Search is being rewritten in front of us, but not in ways most marketers expect. Quiet launches, hidden tests, and surprising data shifts are changing how brands get seen across AI engines. What matters isn't obvious at first glance.
Here's what surfaced this week and why it could reshape your visibility sooner than you think.
1. Quick Hits: This Week's GEO Signals
- SEOSLY / Olga Zarr — "AI & SEO 2025 = 90% fundamentals, 10% AI"; tactics include chunked content for AIO, unlinked brand mentions, AI-crawler access, and schema. (National Law Review)
- Microsoft — Fabrice Canel says SEOs must analyze "clicks to conversions" from AI search, not just clicks. (Search Engine Roundtable)
- Tech stakes: ChatGPT needs Bing indexation to cite you, and many AI crawlers don't execute JavaScript—use SSR or static output. (seomator.com)
- Semrush — Launches "Site Intelligence" to track AI surfaces; warns many AI crawlers skip JS and don't retry. Semrush.
- Allstream Energy Partners — launches AI LLM Search service for oil-and-gas GEO/AEO; press release cites early lifts in qualified leads and traffic. (EIN Presswire)
- AI citation breakdown (177M sources): Listicles lead at 32.5%; blogs 9.9%; stores 4.7%; homepages 3.8%; forums 3.4%; docs/wiki 2.7%; news 2.1%; videos 1%; search pages 0.6%. (SEOmator)
- Birdeye — Listings Optimization Agent: Auto-audits and bulk-updates multi-location listings (Google, Apple Maps, Bing, Yelp) with one-click approvals. (PR Newswire) (PR Newswire)
- Google / Volatility — Rank swings spike again after the June core update; chatter heats up. (Search Engine Roundtable)
- Google Crawling — Reports of a generic, undocumented "Google" crawler user-agent surface. Search Engine Roundtable.
Also read: Why Your Google Rankings Don't Guarantee ChatGPT Visibility Anymore
2. Deep Dives: What the Headlines Don't Tell You
Allstream launches GEO/AEO LLM Search for Oil & Gas
Houston-based Allstream Energy Partners launched an AI "LLM Search" service aimed at oil-and-gas sellers. The offer combines sector-specific schema work, content blocks designed for assistants, and cross-engine reporting.
The company cites early results: +43% qualified leads and +38% traffic in one quarter for one client; another saw +36% qualified leads, +40% inbound RFQs, and +55% traffic in six months.
The pitch leans on industry fluency (52 years' combined experience) and a dual SEO/GEO approach to win citations, leads, and RFQs. (einpresswire.com)
Olga Zarr: 90% SEO Fundamentals, 10% AI
SEOSLY's Olga Zarr sets a rule for 2025: keep 90% of effort on core SEO, add 10% AI tactics.
Her press release lists practical moves—self-contained "chunks" that AIO can quote, brand mentions beyond links, open access for new AI crawlers, and targeted schema.
She cites market context: Google holds over 90% share and grew search volume 21% year over year, while traffic to the ten biggest AI chatbots sits under 3%. A new "AI SEO Expert" course is on presale. (National Law Review)
Birdeye's Always-On Listings Agent Targets Local Visibility
Birdeye launched an AI "Listings Optimization Agent" built for multi-location brands. It acts like a 24/7 local SEO strategist: monitors search trends and competitor benchmarks, flags gaps (outdated descriptions, untapped keywords, missing photos, service areas), and pushes recommended updates in bulk after one approval.
The company says pilots saw quicker updates and better visibility metrics. A customer quote (Kniesel's Collision Centers) backs the workflow gains.
The coverage includes major directories such as Google, Apple Maps, Bing, and Yelp. Available now for Birdeye Listings AI users. (PR Newswire)
Semrush' Site Intelligence' targets AI-ready site health
Semrush Enterprise introduced Site Intelligence, an always-on site health system for AI search. It crawls and renders millions of pages, including JavaScript-heavy templates, every few minutes, then ranks issues using Semrush's data so teams fix what moves revenue.
