In 2024, the surge in AI-generated search results significantly impacted organic traffic on many websites. A significant number of queries ceased to result in click-throughs, and when users did click, it was challenging for companies to gain additional context on searches conducted within apps like ChatGPT or Perplexity.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), also referred to as AI Search visibility optimization, has been proposed as a solution to this issue. Austrian startup, Otterly.AI, led by CEO Thomas Peham, is one company offering such solutions. Otterly designs dashboards to assist companies and ad agencies in monitoring and optimizing their presence in AI results. The startup has recently stepped out of stealth mode after surpassing 1,000 users.
However, Otterly had to rebuild its product from scratch after Google introduced AI Overviews in May of the same year. AI Overviews are Google’s version of AI-powered results, which often result in zero-click searches where users don’t navigate beyond the search engine.
As AI Overviews are being implemented worldwide, companies that depended on organic search traffic are feeling the impact. For instance, a SaaS business noticed a decrease in its organic search presence in the U.S., and