从SEO到GEO：AI如何重新定义数字营销新格局

Introduction: The Rise of the AI Assistant

From television to search engines, social media, short video platforms, and now AI, the fundamental question of where to place advertisements boils down to one thing: where are people getting their information? This age-old marketing challenge is entering a new chapter, driven by the rapid adoption of generative AI assistants.

“Doubao, help me put together a fashionable yet convenient outfit for a concert.”
“No problem! Choose a bright-colored cropped sweatshirt for the top, pair it with high-waisted black jeans, show your ankles—it's eye-catching and makes your legs look longer...”
“Qianwen, order me a grilled meat rice and a lemon tea, deliver at 6 PM.”
“Okay, I've matched you with the best discount, saving you 3.27 yuan. It will be delivered at 6 PM...”

从电视，到搜索引擎，到社媒、短视频平台，再到AI，在哪里打广告，本质上看的是大家在哪里获取信息。这个古老的营销挑战正在开启新的篇章，由生成式AI助手的快速普及所驱动。
“豆包，帮我搭一身时尚又方便的穿搭，我要去看演唱会。”
“没问题！上衣选件亮色的短款卫衣，下装配高腰黑色牛仔裤，露出脚踝，吸睛又显腿长……”
“千问，帮我点一份烤肉饭和一杯柠檬茶，六点送到。”
“好的，已为您匹配最大优惠，节省3.27元，下午六点送到……”

Recently, "AI assistants" have rapidly gained popularity online. Despite occasional mishaps, their energetic tone and near-instantaneous responses have captivated many users, leading to frequent interactions. From fashion advice and holiday shopping to financial planning and relationship counseling, AI is gradually evolving from a tool used only when needed into an on-call "life assistant" for many.

最近，“AI小助手指基于生成式AI的虚拟助手（如豆包、千问），能通过自然语言交互提供生活建议、购物推荐等服务，正成为新的流量入口和信息获取渠道。”快速在网络上走红，虽然偶尔闹出点乌龙，但AI活力满满的语气、几乎零等待的回复，还是让许多人欲罢不能、频繁互动——从穿衣搭配到年货采购，从工资分配到恋爱军师，渐渐地，AI不再只是有需要才用到的工具，而成了不少人随叫随到的“生活助理”。

As more and more decisions begin to take shape within AI chat dialogues, you may not yet realize that you have become the audience for a new business: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). This new field is currently generating significant buzz in the capital markets.

而当越来越多的决定，开始在AI对话框里完成，你可能还没意识到，你已经成为了一门新生意——GEO（生成式引擎优化）GEO（Generative Engine Optimization）是一种通过优化品牌信息、内容和数据，以提高生成式人工智能（如大语言模型）对品牌认知、理解和推荐准确性的技术与策略。的受众。这门新生意最近正在资本市场持续受到热捧。

What is GEO? A Tale of Marketing Evolution

To understand GEO, let's first look at the story of a boss who sold toothpaste for over thirty years and his efforts to advertise his "Ben Cao Qing" brand.

在说GEO之前，不妨先来看看一位卖了三十多年牙膏的老板，给自家“本草清”牙膏打广告的故事。

The SEO Era: Dominating Search Results

In the 1990s, television was the primary advertising battleground. By the 2000s, as the internet became widespread, the boss shifted focus to search engines. He realized that if "Ben Cao Qing" appeared as the top result when consumers searched for "herbal toothpaste" or "bleeding gums," sales would soar. This led him to partner with an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) team, whose goal was to secure top rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

上世纪90年代，电视是主要的广告阵地。到了2000年代，随着互联网普及，老板将重点转向搜索引擎。他意识到，如果消费者搜索“草本牙膏”或“牙龈出血”时，“本草清”能出现在第一条结果，销量必将飙升。这促使他与一支SEO（搜索引擎优化）通过优化网站内容、结构和技术元素，提高在搜索引擎结果页面（SERP）中的排名，从而获得更多有机流量的系统性过程。团队合作，其目标是在搜索引擎结果页面（SERP）中获取靠前的排名。

The Shift to GEO: Being "Spoken" by AI

Fast forward to recent years. The boss noticed that advertising effectiveness on search engines and social media was declining. Everyone's interest seemed to be shifting toward AI. Puzzled about how to advertise within AI (which doesn't sell traditional ad space), his long-time SEO partners informed him they had pivoted to GEO.

