Online search no longer looks like it did a few years ago.
It\u2019s no longer a page full of blue links: today, it\u2019s a conversation.<\/p>\n
With the rise of Large Language Models, Google AI Mode, and new generative formats such as AI Overviews<\/strong> and Web Guide<\/strong>, brands no longer just need to \u201crank\u201d \u2014 they need to be chosen. They must become the source that AI spontaneously cites when constructing an answer.<\/p>\n To understand how search is changing and what it really means to optimise for this new era, we spoke with Matteo Ferrari<\/strong> and Damiano Antonelli<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Matteo Ferrari has no doubts: this is not a simple update, but a deep transformation.<\/p>\n \u201cFor years, SEO was a race for rankings: keywords, links, performance. Today, the goal is no longer to be first, but to be inside the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n With generative content, the concept of the SERP as we knew it no longer holds. If content is not clear, not consistent, or not \u201ccitable,\u201d AI won\u2019t use it. Everything changes: the way we write, design, and even think about content.<\/p>\n As Damiano Antonelli explains:<\/p>\n \u201cWe no longer write only to engage people. We also write so that a machine can interpret us correctly and speak on our behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Creativity doesn\u2019t disappear, it transforms. Vague or poorly contextualised content risks not being selected by LLMs \u2014 and in a scenario where the generated answer matters more than ranking, this makes all the difference.<\/p>\n SEO remains the foundation. No doubt about it. Ferrari sums it up this way:<\/p>\n SEO \u2192 helps you get found<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) \u2192 helps you get answered<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) \u2192 helps you get told<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n GEO is the most advanced frontier: it means designing content, data, and structure so that AI wants to include the brand in its own narrative.<\/p>\n According to both of them, yes \u2014 and it matters more than traffic itself.<\/p>\n LLMs work through retrieval \u2192 ranking \u2192 synthesis<\/strong>. AI favours content that is:<\/p>\n clear<\/p>\n<\/li>\n modular<\/p>\n<\/li>\n rich in verifiable data<\/p>\n<\/li>\n aligned with other authoritative sources<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Ferrari explains it with an effective image:<\/p>\n \u201cIf a sentence can be extracted and still remain true outside its context, then it\u2019s an excellent candidate to enter an AI-generated answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The journey is changing just as much as search.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are moving from B2C to B2AI,\u201d Ferrari observes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n More and more users are delegating discovery, comparison, and selection to assistants. This is where Antonelli introduces a key concept:<\/p>\n \u201cContent becomes a currency of trust. The clearer, more consistent, and more reliable you are, the more the AI trusts you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Yes \u2014 and in a surprising way.<\/p>\n Traffic coming from AI is still limited, but it performs extremely well:<\/p>\n more pages viewed<\/p>\n<\/li>\n lower bounce rate<\/p>\n<\/li>\n higher conversions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The user arrives already \u201ceducated\u201d by AI. A central one.<\/p>\n Feeds are the language brands use to speak to algorithms. \u201cA poorly written attribute can make a product disappear from an AI recommendation,\u201d Ferrari points out.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Schema.org, cross-channel consistency, and constant updates are not technical details: they are strategic levers of visibility.<\/p>\n Creativity doesn\u2019t disappear \u2014 it changes shape.<\/p>\n \u201cOn social media it remains emotional, identity-driven, and engaging. For LLMs, it becomes semantic and precise,\u201d Antonelli states.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s a double grammar:<\/p>\n storytelling for people<\/p>\n<\/li>\n clarity and completeness for machines<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The best brands will know how to speak both languages.<\/p>\n A huge one.<\/p>\n Sources such as YouTube<\/strong>, Reddit<\/strong>, and Instagram<\/strong> are already used by models. Ferrari sums it up well:<\/p>\n \u201cEvery piece of content is a possible signal for AI.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The first step is changing perspective.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to stop thinking of content as output. Content is infrastructure, it\u2019s an ecosystem,\u201d Antonelli states.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Modular content, accessible data, consistency, and openness become central elements. Ferrari:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cNot being found, but being selected.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Antonelli:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBecoming the AI\u2019s logical choice, even before the user\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n SEO is not dead. It has just changed its voice. And in a world where AI decides what to show, the winners won\u2019t be those who shout the loudest, but those who know how to be clearer, more consistent, and more useful.<\/p>\n Brands that build readable and reliable content will be the ones AI chooses to cite \u2014 and, as a result, the ones that truly make it into the answers of the future.<\/p>\nIs search really changing, or is this just another evolution?<\/h2>\n
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The competition is no longer for position, but for being recognised as a trusted source within the AI-generated summary.<\/p>\n
And if it doesn\u2019t use it\u2026 it\u2019s as if it doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\nFrom a creative perspective, what changes?<\/h2>\n
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It requires more precision, more structure, more verifiability.<\/p>\nAEO and GEO: evolutions of SEO or entirely new disciplines?<\/h2>\n
But today, it\u2019s no longer enough.<\/p>\n\n
Is being \u201ccitable\u201d the new success metric?<\/h2>\n
You don\u2019t need ten positions: one is enough, inside the answer.<\/p>\n\n
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What does this mean for the customer journey?<\/h2>\n
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Brands enter the game much later, when the user already has a shortlist built by the machine.<\/p>\n\n
Do the data confirm this shift?<\/h2>\n
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The website is no longer just a place of discovery, but a space for final validation.<\/p>\nWhat role do structured data and product feeds play?<\/h2>\n
And in this language, a single mistake can be costly.<\/p>\n\n
And creativity? Where does it fit in such a \u201crational\u201d world?<\/h2>\n
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And social media? What role do they play in GEO?<\/h2>\n
There is no longer a clear distinction between SEO content and social content: everything is potentially indexable, interpretable, and reusable.<\/p>\n\n
What should brands do to avoid falling behind?<\/h2>\n
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And partnerships with AI platforms stop being PR initiatives and become part of the decision-making process.<\/p>\nThe challenge of the coming years, in one sentence<\/h2>\n
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Conclusion<\/h2>\n
It has become conversational, generative, selective.<\/p>\n