With AI’s use spreading, the new search concern is GEO

CHICAGO, August 7, 2026 — If operators are increasingly using AI to decide which product to buy, how can manufacturers ensure their items are included in the retrieved possibilities?  

Kesha Alexander, founder and chief strategy officer of the marketing company Supper, provided Go2MarketEdge attendees with a primer.  

“It is something that we have to start considering,” Alexander said. “We are no longer going to have our prospects going into the search bar and asking very detailed questions. AI is now the first sales call.” 

A typical AI prompt requesting purchase information will pull up three to five responses to guide the shoppers, according to Alexander. The AI is “going to recommend the brand with the most credibility in the marketplace,” she continued. 

Alexander provided these practical tips for what she termed GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), the successor to SEO (Search Engine Optimization): 

• “We have to start publishing original content,” and don’t require visitors to provide email addresses or other information to get it. Feed the AI agents information that helps in bolstering credibility. 
• Provide a robust FAQ section. It’s nearly candy for AI agents, she suggested. The recommended number of questions: “A ton,” she remarked. 
• Adopt the mindset of selling solutions, not products. 
• In general, try to maximize the online mentions of your products and company. About 73% of the information AI agents will review about potential purchases is controlled by third parties like social-media posters. Try to foster some of that attention. 

Go2MarketEdge, the AI-focused tech conference, is presented by IFMA The Food Away from Home Association.