Technological shift: Internet search moves from browser to bots, SEO to GEO

Marketers are turning to generative engine optimisation, which uses GenAI to create and optimise content for improved search engine ranking

Internet search has changed with the advent of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), moving from fetching links to showing content and becoming conversational. It has pivoted from browser to chatbots.

 

Google search was launched in 1998 and rapidly became the industry leader: a position it has maintained since then. Microsoft Bing, Yahoo, Yandex and DuckDuckGo are other popular search engines — a market that’s worth $252.5 billion, according to Mordor Intelligence. 

 

The market is forecast to grow and be worth $440.6 billion by 2030. “Strong growth reflects the shift from keyword retrieval to AI-native, conversational engines that require far greater compute resources, especially for multimodal queries that combine text, voice and visuals,” said Mordor in a report.

 

Search that fetched content links was the standard way to use the internet for decades. But now sophisticated predictive engines mean searching links is a small deal. 

 

The search business has entered a new era. GenAI bots in devices and services like email enable users to see AI-based summaries and content, not just link-based information.

 

The older model enabled companies to monetise search engines by charging advertising fees for their content. Search engine optimisation (SEO) became the industry standard for marketers promoting their content. 

 

GenAI bots are disrupting this model by creating summaries, insights and notes — users don’t have to click links to get information. Younger internet users don’t have the patience for clicking through links to find relevant content. They expect a GenAI bot to search, summarise and serve content from various sources. People are using conversational GenAI chatbots like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini for information with context.

 

The search engine industry is headed for transformation. Web analytics firm StatCounter reports Google’s share in the search market has declined since the launch of ChatGPT and other GenAI bots. This decline is small but notable because it's the first time Google's share has dropped below 90 per cent since 2015.

 

AI-driven paid search spending will rise from $1 billion in 2025 to $26 billion by 2029, according to Mordor. Growth will be driven by advertisers chasing higher-quality engagement even if it means fewer clicks.

 

Marketers are focusing on generative engine optimisation (GEO), which uses GenAI to create and optimise content for improved search engine ranking. AI-based summaries remove the advantage companies got by using SEO to place well-placed content links in internet search results. Companies are scrambling to ensure that their products and services pop up in AI-based summaries generated by chatbots. Younger and futuristic consumers read AI summaries and don’t care much for web links. The rise of agentic AI — artificial intelligence that autonomously plans and executes actions to achieve specific goals — means the value of branded and sponsored links will reduce. 

 

As a consequence, GEO will overtake SEO-based marketing plans of companies. Digital marketers are providing AI-based solutions for GEO. UK-based DigitalBiz has launched AI Engine Boost, which acts as a “transformative connective layer in the evolving search landscape” by uniting traditional SEO with AI SEO, GEO and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO).

 

“AI EngineBoost provides an omnipresent brand visibility strategy that adapts to both traditional and emerging search technologies,” said DigitalBiz in a statement. It uses GEO by ensuring brands are referenced in AI-generated outputs, supports AEO by creating structured content aligned with user intent, and complements SEO by driving traffic through “authoritative mentions”. 

 

Lily AI, a California-based retail technology company specialising in AI solutions for retailers and brands, has also launched a solution for marketers to enhance their product content for optimal visibility and discoverability within traditional SEO and emerging contexts of GEO and AEO. 

 

Traditional internet search will evolve into a GenAI search and summary industry. Product visibility and discoverability will increasingly be decided by GEO efforts and AI summaries.