👀 Did you know...

That traditional search engines like Google might get 25% less traffic by 2026?

And that organic traffic could drop by over 50% as more people start using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to get answers?

That’s what gather.com is predicting. And while I’m not an expert in this area, I found it super interesting, especially because I’ve started seeing it happen in my own website traffic 👀

My website source analytics from Microsoft’s Clarity app

Yes, ChatGPT is now sending people to my website. 😳

Like I said, I’m not an expert in this field.

But as a small business owner, you quickly realize that starting a company means doing pretty much everything yourself.

You’re not just the founder, you’re also the salesperson, the marketer, the designer, the support team, the content creator… and yes, somehow, the SEO expert too, lol.

You wear all the hats until you’re able to slowly start handing a few of them off.

Let me give you a quick and simple explanation of what SEO and GEO are, and why they’re different.

What’s SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s all about helping your website show up on Google (or Bing, Yahoo, etc.) when people search for something.

If someone types “best Notion consultant,” SEO is what gets you on that list (*cough cough* NotionFlows). It’s about using the right words, having a solid website, and getting other sites to link to you.

And what’s GEO?

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. It’s the newer way of being found, this time, in AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Perplexity.

Instead of showing up in a Google list, GEO gets you mentioned when someone asks an AI for help, like, “Who can build a Notion system?” (*cough cough* NotionFlows)

Side to side table comparison 🤓

The way people look for information is changing fast.

According to the Capgemini Research Institute, 58% of consumers now use AI tools (like ChatGPT) instead of traditional search engines when they’re looking for product or service recommendations.

And here’s a real example:

Marie Martens, the founder of the form builder Tally (which I’ve personally been using since 2020 👋), shared just yesterday that 25% of her new signups are now coming directly from ChatGPT 👀

25%! that’s wild. 😲

So… how do you get in the GEO game?

Marie shared a few things she’s doing, and I went down the GEO + SEO rabbit hole too. Here are things you can do to take advantage of this.

Focus on helpful, high-quality content

Content is still king, but now, it needs to actually help people.

Answer common questions, give clear advice, and use real examples. Try writing in a Q&A format and break things into sections so it’s easy to follow.

Make your content easy for AI to read

Use headings, bullet points, and simple language. If your content is easy for humans to scan, it’s easier for AI to understand too. If you want to go into that rabit hole, do some research about schema markup.

See If you show up in AI tools

Go to ChatGPT or Perplexity and ask questions related to your industry.

Do you or your business show up? If not, that’s your signal to work on it.

Get mentioned in trusted places

AI doesn’t only read your website, it also learns from articles, podcasts, interviews, and other websites.

The more your name or brand shows up in these trusted spaces, the better your chances of being included in AI-generated answers.

Keep your website clear and up to date

Make sure your website clearly explains who you are, what you do, and who you help. AI tools love well-structured, up-to-date content. Keep your About, Services, and Contact pages simple and informative.

Use your own name (and brand name) often

Instead of always saying “we” or “our team,” say your name and your brand name clearly.

Example: “At NotionFlows, Roxana helps teams build powerful Notion workspaces.” ☺️This helps AI tools connect your name to your work more easily.

I’m working on this myself, hehe, honestly, it feels kind of cringe, but it’s what helps you get noticed.Tthis might be a cool topic for a future newsletter. 👀

🧠 Nugget of knowledge

"Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

— Woody Allen

If you’re like me, a business owner who wears all the hats, this stuff can feel a little overwhelming. You’re not an SEO expert or an AI specialist (and you don’t need to be). But understanding these changes, even just a little, helps you stay one step ahead.

You don’t have to master GEO overnight. Just start by being helpful, showing up, and sharing what you know in a clear, simple way. That alone makes you more “AI-visible” than you might think.

That’s exactly what I’m doing, writing this newsletter, posting more on LinkedIn, and slowly dipping my toes into YouTube. One step at a time. 👣

And because this is kinda of new, you have the advantage of being one of the first that these AI tools can learn from and highlight.

🤓 My favorite thing this week

So Notion just released a bunch of new AI features under the theme "Notion AI at Work." I’ve been testing most of them over the past few weeks and put together a full breakdown in a loooooooooooooong blog post. You can read it here — would love to hear what you think! :)

Honestly, there’s so much to cover that it probably deserves its own newsletter… maybe next week? 🤔

👀 Question for You

How do you stay visible in your industry?

Until next time,

Roxana ツ from Stay Curious

P.S. I can finally go to the beach again.

P.P.S. If you’re reading this and don’t know why, you subscribed to my newsletter a long time ago, and I’m actually doing it now, lol. First issue here 😌

Stay Curious.