information online. But that doesn’t mean we should throw out everything we know about helping users find what they’re looking for.
The smarter play is to think of GEO as an add-on to your existing strategy, not a replacement. It’s like adding electric vehicles to your product line while keeping your hybrid models in production. Some of your customers are ready for full electric, others aren’t – but everyone wants to get where they’re going.
This matters especially for smaller businesses, who are being told they need to completely overhaul their digital presence for AI. That’s not just expensive – it’s unnecessary. The fundamentals of good content haven’t changed: clear writing, useful information, and genuine value for real humans still win the day, whether you’re optimizing for Google or ChatGPT.
I’ve seen companies panic-pivot before, throwing resources at every new trend that comes along. But the ones that consistently succeed are those that take a more measured approach: experiment with new technologies, absolutely, but keep one foot on solid ground while you do it.
The future of search isn’t either/or – it’s both/and. The companies that will thrive in this new landscape aren’t the ones that jump blindly onto the GEO bandwagon but those that figure out how to make AI work alongside their existing strategies. After all, even as I argued with ChatGPT about the Beatles, I still ended up fact-checking it on Google.
Eric Wing is a digital strategy consultant who helps companies navigate tech transitions without losing their minds.
