We’ve spent years as an industry obsessed with what people search for.
Now, it’s time to be just as focused on where they search.
Generative engine optimization (GEO) isn’t just another tactic – it’s a new lens, a new mindset that’s reshaping how we think about search, content, and customer discovery.
This article will help you:Â
- Plan financially and strategically for GEO in 2026.
- Understand what it means for your team, your content, your data, and, most importantly, your audience.
Follow the user: From what to where
Search isn’t a single destination anymore.Â
It’s a journey made up of moments, typed, spoken, tapped, prompted.
Over the past nine months, we’ve been tracking how people search, and one thing’s obvious:
From TikTok to ChatGPT to review sites and Reddit, discovery is diversifying, and your strategy must follow.
The most exciting aspect of this is that it is still in its early days. You have the opportunity to lead, but you need to be willing to adapt.Â
Why multi-platform searching offers such an opportunity
The mere exposure effect shows us that familiarity builds trust.Â
If your audience sees your brand in multiple, relevant touchpoints, your perceived credibility increases, even before they land on your site.
But that can’t happen if your strategy still treats search as a single-channel activity.
So, where to begin?
Start with audience research – deep, layered, and behavior-led.Â
Combine surveys, social listening, focus groups, and analytics to find out:
- Where your audience is searching.
- What they’re trying to do.
- What motivates them in that moment.
Map against four core human search drivers:
- Fact-finding: Rational, objective answers.
- Crowd-sourcing: Validation from peers and communities.
- Taste-tuning: Inspiration that fits their identity.
- Habit-driven: Shortcuts based on trust and familiarity.
If your budget planning doesn’t start with this understanding, you’re essentially building a strategy in the dark.
Rethink ranking: Optimize your search real estate
The SEO industry has rightly been fixated on AI Overviews, but many brands are missing the wider picture.
Search real estate has never been more diverse, with images, sitelinks, video carousels, reviews, forum answers, shopping links, and AI-powered responses all competing for attention.
We need to think beyond ranking and instead focus on occupying the spaces where our audience is actively looking for reassurance, answers, or inspiration.
Here’s a simple content format framework to cover the full spectrum of search intent:
Shape perspectives: Opinion-led, expert content
- Mindset: Curious, reflective, exploring ideas.
- Brand opportunity: Build thought leadership and spark category conversations.
- Example formats and platforms: Opinion pieces, newsletters, blogs – X, Medium, Threads.
Inspire and engage: Short-form and…
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