Rise of Generative Engine Optimisation: The future of digital marketing in an AI-driven world

A mid-sized directto-consumer (D2C) skincare brand last month ran what it thought was a foolproof Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) campaign, with carefully researched keywords, backlinks across lifestyle blogs and a steady drip of influencer content.

Yet, when potential customers typed their queries into Google’s AI Overview, the brand was nowhere to be found — the summary highlighted two competitors instead. For the marketing team, it was a rude wake-up call; years of keyword-centric SEO expertise were suddenly anachronistic in an AI-first search world.

This is exactly the shift driving a surge in demand for Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) training.

Reflecting how platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI overviews are changing the way information is discovered, said Jitendra Kumar, chief technology officer at Simplilearn, adding that the company has seen a “sharp increase in interest for AI-search and GEO content” among learners.

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“Over the last year, we have seen digital marketing itself transition into a far more data-driven, AI-enabled field. On our platforms and across HEI partners, AI-search and GEO modules now account for just over onefifth of all digital marketing enrolments,compared to less than 10% last year,” said Shantanu Rooj, founder of TeamLease EdTech. Rooj added that most of the demand is coming from working professionals in marketing, content and growth roles with 3-8 years of experience “who see the writing on the wall for traditional SEO”. Aligning with a 150% surge in AIrelated job postings in India over the past five years, recruiter outreach to learners with GEO certification has also risen significantly. Underscoring the tangible employability gains of these programmes, Rooj said, “Many graduates have been placed into roles like growth marketing, performance marketing and digital strategy, positions with clear GEO-related KPIs.

Placement conversions for GEO-trained learners consistently outperform those focusing on traditional SEO alone.”

The momentum is not limited to metros, either. While Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR remain strongholds, Rooj noted that, driven by startups, D2C brands and agencies chasing national and global audiences, tier-2 hubs such as Kochi, Indore and Jaipur are fast catching up. By 2026, GEO-related programmes are expected to form as much as 30- 35% of all digital marketing enrol ments. “Both learners and employers now view GEO not as a niche but as the future of discoverability in the digital ecosystem,” Rooj said.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News SourceAccording to Kumar of Simplilearn, over 45% of their learners in this space are working professionals with bachelor’s or master’s degrees, drawn from marketing, IT, financial services and media. “GEO is a very new concept, but it’s quickly gaining momentum as businesses explore fresh ways to build visibility in an AI-first world,” he said.



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