时间快进到最近几年。老板发现搜索引擎和社交媒体的广告效果正在下降。所有人的兴趣似乎都转向了AI。正在他为如何在AI里打广告（AI不卖传统广告位）而困惑时，合作多年的SEO团队告诉他，他们已转型做GEO。

They explained the core difference: SEO pursues click-through rates (CTR) by ranking links, while GEO pursues being "spoken" by AI in its generated answers. When a user asks an AI "Which herbal toothpaste is best?", GEO aims to have "Ben Cao Qing" appear positively within the AI's synthesized response, eliminating the need for the user to click any links.

他们解释了核心区别：SEO通过排名链接来追求点击率（CTR），而GEO则追求在AI生成的答案中被“说出来”。 当用户问AI“哪个草本牙膏最好？”时，GEO的目标是让“本草清”出现在AI的综合回答中，并且是正面评价，用户不再需要点击链接。

How Does GEO Work? Understanding the AI "Interviewer"

Faced with the boss's question of how to get his toothpaste "spoken" by AI, the team leader provided an analogy: If a search engine is a "laborer" that fetches links, then AI is an "interviewer." It doesn't care how many resumes (web pages) you have; it evaluates how solid your resume is, how logical its content is, and how credible your sources are.

面对老板关于如何让牙膏被AI“说出来”的疑问，团队负责人打了个比方：如果说搜索引擎是“搬运工”，那么AI就是“面试官”。它不在乎你有多少份简历（网页），而是评估你的简历是否过硬、逻辑是否顺畅、信誉是否良好。

To be selected by AI, information must be tailored to AI's preferences.

为了让信息被AI选中，必须针对AI的喜好来提供信息。

What Kind of Information Does AI Prefer?

The team leader summarized that AI favors information that is specific, concise, well-structured, and highly detailed. A prime example is a well-crafted FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page. Since user queries to AI are often highly specific, content that answers concrete questions is more likely to be adopted than generic brand praise.

团队负责人总结道，AI喜欢具体、简洁、结构化、极其细致的信息。一个典型的例子是精心设计的常见问题解答（FAQ）页面。由于用户向AI提出的问题通常非常具体，因此回答具体问题的内容比泛泛的品牌赞美更容易被AI采用。

Seven Classic GEO Tactics

The team leader then introduced seven classic and effective "score-boosting" methods from the seminal GEO research paper, using "Ben Cao Qing" as an example:

随后，负责人以“本草清”为例，介绍了GEO开山论文中提到的七种经典有效的“提分”方法：

Celebrity or Institutional Endorsement (名人或机构背书). E.g., "Dental experts state that plant-based extracts can effectively improve the oral microenvironment."
Numbers + Results (数字+效果). E.g., "Clinical tests show that 95% of patients with bleeding gums experienced reduced symptoms after using 'Ben Cao Qing' toothpaste."
Text Polishing (文本润色). E.g., Change "Ben Cao Qing feels good to use" to "Ben Cao Qing offers a favorable user experience."
Authoritative Citations (权威出处). E.g., At the end of a product page, provide a detailed link to a research report from the Chinese Journal of Clinical Physicians on the hemostatic effects of herbal ingredients.
Incorporate Professional Terminology (增加专业术语). E.g., When explaining anti-sensitivity protection, include terms like "active potassium ions" and "micron-grade hydroxyapatite."
Simplify Expression (简化表达). E.g., Summarize complex copy into phrases like "Naturally extracted," "Fluoride-free," "Targeted for sensitive gums."
Adopt an Expert Tone (学专家讲话). E.g., Instead of saying "The toothpaste works great," say "This formula primarily targets individuals with bleeding gums, promoting oral health by inhibiting pathogenic bacterial communities."

