X9 Insights / SEO & AI search
The $7.3 Billion GEO Opportunity: Why Brands Should Start Now
Search is changing. Buyers increasingly use AI-generated answers to research products, compare providers and decide which businesses deserve their attention.
For brands, that raises a practical question: when AI answers your customers’ questions, does your business appear?
Generative engine optimisation, or GEO, focuses on improving that visibility. Often called AI SEO, it is becoming an important part of the search conversation—and an opportunity for businesses willing to build expertise early.
A growing market—with forecasts worth reading carefully
A January 2026 market commentary from Needle cites a GEO market forecast of $7.3 billion by 2031 and annual growth of approximately 34%.
Those figures are forecasts, rather than guaranteed outcomes. Their timing also matters: 34% annual growth produces approximately 4.3 times the starting value over five years. An eightfold increase requires a longer period at that rate.
The strategic implication remains compelling. If demand develops at anything close to that pace, brands and agencies have a substantial new capability to build.
What proper GEO work should include
Adding “AI SEO” to a service page is easy. Delivering useful work requires a clear process.
A credible GEO programme should cover:
- A visibility baseline: where the brand appears across relevant AI answers, using a repeatable set of buyer questions.
- Technical foundations: accessible pages, clear site structure and accurate structured data where appropriate.
- Useful content: specific answers supported by expertise, original evidence and clear sourcing.
- Consistent business information: accurate descriptions of the company, its services and its specialists.
- Commercial measurement: connecting visibility with referral visits, qualified enquiries and sales wherever attribution allows.
AI answers vary across platforms and over time. A single favourable response is a useful observation; sustained performance requires repeated measurement.
Why starting early matters
Our expectation is that more brands will include AI search visibility in their search budgets through 2028 and 2029. Adoption will vary by sector, customer behaviour and the evidence each business sees.
Starting now creates time to learn. Brands can identify gaps, improve their content and understand which questions influence purchasing decisions. Agencies can develop delivery processes and demonstrate results before competition intensifies.
Early entry alone will not secure leadership. Consistent execution and credible evidence will.
Connect AI visibility with business growth
At X9 Media, we see AI search as part of a connected marketing approach. Discovery needs to lead somewhere useful: a clear proposition, a strong website and an easy route to enquiry.
The first step is straightforward. Understand how your business appears today, identify the questions that matter to your customers, and build a focused plan from there.