Director of SEO | Fame Engineer | Engineering Brand Fame & Measurable Revenue Growth through GEO, SEO, Digital PR & Content Marketing | Helping Ambitious Brands Win in the Age of AI Search
The GEO Revolution: Why Keywords Are Dead and Problem Spaces Are the Future of Search Here's why: 1️⃣ The Rise of GEO: More Than Just a New Acronym What if I told you that keywords – the foundation of SEO for decades – are becoming obsolete? While traditional SEO focuses on ranking in search engines, GEO optimises content for discovery by Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Google's AI mode, and Gemini. It's an entirely new framework that acknowledges how differently AI processes information. Think about it: when you use ChatGPT, you don't type keywords. You describe problems and needs in natural language. This completely changes the optimisation game. 2️⃣ Problem Spaces: The New Frontier of Search In the GEO world, we optimise for problem spaces, not keywords. A problem space consists of two elements: - A start state (the user's problem) - A goal state (the solution they seek) When someone asks an AI, "I need a formal dress for a cruise ship evening event with free returns," they're not using keywords. They're describing their problem space. The AI then works to bridge that gap by understanding the context, requirements, and implicit needs behind the query. This is why traditional keyword research is being replaced by understanding Category Entry Points (CEPs) – the triggers, situations, and motivations that prompt consumers to consider your product category. 3️⃣ Information Foraging: Why AI Is Winning the Search Battle Have you noticed how exhausting it can be to research something online these days? This is because SEO practices have inadvertently increased what's called "information gain rate" – the cost of obtaining valuable information relative to its worth. Those 4,000-word articles filled with fluff are a pain to read. AI search eliminates this problem. It gathers, filters, and synthesises information, dramatically reducing cognitive load. 4️⃣ The Mutual Goal State: Where Business Meets User Needs Picture two problem spaces intersecting – the user's and the business's. Users enter a problem space seeking solutions. Businesses enter their own problem space seeking customers. GEO works when these align in what I call a "mutual goal state." To achieve this alignment, businesses must: - Understand what problems their products/services solve - Identify all Category Entry Points (CEPs) - Create content around specific use cases and solutions - Build signals focused on problem-solving, not just features. The beauty of GEO is that it can direct traffic to businesses that might never have been discovered through traditional search methods. I've spent the last 2 years preparing for this shift. So if you're a brand with a budget and are ready to dive in, message me. GEO could represent the largest shift of consumer behaviour in history. And it's happening now.
Andrew Holland It's clear that GEO is redefining the way that people search these days. The landscape is changing at such a pace. What would you say is the best way to track what it is influencing traffic, given there are so many factors at play?
Thanks for sharing, Andrew Holland. This is one of the most compelling breakdowns I’ve seen on how search is evolving. How are you measuring success with GEO content today? Are there leading indicators you’re leaning on before conversion data rolls in?
Completely agree on info foraging, traditional SEO taught us to chase volume, not value. GEO flips that. Now it’s about clarity, compression, and context delivery
This is such a sharp take. The shift from keywords to actual problem-solving feels long overdue. GEO makes us think less like marketers and more like real helpers and that’s what today’s users (and AI) respond to.
I will argue that keywords still serve a purpose. The data surrounding keywords continue to provide an important clue as to how your demographic approaches your services and your products. And given that Google is still very much alive, and that its users continue to operate via keywords, that data is still paramount. Using the data to generate generic and pointless content, stuffed with keywords, is a different story though 😊
This right here is the evolution many aren’t paying attention to Andrew Holland. GEO isn’t about chasing trends, it is about meeting people where their real problems start. When your content solves instead of just ranks, visibility becomes a byproduct.
Honestly, this is the best breakdown I’ve seen of why GEO matters because that's how we actually ask questions and make decisions.
People don’t search with keywords anymore—they describe their problems. GEO feels like a much smarter way to approach content and SEO today.
Thinking out loud about Content Strategy, SEO & AI | Exploring the messy process of creative work | Content Analyst at a UK University
2moCEP was a new concept to me, so I've been reading up on it and it's very similar to the Jobs to Be Done framework. So now I'm figuring out how the two fit together. Do you use the two or are you focused on CEPs?