名人或机构背书。例如：“口腔医学专家表示，植物萃取成分能够有效改善口腔微环境。”

数字+效果。例如：“临床测试显示，95%的牙龈出血患者在使用‘本草清’牙膏后症状减轻。”

文本润色。例如：将“‘本草清’用着感觉不错”改为“‘本草清’使用体验感良好”。

权威出处。例如：在产品介绍页末尾，详细标注《中国临床医生杂志》关于草本成分止血效果的研究报告链接。

增加专业术语。例如：在说明抗敏防护原理时，加入“活性钾离子”“微米级羟基磷灰石”等专业名词。

简化表达。例如：将复杂的介绍文案总结为“天然萃取”“不含氟化物”“针对敏感牙龈”等短语。

学专家讲话。例如：不要说“牙膏特别好用”，要讲“该配方主要针对牙龈出血人群，通过抑制致病菌群实现口腔健康”。

These tactics can be summarized into a core principle: DDS—Semantic Depth, Data Support, and Authoritative Sources. AI prefers to cite information with clear viewpoints, in-depth analysis, backed by data and authoritative endorsements.

这些策略可以总结为一个核心原则：DDS——语义深度（Depth）、数据支持（Data Support）、权威来源（Source）。AI更喜欢引用观点清晰、分析深入、兼具数据支持和权威背书的信息。

A Burgeoning New Market

The story of "Ben Cao Qing" reflects the evolution of the advertising and marketing industry over the past forty years. The core challenge remains: how to reach the target audience through the primary channels of information consumption.

“本草清”牙膏的故事反映了过去四十年来广告营销行业的变迁。核心挑战始终是：如何通过主要的信息消费渠道触达目标受众。

Currently, a significant shift is underway. User growth for traditional search engines is plateauing, with Gartner predicting a 25% decline in their traffic this year. Conversely, AI adoption is skyrocketing. ChatGPT boasts 800 million weekly active users, while Doubao has surpassed 170 million monthly active users. A Microsoft survey suggests about one-sixth of the global population is using generative AI tools—a number set to grow, establishing AI as a new and expanding traffic gateway.

当前，一场重大转变正在发生。传统搜索引擎的用户增长趋于平缓，Gartner预测其流量今年将下降25%。相反，AI的采用率正在飙升。ChatGPT拥有8亿周活跃用户，豆包的月活跃用户突破1.7亿。微软调查显示，全球约六分之一的人口正在使用生成式AI工具——这个数字还将继续增长，AI正在成为全新且持续壮大的流量入口。

In this trend, GEO is transitioning from concept to industry, becoming an emerging and promising business.

在这一趋势下，GEO正在从概念走向产业，成为一门新兴且富含潜力的生意。

The GEO Business Model Takes Shape

Direct evidence comes from the emergence of GEO-focused companies and the expansion of traditional marketing firms into this area.

最直接的体现是专注于GEO的公司涌现，以及传统营销公司向该领域的扩张。

In the US: Profound, a leading GEO startup, achieved a valuation exceeding $100 million within two years of its founding. Its services include analyzing AI platform descriptions of client products, optimizing content for AI answers, and boosting product exposure, with tiered pricing (e.g., $99/month, $399/month).
In China: Similar initiatives have emerged, such as BlueFocus's "BlueFocus GEO" system and Zhewen Interconnected's HochiGEO agent. The GEO concept has also fueled activity in the A-share market.

在美国： GEO创业公司龙头Profound成立仅两年，估值已超1亿美元。其服务包括展示AI平台对客户产品的描述、优化客户产品在AI回答中的内容、提升产品曝光等，提供分级定价（例如99美元/月、399美元/月）。

在中国： 类似的尝试也已出现，如蓝色光标推出“蓝标智投GEO”系统、浙文互联推出HochiGEO智能体。GEO概念也助推了A股市场的相关活动。

Data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology indicates that China's GEO service market has already exceeded 4.2 billion RMB, with a compound annual growth rate of 38%. Globally, the GEO market is projected to surpass $33.6 billion by 2034.

中国通信院数据显示，我国GEO服务市场规模已经突破了42亿元人民币，年复合增长率高达38%；而放眼全球，预计到2034年，GEO市场规模将超过336亿美元。

The "AI + Shopping" Revolution

This rapid growth is underpinned by changes in consumer shopping behavior. Similar to past habits of "searching" or "getting recommendations," more consumers are now consulting AI for shopping advice. Surveys show over 80% of Chinese consumers use AI to obtain shopping information, with nearly 35% consulting it multiple times daily. Globally, about 73% of consumers have used AI-assisted tools during shopping.

