AI Search and GEO: What NZ Marketers Need to Know

Customers increasingly form opinions and compare options through AI-powered search, often before they visit a website. That leaves marketers with two practical questions: how to stay visible and credible in those answers, and how to measure success when fewer clicks no longer mean less influence.

Charlotte Lobo, Head of Discovery at Together, explores what Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) means for marketers and separates genuine shifts in search behaviour from the noise around AI. She explains why writing for people still comes first, how third-party content and conversations shape which brands get discovered, and why website traffic no longer tells the full story.

She also looks ahead to agentic AI, where assistants increasingly help customers research, choose, and buy products. Her advice for New Zealand marketers is practical: get the fundamentals right, understand how your customers search, keep your content and website credible and accessible, and start measuring how your brand appears across AI platforms.

Author: Charlotte Lobo & Sharon Abbott, 20th October 2026