GEO Scores Alone Won't Solve Your Brand's AI Visibility Problem

Brands are now competing for "visibility" not just on Google but in generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Perplexity. To that end, many companies are leaning on GEO score — a metric that measures how often a brand gets mentioned by AI systems. But Adweek's experts warn this approach carries its own risks.

The problem is that optimization aimed solely at boosting GEO score often comes at the expense of real user experience on the site. As content gets tailored to be "understandable" to AI systems, it can lose its natural feel for actual human readers.

Experts stress that GEO score isn't an end in itself — it's just one indicator of outcome. What still matters most for a brand is quality, useful, trustworthy content, since that's exactly the kind of content AI systems tend to recommend more readily.

That's why marketers are advised to optimize not just by chasing metrics, but in line with what their audience actually needs. Otherwise, a short-term bump in visibility can end up eroding trust in the brand over the long run.

In short, GEO is a useful tool, but not a silver bullet. The secret to success is still defined by strategies built around the user and around quality.