Why GEO matters for every brand

Another acronym. Just what the world needs. But this one matters, because it decides whether your brand appears in tomorrow’s conversations or disappears faster than the last slice of office birthday cake.

Most people think GEO is just Google’s shiny new AI search. And yes, that’s part of it. But really? It’s bigger than that. It’s Generative Experience Optimisation… that’s how your brand gets discovered (or ignored) when people turn to AI, voice assistants, TikTok or whatever comes next.

In Strand speak, when AI answers your customer’s question, will you be providing the answer or not even in the conversation?

What GEO really means

Search isn’t a single Google box anymore. It’s Alexa telling you where to eat. It’s TikTok surfacing the best how-to. It’s ChatGPT writing a list of suppliers. And if you’re not on that list, you don’t exist.

AI doesn’t just skim your website. It stitches together answers from articles, reviews, LinkedIn posts, PR coverage, podcasts and even the odd customer comment on X. If your story isn’t clear, consistent and visible across all those strands, you’re invisible.

That’s GEO. Not just search engine optimisation, but optimising your whole brand for discovery in an AI-shaped world.

Why this matters now

The old SEO playbook of keywords, backlinks, metadata still matters. But it’s like showing up to the Olympics with just a pair of trainers. You need a whole team behind you.

AI doesn’t reward you for tricking the system. It rewards you for being useful, trustworthy and clear.

• If you’re quoted in the right places, you count.
• If your messaging is consistent, you stand out.
• If your content actually answers the question people are asking? You win.

If your brand story is muddled, AI can’t stitch it together. And if AI can’t stitch it together, neither can your audience.

How to optimise for GEO (without losing your mind)

1. Answer real questions. If your content reads like jargon, it won’t make the cut. Be the brand people (and bots) actually want to quote.
2. Be seen in the right places. Press coverage, LinkedIn thought leadership, case studies – it all feeds the machine.
3. Stay consistent. If PR says one thing and your website says another, you’ve just confused everyone… human and AI alike.
4. Think integration, not silos. SEO, PR, digital, creative, they don’t work in isolation anymore. GEO is about pulling all those strands together.

What this means for Strand clients

The good news? GEO plays right into our wheelhouse.

We don’t do jargon. We don’t do SEO hacks. We do clarity. We do joined-up campaigns where PR, content, digital and creative are aligned so that you cut through wherever the question is being asked.

We’ve always optimised for humans. Now the bots are catching up.

The point

GEO isn’t just about Google’s latest experiment. It’s about being discoverable, trustworthy and memorable across every generative experience.

The brands that win won’t be the loudest. They’ll be the clearest and the most consistent.