BrightonSEO San Diego 2025: Why SEO Isn’t Dead—It’s Evolving Into GEO

When the doors opened at BrightonSEO 2025 in San Diego, the energy in the room was undeniable. For years, the industry has been flooded with the same dramatic headline: “SEO is dead.”

But as keynote speaker Wil Reynolds reminded us:
👉 SEO is not dead. It’s just changing faster than most of us imagined.

The first half of the conference peeled back the layers on what’s happening in search today—from Reddit’s rise to the dawn of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)—and showed why brands can’t afford to stand still.

Why SEO Still Matters

Reynolds opened with real-world stories: Banana Republic ranking for “Nudie Jeans” and agencies dominating city-by-city searches simply because they’ve built content at scale.

But the most striking theme? Humans are asking humans for answers. That’s why Reddit is winning. People trust communities and conversations more than faceless search results.

And with social conversions stronger than ever, the lines between SEO, social, and AI are blurring.

The Rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

The first 91 slides painted a clear picture: the old playbook of keywords and backlinks is no longer enough.
We’re entering the age of Generative Engine Optimization:

• SEO = ranking on Google or Bing.
• GEO = becoming the trusted source that AI cites in its answers.

Why does this matter?

• 29% of U.S. Google searches already trigger AI Overviews.
• That’s 800 million AI searches every week.
• If your content isn’t optimized for AI, you’ll be invisible where it matters most.

SEO vs. GEO: A Shift in Mindset

Takeaway: Ranking is no longer the end goal—being cited is.

How to Optimize for GEO

The deck gave a roadmap for brands that want to show up in AI responses:

• Answer intent-driven questions. Use “People Also Ask” queries as H2s.
• Respond directly. Put the clearest answer at the very start of your paragraph.
• Cite trusted sources. AI values clear attribution.
• Publish unique research. Proprietary data, surveys, and case studies stand out.
• Stay fresh. LLMs reward recency—stale content loses visibility.

And perhaps most importantly: own your branded queries. If your “pricing,” “features,” and “help” pages aren’t structured and indexed, AI may hallucinate an answer—or worse, send users to a competitor.

The Power of Social in AI Discovery

Another major insight from the opening sessions: organic social now feeds AI.

Why? Because LLMs scrape publicly available content. High-performing posts act as proof signals that your brand is relevant and trusted.

Strategies to strengthen the link between social and GEO:

• Post consistently in platform-native formats (Reels, TikTok clips, LinkedIn carousels).
• Use SEO-driven captions and hashtags.
  
• Encourage UGC (user-generated content) to boost authenticity.
• Lean on visual storytelling with strong design and short-form video.
• Track what resonates and double down.

Social isn’t just for brand awareness anymore—it’s becoming a reputation engine for AI.

Key Takeaways

The opening half of BrightonSEO 2025 left us with three undeniable truths:

1. SEO is alive—but it’s merging with AI-driven discovery.
2. GEO is the new frontier. Winning means being cited in AI answers, not just ranking in SERPs.
3. Social credibility fuels authority. Engagement, UGC, and brand activity directly influence how AI perceives you.
   
   

The message was clear:
🔑 If you want to future-proof your brand, build content that works for both search engines and generative engines.

📺 To learn more, watch Wil Reynolds' talk at BrightonSEO 2025 here.