Generative Engine Optimization in the Age of Google’s AI Mode: How to Rank, Get Picked, and Stay Visible in AI Search When Traditional SEO Isn’t Enough Anymore

Welcome to the new era of search — one where Google doesn’t just rank links, it writes the answers.

In this episode, Gail Goole and Guy Goole decode what’s really happening behind the scenes of Google’s AI Mode, and why traditional SEO tactics aren’t enough anymore. We’re diving into the evolution of search, the rise of AI-generated answers, and the new rules of visibility in a world where ranking number one isn’t the goal anymore — being chosen is.

We cover:

What Google’s AI Mode actually does when a user asks a question

Why search results are now being synthesized, not just listed

The critical shift from keyword-based ranking to entity-based understanding

How brands get selected (or ignored) by AI in zero-click environments

What “Generative Engine Optimization” really means — and how it builds on concepts like Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

The 3 factors that determine whether AI uses your brand in answers: Clarity, Trust, and Reach

The new role of your website’s About page as your “Entity Home”

Why your brand’s digital footprint needs structure, corroboration, and consistency — across platforms

How CMOs, SEOs, founders and marketing leads can adapt fast — before their competitors outpace them

This is not just another SEO trend. This is a fundamental reset in how search works — and how business visibility is earned.

👥 Who this episode is for:

Business leaders who want to future-proof their brand visibility

CMOs and SEO leads navigating AI-driven search

Brand strategists working to stay ahead of Google’s next move

Founders and authors building personal or corporate digital authority

Marketing teams trying to figure out what actually matters now in organic digital strategy

🏆 Big Takeaways:

It’s no longer about “ranking” — it’s about being trusted and used by the AI that writes the answers.

AI tools like Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Perplexity choose which brands to feature — and which to ignore — based on understanding, trust, and presence.

Brands that win are the ones that are clear, credible, and consistently represented across the web.

🎧 Listener quote (you’ll relate):

"If the machine doesn’t understand who you are, you don’t exist to it. If it doesn’t trust you, it won’t use your information."

Whether you're a brand, a person, or a product — what Google and AI understand about you defines how the world sees you.

🔍 Concepts we decode in this episode:

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Search 2.0 and AI-driven search experiences

Entity optimization and knowledge-based trust

Semantic structure and how machines interpret credibility

The shift from link-building to reputation engineering

How to influence AI search with structured, corroborated digital presence

👩🏻‍💻 Resources mentioned:

The Kalicube Process

Entity Homes and schema markup

The "Claim, Frame, Prove" method for brand storytelling

NEATT (Notability, Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust, Transparency)

💡 Sponsored by:

Three Steps Digital Brand Management — helping you take control of your digital footprint and turn your brand into a trusted, high-performance asset across Google, ChatGPT, and AI.

📲 Subscribe and stay ahead.

If you’re serious about being visible in the next generation of search, you won’t want to miss this. Hit follow, share with your team, and join us as we decode what it takes to win in AI-powered search.