Between the emergence of GEO and the rise of voice searches, an overview of the trends likely to shake up SEO.
It’s now a chestnut for digital professionals. Each year, BDM collaborates with several ecosystem players to identify and decipher trends likely to disrupt practices or usages. This series of articles, which will be released in the form of a downloadable guide in January, covers a variety of topics, from social media to no-code, including digital marketing.
1. The rise of generator motors
The emergence of tools like Perplexity or SearchGPT (ChatGPT’s live search feature), the imminent introduction of Google AI Overviews and, more broadly, the possibility of querying a conversational agent, marks the appearance of a new concept in the field of natural referencing: GEO, for Generative Engine Optimization. Also called AISO, for AI Search Optimization, GEO refers to the “process of optimizing the content of your website to increase its visibility in AI-driven search engines”, allowing you to reach users of these technologies, resituates Semactic.
Contextual, synthetic and conversational, SearchGPT or Perplexity do not operate in the same way as a traditional engine. For example, they provide answers directly in the interface, keep the history of previous interactions to refine their response or “use advanced language processing to understand the intention and context of the query” , adds the company. The massive adoption of these technologies, as evidenced by the traffic figures for ChatGPT, will lead to a questioning and expansion of practices in terms of natural referencing, in 2025.
AI-powered search engines are still in their infancy. They still have a long way to go, but the arrival of SearchGPT could accelerate things.
Semactic insists: even though Google remains the ultra-dominant platform—more than 83% of searches still go through Google, on desktop and mobile—the evolution and adoption of these alternative search platforms is impressive. It’s crucial to monitor your brand’s visibility in generative engines like ChatGPT today.
2. The strategic alliance between SEO and GEO
“SEO and GEO are not opposed, they complement each other,” Semactic says. The company is convinced that optimization work to appeal to AI-powered engines, such as comprehensive coverage of a topic with digestible structure (summary, summary of key points, etc.), will help improve its positioning on Google.
To confirm this, Semactic relies on recent experiments carried out in November with Daikin, which markets heat pumps. By carrying out several optimizations, particularly on the theme of price, the brand and the optimized pages gained visibility on Perplexity and SearchGPT, while strengthening their positioning on Google. “This alliance between SEO and GEO is particularly promising,” underlines Semactic, which believes that this transition will be smooth, with well-thought-out SEO strategies being “already equipped for this new era of conversational search.”
3. The integration of original and distinctive elements
To attract search engines in 2025, “which favor content that provides real added value and credibility,” Semactic emphasizes the importance of producing articles enriched with original elements, which stand out from competitors aspiring to position themselves on the same theme. And this, both in content and in form. To “respond better, and not just more,” Semactic advises integrating original data, case studies, comparisons or quotes from recognized experts in their field, always to meet the Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness criteria, dear to Google. “We are witnessing a sort of revival of the manual blog article, which focuses above all on its target and offers an original point of view, without denying the contribution of AI to facilitate and accelerate the writing process,” adds the company.
The quality and authenticity of content are fundamental to capturing the attention of AI.
4. The importance of mentions and UGC
Still, to strengthen the visibility and authority of your site, mainly with generative engines, Semactic advises capitalizing on the support of its audience. “AI engines value opinions and mentions as a guarantee of credibility,” recalls the publisher, which advises encouraging the publication of opinions or UGC on Google, specialized platforms, but also on forums, which are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. As proof: opinions or advice – on niche or, at least, very specific topics – published on Reddit seem to be particularly valued by the engines, recently. No doubt since the signing of partnerships between the platform and Google, then OpenAI.
Ensure brand representation is consistent and accurate across the web, as generative engines draw their data from multiple sources. Brand authority and thought leadership are even more important.
5. User experience at the heart of the strategy
User experience has always been a factor in gaining ranking positions, but its importance is now paramount in the era of conversational interfaces. While the workings of these tools remain opaque, Semactic recently observed that “smooth navigation and multimodal content, such as videos or infographics, increase attractiveness for both users and AI engines.”
As mentioned earlier, the structure of the content also plays a role: it must be clear, concise, and educational to be easily assimilated by generative engines, which, as we have seen, have a weakness for summaries and key points. Beyond optimizing the structure to improve indexing, Semactic also recommends “thinking in terms of real customer journeys, truly putting yourself in your prospects’ shoes, and creating interactive content with CTAs that are relevant to the search intent.”
6. The rise of voice searches
While search via voice assistants is not new, its adoption could intensify with the emergence of tools like ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode or the redesign of Siri, planned for 2025. To adapt to this evolution, one solution is, according to Semactic, “to anticipate related queries and related themes”, in order to provide relevant answers to the Internet user’s additional questions, and thus maximize the chances of being included in a featured snippet, which the voice assistant regularly uses. Designing an FAQ, answering questions in a brief and conversational manner, could be an avenue to explore. As could appropriate formatting of content, so that it is designed “to answer questions in a natural way”, believes Semactic.
7. Consistency remains a key factor in standing out
To emerge in a saturated online space, marked by the rise of content velocity, Semactic is categorical: one-off optimization is no longer enough. “According to Live Internet Stats, more than 7 million blog articles are published every day,” the company reminds us. To maintain its competitiveness in the SERPs, in an era where the content offering is as qualitative as it is plentiful, “a strategic and regular approach to refreshing and optimizing existing content is essential,” adds Semactic. This requires, in particular, a proactive approach to content planning, updating articles to keep them aligned with user intent, and improving UX.
