AI 时代的营销迷思，GEO 的黑白两面

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 a significant increase in AI tool usage from 25% in 2023 to 58% in 2024 for product/service recommendations [1][2]. Group 1: Shift in Consumer Behavior - A Capgemini survey indicates that over half (58%) of consumers will use AI tools instead of traditional search engines for recommendations in 2024, a notable rise from 25% in 2023 [1]. - An Adobe survey reveals that 39% of respondents have already used generative AI for online shopping, with 53% planning to do so within the year [2]. Group 2: Emergence of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) - The shift towards AI-driven answers raises concerns about traditional SEO's effectiveness, leading to the emergence of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which focuses on how brands can be understood and referenced by AI [2][3]. - GEO aims to enhance brand visibility in AI-generated content, shifting the focus from being "seen" to being "thought of" and "recommended" [2]. Group 3: Brand Visibility Challenges - A matrix from the Harvard Business Review categorizes brand visibility based on their recognition on large language model (LLM) platforms and overall brand awareness, indicating that brands with high visibility in both areas are more likely to be recognized by AI [4]. - Brands that previously had high visibility may not be referenced by AI if they do not adapt their marketing strategies to be more AI-friendly [6]. Group 4: The Role of AI in Decision Making - AI serves as a new decision-making entry point, making brand visibility uncertain as it relies on the quality and frequency of textual references rather than historical brand strength [6][9]. - The traditional search engine model allowed users to discover lower-ranked brands through active exploration, whereas AI provides consolidated answers, limiting the opportunity for brands to be discovered [9]. Group 5: Strategies for Enhancing AI Visibility - To improve brand visibility in AI, companies must focus on semantic engineering, ensuring that their content is clear, structured, and easily understood by AI models [10]. - Brands should present information in a way that highlights product features and solutions, making it easier for AI to categorize and reference them [10]. Group 6: Current State of GEO - GEO is still in its early stages, with many uncertainties and a lack of established leaders in the field, as it is closely tied to the evolving landscape of AI applications [17][18]. - The relationship between GEO and traditional SEO is not entirely separate; many believe that adapting SEO practices to align with AI logic will naturally lead to effective GEO strategies [17].