这一快速增长的基础是消费者购物行为的变迁。类似于过去的“搜索一下”或“种草”，如今越来越多的消费者在购物时参考AI的意见。数据显示，超过80%的中国消费者会通过AI获取消费信息，其中近35%的人每天会多次咨询；而在全球，约有73%的消费者已经在购物过程中用上了AI辅助工具。

While traffic from AI platforms like ChatGPT to e-commerce sites is still relatively low (around 1% for major platforms according to Sensor Tower), merchants note that these users exhibit strong purchase intent. This indicates significant growth potential for guiding users from AI to purchase.

尽管从ChatGPT等AI平台导流至电商网站的交易量仍然较低（据Sensor Tower数据，约占主要平台整体流量的1%），但商家指出这部分用户表现出很强的购买意向。这表明在引导AI用户进行购买方面存在巨大的增长空间。

Consequently, many e-commerce platforms are actively vying for this traffic, even exploring direct sales within AI interfaces. For example, OpenAI partnered with PayPal to enable product sales within ChatGPT, and retailers like Walmart and Target have announced plans for shopping via chatbots. In such business models, GEO becomes an indispensable component—to sell within AI, you naturally need AI to recommend your products.

因此，许多电商平台正在积极争夺这部分流量，甚至探索在AI界面内直接销售。例如，OpenAI与PayPal合作，实现在ChatGPT内销售产品；沃尔玛和塔吉特等零售商也宣布计划通过聊天机器人进行购物。在这样的商业模式中，GEO成为不可或缺的一环——要在AI中卖货，自然需要AI推荐你的产品。

Conclusion: An Emerging Frontier

Currently, GEO remains an emerging, early-stage business. While market enthusiasm is high, mature commercial pathways are still being explored. Amid rising stock prices for GEO-related concepts, companies like Xinhua Net have issued announcements cautioning that their GEO business is not yet mature, highlighting potential risks.

当下，GEO仍然是一门新兴的、早期的生意。虽然市场热情高涨，但成熟的商业路径仍在摸索之中。在GEO概念股在A股市场中，因涉及GEO业务或相关技术而受到资本热捧的股票，如人民网、新华网、浙文互联、易点天下、天龙集团等，近期表现活跃。股价上涨的背景下，新华网等公司发布公告表示，其GEO业务尚未成熟，提示可能存在风险。

However, one thing is certain: GEO's fate is intertwined with AI's. As long as AI continues to普及 and becomes a primary source for information and decision-making, the competition around "how to be seen, understood, and recommended by AI" will persist.

但可以确定的是，GEO与AI一荣俱荣。只要AI持续普及，成为人们获取信息、做出决策的主要来源，围绕“如何被AI看见、理解与推荐”的竞争就不会消失。

In the future, GEO may evolve from a buzzword associated with a few stocks into a standard practice for many companies. Yet, this evolution prompts a critical reflection: if all brands learn to cater to AI, and all information becomes optimized, standardized answers for AI consumption, will we see a resurgence of the criticism and distrust once directed at search engines—"it's all just ads"?

未来，GEO或许会从与少数股票相关的热门词汇，发展成为许多公司的标准实践。然而，这种演变引发了一个关键的思考：如果所有品牌都学会迎合AI，所有信息都变成了针对AI优化过的标准答案，从前大家对“搜索引擎都是广告”的批评与不信任，是否又会再度出现？

References (参考资料):

《GEO: Generative Engine Optimization》, Pranjal Aggarwal et al., 2024.
《GEO：AI营销新范式，广告营销行业商业模式进化机遇》, CITIC Securities, 2025.
《搜索入口迁徙，GEO营销起量》, Guotai Junan Securities, 2026.
《Forget SEO. Welcome to the World of Generative Engine Optimization》, WIRED, 2025.
《As AI reshapes shopping, US retailers try to change how they're seen online》, Reuters, 2025.
《Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Market》, DMR, 2025.