Good-bye Blue Links: Understand the GEO shift in 15 Minutes
May 3, 2025
The rapid development of artificial intelligence tools is drastically reshaping our digital habits, particularly the way we access information.
After two decades dominated by traditional search engines, with Google at the forefront, we are entering a new era: AI Search. ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and numerous others are redefining the game by providing direct, AI-generated answers instead of traditional links.
As a result, the battle for online visibility is shifting from traditional “blue links” (SEO) to AI-generated answers (GEO – Generated Engine Optimization). A clear sign of this paradigm shift is Google’s declining market share. While this decline varies by region, it is particularly noticeable in certain countries. For instance, in France, Google’s share dropped from over 91% of internet searches in April 2024 to less than 88% in May 2025—within just one year.
This decrease, although modest at first glance, indicates a significant underlying trend that may soon accelerate. Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of Google’s absolute dominance? One thing is certain: the Search landscape is undergoing profound changes, and both brands and users must quickly adapt.
From SEO to GEO
SEO needs no introduction — it’s the technique used to ensure brands and organizations get optimal content ranking. With the rise of AI-powered search, the market is adopting a new term: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). GEO focuses on securing visibility within an AI model’s (LLM) generated response. While there are similarities in the rules to follow, this new type of optimization still has several key differences:
Classic Search - SEO | Generative Engines (GEO) | What it means for your content |
|---|---|---|
Anchor-based navigation - Users skim blue links, click, then decide to stay or bounce. | Anchor-less answers - The model rewrites information into a single narrative. There is much less (sometimes no) hyperlink “escape hatch” for the user to verify—or discover—you. | If your brand isn’t explicitly named (and named early) inside the answer block, you don’t exist in that session. |
Page purity - Google ranks each URL independently (title, H-tags, backlinks, dwell time). | Fusion of sources - A single answer can splice facts from five sites, a PDF, and Wikipedia into one sentence. The model values coherence over source boundaries. | You’re competing sentence-by-sentence, not page-by-page. Precision (stats, quotes, definitions) beats sheer word count or backlink volume. |
Dozens of citation slots - A SERP shows 10 links, plus videos, "People also ask", … | Citation slots are scarce - Many engines show 0–3 footnote-style links, sometimes hidden behind a dropdown. | Getting one of those micro-slots requires structured, authoritative data—otherwise the model picks someone else’s figure or skips citing altogether. |
GEO is already here
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) isn’t some distant trend on the horizon—it’s already transforming digital marketing and reshaping how brands are discovered online. The explosive rise of AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity is fundamentally changing both how people seek out information and how brands need to approach their digital presence.
Widespread User Adoption: The growth figures speak for themselves. ChatGPT now counts over 500 million weekly users, and Perplexity’s search volume has skyrocketed by 858% in recent months. This shift is happening faster than many brands realize.
Evolving Search Behaviors: Today, 60% of searches end without a single website click, as users increasingly rely on AI-generated summaries. Search users turn to AI summaries for a lot of their queries, while large language model (LLM) users rely on these platforms for research, news, and shopping advice.
Corporate Integration: Companies are catching on fast. According to McKinsey, 65% of organizations now use generative AI regularly—nearly double last year’s figure. Gartner predicts that by 2026, a quarter of all search queries will bypass traditional engines altogether in favor of AI-driven interfaces, which could cut organic search traffic by as much as 25%.
Business Impact: For those who adapt early, the rewards are clear. Content optimized for GEO can achieve a boost in AI-generated visibility, and some small businesses are seeing gains. Early adopters are not just gaining visibility—they’re establishing authority and grabbing market share.
Generative engine optimization is the next frontier for digital strategy. It’s about helping brands stay relevant and thrive in a world dominated by generative engines.
A New Ecosystem of Tools: The GEO landscape is quickly evolving, with specialized tools now helping marketers structure their content for AI, analyze intent, and optimize for more natural, conversational, and even multimodal queries.
GEO is no longer a “nice to have” or an experiment—it’s a strategic imperative. Brands that hesitate risk becoming invisible as AI-driven search becomes the default. The advantage will go to those who act now, secure their place, and lead the conversation in this new digital era.