Marketers aren’t ready for GEO: Survey

Most digital marketers aren’t investing resources in generative engine optimization (GEO), even as AI-powered search looms larger. That’s according to new survey data shared exclusively with Search Engine Land by digital marketing firm Centerfield.

By the numbers. According to Centerfield’s survey:

• 63% of marketers said their company isn’t investing time, budget, or staff in GEO.
• 9% of marketing resources are allocated to GEO on average, compared with 24% for SEO and 36% for social campaigns.
• 33% of marketers said they have a good or expert understanding of GEO, versus 72% for SEO.
• 41% expected their company to dedicate more GEO resources in the next year.

Why we care. As we move toward a world where AI-generated search summaries are the norm, brands risk falling behind if they don’t adapt their strategies to be visible (via mentions/citations) in new answer-driven formats.

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Other findings. Nearly all marketers (93%) said they are facing barriers to GEO implementation:

• 40% cited budget; 36% said limited expertise or competing priorities.
• Only a third feel highly confident in telling whether traffic came from AI search versus traditional search.
• Still, 67% believe AI search visibility will be “very or extremely important” within two years.

What’s next. Most teams want education and playbooks. Half say they need basic training on AI search. Others are calling for best practices and tools to measure impact.

About the survey. The Centerfield Gen-AI Search Readiness Survey was an online poll of 878 U.S. marketers conducted in August, with a ±3.3% margin of error at the 95% confidence level. Respondents represented a broad mix of ages, genders, ethnic backgrounds, industries, and company sizes, and all held responsibility for at least one key marketing function.