The news: Highwire developed the AI Index, a tool that helps marketing and communications professionals understand how their brands show up in genAI search, per a press release.

What AI Index does:

• Benchmarks brand appearances across genAI engines, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s Gemini.
• Focuses on relevance, influence, and reputation instead of the keyword rankings common for search engine optimization (SEO).
• Provides reports and data on market trends.

Why this matters: 60% of US adults use AI for search at least sometimes, but only 26% use it for shopping, per an Associated Press-NORC survey. That’s a wide gap between people seeking information and those with purchase intent. Optimization methods will need to vary between retailers and brands.

Generative engine optimization (GEO) requires a different approach from SEO. While there is some overlap, there are also nuances that brands are still learning in the new search environment.

• Google’s E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) framework is still relevant for both SEO and GEO.
• However, generative engines surface more community content from sites like Wikipedia, Reddit, and YouTube.

Next steps for marketers: SEO shouldn’t be tossed by the wayside just yet, but as genAI matures, tools like Highwire's AI Index can help brands navigate changes in search.

To boost brand visibility in AI engines, marketers should focus on user-generated content and building brand affinity across social, community-driven platforms. Continuously update content, test performance, and monitor benchmarks to retain brand presence in AI results.

As search and AI results diverge, SEO and GEO roles may need to split to ensure content doesn’t get lost in the mix.