Have you used Google Search recently? Exactly. Most companies, and most people, still think about Google when they think about search. They’re still spending heavily to rank there and paying for the ads around it.

But more people are asking ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini what to buy, read, use or trust.

SEO isn’t disappearing. It’s evolving into GEO.

Awad Sayeed, co-founder and CTO of Parsnipp AI, joins Thinking on Paper to explain generative engine optimisation, or GEO, and how companies can become more visible inside ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other AI answer engines.

Traditional SEO focuses on keywords, backlinks and rankings. GEO is more dependent on context: who the user is, what they’ve already asked, what they’re trying to achieve and how an AI system retrieves and combines information.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How generative engine optimisation differs from SEO

• Why context matters more than keywords in AI search

• How ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini use information differently

• What persona-based agents reveal about brand visibility

• How structured data helps AI systems understand websites

• Why comparison pages and clear product information matter

• What black-hat GEO could look like

• How AI-generated content could pollute the internet

• Whether brands should create separate experiences for humans and AI agents

• How advertising may develop inside AI assistants

Awad argues that GEO doesn’t replace SEO. Strong websites, useful content and clear structure still matter. But companies now need to think about whether AI systems can retrieve, interpret and recommend their information in the right context.

And as this is Thinking On Paper, we ask about the human impact, the wider change in the structure of the internet, trust, data and consumerism.

Please enjoy the show.

--

🏠 Buy us a beer on Substack

🫵 Choose your own technology adventure

📺 Watch our beautiful faces on YouTube

🎧 Remember Steve Jobs on APPLE

📺 Get clips and exclusive videos on Instagram

--

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Generative Engine Optimization

(03:36) Understanding Persona-Based Agents

(06:23) The Transition from SEO to GEO

(09:06) Context in LLMs and GEO

(11:41) Black Hat Strategies in GEO

(14:22) The Future of the Internet

(16:58) Advertising in the Age of GEO

(19:37) The Impact of GEO

(28:22) The Evolution of AI Models

(29:03) Integrating AI into Business Strategies

(29:52) Agents vs. Humans

(32:10) The Future of SEO and GEO

(34:08) Tools for Visibility and Analytics in AI

(36:00) Customer-Driven Development

(39:23) The Role of Storytelling in GEO

(42:04) Model Transparency and the Future of AI