It addresses a key gap: OpenAI/Perplexity crawlers don't handle JavaScript like Google, so critical content can be invisible unless rendered clearly.
SI feeds dashboards, sends Slack/Teams alerts, and opens Jira tickets to speed fixes, aiming for faster pages, cleaner indexation, and more citations. (semrush.com)
Format Wins in AI Citations
A study by SEOmator of 177 million AI-cited sources reveals that comparative listicles dominate with 32.5% of citations.
They outperform other formats—blogs/opinion pieces (9.91%), commercial or store pages (4.73%), homepages (3.75%), forums (3.36%), docs/wiki (2.73%), news (2.1%), video (0.95%), and search pages (0.62%).
This shows AI systems prefer structured, side-by-side comparison content. If you want your pages quoted in AI-generated answers, focus on clearly organized comparison-style content. (SEOmator)
Also read: Stop Losing Clicks to AI: Learn How to Start Winning Citations
3. Fresh Stats Shaping GEO Right Now
- 41M+ AI Search Results Studied — SEOmator analyzed 41M results across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Copilot. (SEOmator)
- Click-Through Rates Down 49% — Pew Research: AI summaries in SERPs cut CTR by almost half. (Pew Research)
- 92% of AI Mode Results Include Sidebars — Semrush: 92% of AI Mode answers cite ~7 domains, spreading visibility. (Semrush)
- 67% of AIO Citations Overlap with Top 10 URLs — Most AI Overview citations still come from existing top-10 pages. (Semrush)
- Knowledge Graph Cut by 6.26% — Google removed 3B+ entities in June, raising the bar for entity clarity. (Search Engine Land)
- AI Overviews in 16% of US Searches — Ahrefs: share of AIOs doubled since March 2025. (Ahrefs)
- Top Result Clicks Drop 34.5% with AIO — Ahrefs: when AIO appears, clicks on the #1 organic link fall by a third. (Ahrefs)
Also read: Ranking Rules Changed (Again): Is Your Site Structured to Win?
4. Local Visibility on Autopilot: Birdeye's Listings Agent in Action
Birdeye's new Listings Optimization Agent isn't just another tool; it's a head start for GEO beginners. If you manage local or multi-location listings, start here: this AI-driven bot continuously checks your info across Google, Apple Maps, Bing, and Yelp.
It highlights missing categories, outdated descriptions, missing photos, and other gaps and lets you approve bulk fixes with a single click. Strategically, it means cleaner data everywhere your brand appears, with minimal effort.
First step: plug in your locations, approve the audit, and start tracking your completeness score. (PR Newswire)
Also read: When Answer Boxes Rule, How Will You Stay Seen?
5. Tactic of the Week: Fix Crawl Gaps Using Semrush Site Intelligence for AI Discovery
Semrush Site Intelligence isn't just another audit tool; it restores visibility where most fail. Many AI crawlers don't run your JavaScript or interpret dynamic displays. This tool continuously renders pages like AI systems do, highlights what's blocked or invisible, and feeds updates into Slack or Jira.
For someone unsure where to begin, this is a quick way to discover "blind spots" that keep your content from being seen and citations from being earned. Integrate it into workflow, triage issues, and measure the impact of fixes on AI indexation.
Also read: 10 GEO Trends That Will Supercharge Your AI Visibility Faster
6. Start Here: Your First 3 GEO Moves This Week
Normalize your local listings – Enable Birdeye's Listings Agent, make approval your first task, and lock down visibility across major directories.
Audit for AI crawl readiness – Run a quick Site Intelligence check. Zero in on rendering gaps or missing schema that might hide you from AI engines.
Craft your first listicle block – Pick one high-priority query in your niche. Draft a comparison-style chunk (e.g., "3 ways to choose X"). That cozy format boosts the chance of being quoted by AI.
In short, clicks are shrinking, but visibility isn’t gone; it’s moving. GEO is the path to reclaiming presence in AI search. Structure content, repair crawl issues, and track citations now to stay ahead of competitors who wait.
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