Michael Epps Utley {kind=image/jpg}
With AI shaping how people discover content, businesses and marketers need to rethink their strategies. From Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to experimental SEO standards like llms.txt, and even Google’s move to integrate Maps into generative AI, the way we optimize for visibility is fundamentally changing.
Here’s a look at three important updates shaping the future of AI-driven search.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The Future of SEO
At Digiday, Julia Waldow reports that brands and retailers are preparing for GEO, which she calls “the future of SEO.” Instead of just optimizing for traditional search engines, companies are learning how to make their content machine-readable and hyper-specific so that AI agents like Gemini and Perplexity can use it directly in responses.
Key tactics include
Keeping product availability, promotions, and policies up to date.
Structuring content in a conversational, Q&A-style format.
Making information easy for AI models to parse and trust.
The bottom line: Content isn’t just about ranking in Google anymore—it’s about becoming the source that AI-powered engines pull from to answer user questions.
llms.txt: A Hype or a Helpful Signal
Search Engine Journal recently covered a growing trend in AI SEO—the introduction of llms.txt. Promoted as a way for websites to signal their visibility preferences to large language models, the idea has sparked both interest and skepticism.
Roger Montti points out that no major AI platform has formally adopted llms.txt yet. While SEO vendors market it as a breakthrough, its real-world impact remains uncertain. Instead of relying on a speculative standard, Montti advises businesses to double down on proven fundamentals, such as:
Crafting and publishing well-structured, accurate HTML content.
Focusing on clear trust signals (e.g., authoritative backlinks, citations).
Maintaining reliable and up-to-date information.
In short, don’t get distracted by unproven shortcuts. Building high-quality, trustworthy content is still the name of the game, even if things are changing.
Google Maps Grounding in Vertex AI: AI Gets Local
Meanwhile, Google is making AI more contextual and useful through its Maps data. In a Google Developers Blog announcement, Greg Brosman and Lukas Bruderer shared that Grounding with Google Maps is now generally available in Vertex AI.
This means developers can build generative AI applications that integrate live, location-based details—like hours, reviews, and local business data—from over 250 million places worldwide.
Potential use cases include:
Travel—Personalized itineraries grounded in real-time local info.
Real Estate—AI assistants that highlight nearby schools, transit, or amenities.
Social Media & Lifestyle—Contextual recommendations based on user location.
For brands, this opens the door to hyper-local engagement, ensuring AI-powered experiences are more accurate, trustworthy, and user-friendly.
Final Thoughts
With GEO reshaping content strategy, debates around llms.txt, and Google Maps grounding adding real-world context to AI, businesses must evolve their digital strategies. That said, those SEO fundamentals (a focus on accuracy, trust, and user-centered content) still hold when it comes to creating and optimizing content. Whether AI models are answering questions about your products, your policies, or your location, being the source they trust will determine your visibility in the next era of search.
