以 GEO 为分野，搜索营销会走向何处？

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the urgent need for a new search marketing approach due to the shift of consumers from traditional search engines to AI-driven conversational and Q&A products, with over 58% of consumers using AI tools for product/service recommendations in 2024, up from 25% in 2023 [1] - This shift has led to the emergence of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which focuses on how brand information can be understood and integrated by AI into its responses, changing the optimization goal from "being seen" to "being thought of" and "being recommended" [1] Group 1: Consumer Behavior and Trends - A survey by Adobe indicates that 39% of U.S. consumers have used generative AI for online shopping, with 53% planning to do so within the year, highlighting a significant trend towards AI in consumer purchasing behavior [2] - On "Cyber Monday" in 2024, traffic from generative AI increased by an astonishing 1950% year-over-year, showcasing the migration of internet users towards AI tools [2] - Consumers are utilizing generative AI for various shopping activities, including product research (55%), obtaining recommendations (47%), finding discounts (43%), and creating shopping lists (33%) [2] Group 2: Brand Visibility and Marketing Strategies - The visibility of brands has become uncertain in the context of AI, as traditional metrics of brand recognition may not apply when AI models generate content based on the frequency and quality of textual references [3][5] - Brands with high visibility in traditional media may not be recognized by AI if they lack sufficient high-quality textual references, leading to a potential decline in their perceived value [5] - The article discusses a matrix for brand visibility that evaluates both presence on large language model (LLM) platforms and overall brand recognition, indicating that new brands may have an advantage in being recognized by AI [3] Group 3: The Role of GEO - GEO is described as a new marketing concept that aims to enhance brand visibility in AI-generated content, focusing on semantic engineering to lower the semantic cost for models to understand and reference brands [11] - The article warns that while GEO can optimize brand visibility, it also poses risks of "polluting" AI sources with misleading information, as brands may attempt to manipulate AI responses through various tactics [14][16] - The relationship between GEO and traditional SEO is highlighted, suggesting that effective SEO practices can naturally lead to successful GEO strategies, although the GEO landscape is still evolving and lacks established norms [18]