GEO is the New SEO

How PR and Marketing Consultancies Must Adapt to Stay Visible in a World Dominated by Generative AI

For two long decades, SEO has been built around the same old assumption: Google is the only game in town when it comes to discovery. But the rules have changed, big time. From 2026 onwards, Google is no longer the only player in the search game. Generative engines like ChatGPT, SGE and Copilot have muscled in, and now they're sitting right alongside Google as the primary tools users turn to when they want an answer.

This is a game-changer. It means that visibility is no longer just about getting to the top of Google. It's about being referenced - mentioned, quoted, and picked up by the systems that synthesise information rather than just indexing it. And for PR and marketing consultancies, this is the moment to step up and lead their clients through a transformation that many still underestimate.

Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO for short, is not a flash in the pan. It's the new foundation of AI-first brand visibility.

Generative Engines Have Become Discovery Platforms - and Ignoring Them Means You Disappear from View

The rise of generative engines has completely turned the whole search thing on its head. Instead of typing a query and getting a list of search results to scan, users are now asking questions and getting a fully formed answer thrown back at them. And these answers are not just any old answer - they're built from a range of trusted sources, authoritative coverage, structured content and expert insights.

If your brand isn't included in these inputs, then guess what? You're going to be invisible in an AI-first world.

This is why generative engine optimisation 2026 has become a must-do for any consultancy worth its salt. It's not about playing games with algorithms. It's about making sure your brand's expertise is present, credible, and structured in a way that these AI systems can confidently use.

Earned and Authoritative Coverage is More Valuable Than Ever

Generative engines are built to rely on trusted, verifiable sources. They pull from reputable media, industry bodies, expert commentary and high-authority websites. This means that earned media and SEO are no longer two separate things. A strong PR placement is no longer just a reputational win - it becomes a data point that helps these AI systems validate your authority.

In other words: PR is now a key visibility driver for AI search.

This is exactly in line with the thinking of organisations like the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), which is exploring how AI is set to change the future of PR and communications. The profession is moving towards a model where credibility, transparency and authoritative sourcing are the essential inputs for AI-driven discovery.

PR and SEO Can No Longer Live Separate Lives

For years, PR and SEO have been two separate worlds - occasionally overlapping, but rarely integrated. But that's no longer good enough.

Thought leadership, media coverage and structured web content all feed into one outcome: being referenced by generative engines.

This is the new reality of AI search and PR strategy. A brand's visibility depends on:

• how clear its expertise is

• how authoritative its citations are

• how well its content is structured

• how regularly it publishes

This is why the future of SEO for PR agencies is no longer just about tech - it's about editorial excellence. It's about shaping narratives, building credibility and making sure that content is structured in a way that these AI systems can understand and trust.

A Practical Framework for GEO-Aware Content

GEO is not some mysterious art. It's about demanding a higher standard of clarity, evidence and structure than traditional content marketing.

A GEO-ready content ecosystem needs to include:

1. Clear Expertise

AI systems love identifiable experts. Named authors, strong bios and demonstrable experience are key.

2. Evidence and Citations

Generative engines reward content that feels grounded. Stats, examples, case studies and references all increase trust signals.

3. Structured Information

H2s, H3s, FAQs, definitions and schema markup all help AI parse meaning.

4. Consistency Over Noise

Fluffy, brand-led content gets ignored. Regular, authoritative publishing is what gets amplified.

This is the editorial discipline that PR teams have always excelled at - now applied to a new discovery environment.

How Consultancies Can Build GEO as a Billable Service

GEO is not just a strategic shift - it's a commercial opportunity for consultancies that are ready to lead.

A GEO service offering can include:

GEO Audits

Assessing how often a brand appears in AI-generated answers, where it is cited and where it is absent.

Content Frameworks

Developing structured, expert-led content designed for generative engines.

Newsroom-Style Publishing

Regular, authoritative articles that build a brand's "citation footprint".

Measurement of "Mention Share"

Tracking how often a brand is referenced in AI answers - the next evolution of share of voice.

This is all in line with the measurement principles championed by the CIPR, which is all about rigorous evaluation frameworks over vanity metrics. Integrated PR + SEO Execution - Where Stories and Algorithms Meet

Pitching stories, getting quoted, and crafting content that gets picked up by both media outlets and search engines - that's what we do.

This is the logical next step for our GEO services, but one that's open to both smaller businesses and big organisations - anyone that needs to be seen and heard online.

Why EC Stream 's Got a Head Start on This Shift

We've been at the crossroads of PR, content, and SEO for a while now - and that's exactly where the world of GEO lives now. Our approach has always been all about strategy, tailor-made for each client, and centred around clarity - not templates or generic 'solutions'.

With AI driving discovery more and more, that's something that really matters.

We help clients:

• figure out how to stand out with their expertise

• get their name in the papers - or at least online

• build a content structure that brings in media and search engines alike

• track how visible they are in those AI-driven search results

• tie all their PR, content, and SEO work together into one coherent strategy

This isn't about trying to game some algorithm.
It's about building brands that AI systems can trust, so that they get amplified.

GEO is basically SEO 2.0.

And the consultancies that get on board now will define what online visibility looks like in the years to come.