Budget for AI Search (GEO) Visibility Now!
This article was published on February 26, 2026
Categorized in: Digital Marketing, AI Marketing
Online search behavior is changing, and AI has played a big part into why this is the case. The way people are discovering information, checking up on brands, and making decisions has fundamentally shifted. It used to be that people would perform keyword-driven searches and scroll through pages of search results before settling on a website to visit.
This is not really the case anymore, at least in part. People have come to rely on the way AI delivers information to at least start the online research process. This has shifted the way people search, and it has changed their expectations of how this information should be delivered. It has also changed the way businesses need to think about their marketing. Since search is changing, it would benefit businesses to make some tweaks to their marketing.
However, doing so would mean that it needed to be reflected in your marketing budget. How do you know when it’s time to consider it? Here are some things to consider before decided when to budget.
Audience Behavior Starts Changing
You should begin budgeting for AI search visibility when you notice meaningful changes in how your audience finds and engages with information. There are some clear sighs, such as zero-click keyword searches, and prospects contacting you further along in the sales cycle. This says that your industry’s behavior is shifting. The zero-click searches usually indicate that people are getting their answers through AI. People who are further along in the sales cycle likely discovered you in AI (GEO) search results and have researched you before
Also, if organic search traffic is flattening while impressions remain steady, or if branded queries are increasing without proportional website visits, AI intermediaries may already be influencing discovery. You don’t need to wait for dramatic declines to act. Early investment allows you to understand how AI systems interpret your content, brand authority, and expertise before competitors fully adapt.
Organic Search Is Your Main Growth Channel
If search visibility is already a core driver of pipeline or revenue, AI search should be considered a natural extension of that investment. It can be looked at as an offshoot of regular SEO.
Generative engines draw heavily from high-quality, authoritative content ecosystems, which means that your existing SEO foundation is an advantage you can amplify. Budgeting at this stage isn’t about replacing SEO; it’s about protecting and compounding its value. You’re ensuring that as search interfaces evolve, your brand remains present in both traditional rankings and AI-generated responses.
Your Competition Is Already Doing It
Another signal to allocate budget is when competitors start appearing prominently in thought leadership conversations, industry summaries, or AI-generated recommendations. AI systems often reinforce perceived authority by repeatedly citing brands with strong topical depth and digital credibility. If you wait until competitors dominate those narratives, regaining visibility becomes significantly more expensive. Strategic investment earlier allows you to shape category definitions, not just respond to them.
If your competitors are already doing it, if you wait too long, you will be left behind. It’s easier to be ahead of the curve, or at least part of the curve, than it is to play catch up.
The truth is, the right time to budget for changes to make to get more visible in AI search (GEO) is now. It’s whenever you can do it. While different industries are evolving at different paces, the sooner you can do this, the better. However, these points can help you when deciding how imminent it is for you.
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About the Author: Brick Marketing President, Nick Stamoulis
Nick Stamoulis is President of Brick Marketing and has over 25 years of digital marketing experience. He works directly with clients on strategy and implementation, helping solve complex marketing, lead generation and sales challenges. Nick Stamoulis is a strategist and expert with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), AI Search or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), content marketing, social media, pay per click advertising, and conversion improvement. Nick Stamoulis has worked with over 500 companies in many industries and also provides digital marketing consulting and training classes, helping companies improve performance and achieve desired outcomes.
