In 2015, it was reported that [[Google]] was developing and promoting mobile search as a key feature within future products. In response, many brands began to take a different approach to their Internet marketing strategies.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.startupgrind.com/blog/mobile-is-the-internet-for-consumers/ |title="By the Data: For Consumers, Mobile is the Internet" ''Google for Entrepreneurs Startup Grind'' September 20, 2015. |access-date=January 8, 2016 |archive-date=January 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106040341/https://www.startupgrind.com/blog/mobile-is-the-internet-for-consumers/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In the 2020s, the rise of generative AI tools such as [[ChatGPT]], Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini gave rise to discussion around a newconcept approachvariously calledreferred [[Generativeto as generative engine optimization, answer engine optimization]] or [[artificial intelligence optimization]]. This approach focuses on optimizing content for inclusion in AI-generated answers provided by [[large language models]] (LLMs). This shift has led digital marketers to rethinkdiscuss content formats, authority signals, and how structured data is presented to make content more "promptable".<ref>{{Cite web | title=What is generative engine optimization (GEO)? | url=https://searchengineland.com/what-is-generative-engine-optimization-geo-444418 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240729150835/https://searchengineland.com/what-is-generative-engine-optimization-geo-444418 | access-date=2025-07-30 | archive-date=2024-07-29}}</ref> It has also been argued that each of these tactics should be considered as subsets of "search experience optimization," described by [[Ahrefs]] as "optimizing a brand’s presence for non-linear search journeys over multiple platforms, not just Google."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gavoyannis |first1=Despina |title=SXO Explained: How to Adapt to the New Era of Search |url=https://ahrefs.com/blog/search-experience-optimization/ |website=Ahrefs}}</ref>
