The Digital Vanishing Act: A Guide to GEO for Australian Professional Firms
- Ike Media
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
Author: Luke Livis
The Way Clients Find You Has Fundamentally Changed
I’ve always been fascinated by how people find information. For the longest time, the process was straightforward. A potential client had a problem, they went to Google, and your firm’s website appeared in a list of blue links. That link was a digital handshake. It was the front door to your expertise.
But I’ve noticed that front door is starting to feel different. In fact, for many, it’s disappearing entirely.
In its place is something new, driven by generative AI. Tools like Gemini and ChatGPT aren’t just search engines anymore. I think of them more as answer engines. They don't just point you to a library of potential answers; they walk to the shelf, pull down the right book, and read the most relevant passage aloud.
If your firm’s wisdom isn't in that passage, you risk becoming invisible. For me, this is the most profound shift I’ve seen in my digital marketing career so far. And for professional firms whose entire value is built on trust, learning to navigate it isn’t just a marketing task. It’s a new way of thinking about your place in the digital world.
So, What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?
The simplest way to understand GEO is to see it as a natural evolution.
Traditional SEO has always been about showing an algorithm that you are a relevant choice. You optimised your website to signal that you were a good destination. The goal was to get a high ranking on the results page, to be a prominent door on a very long street.
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) has a different goal. For me, it’s the art of ensuring your firm’s knowledge and unique perspective are so clear, credible, and well-structured that an AI model chooses to weave your insights directly into the answer it provides.
The aim is no longer just for a client to find their way to your website. The aim is for your firm’s name to be the trusted authority cited in their answer.
Imagine a CFO in Melbourne asking their AI assistant a complex question about a management buyout. The old approach hoped they would find a link to your firm. The new approach ensures the AI’s answer is built on your expertise, perhaps stating:
“…and as the corporate team at LL Legal wisely notes in their analysis, careful thought must be given to Division 7A implications, a common pitfall in these deals.”
In that moment, you aren't just a possible solution. You are the trusted source.
Why This Shift Demands Your Attention Now
For high-stakes fields like law, finance, and consulting, this isn't a distant trend. It's a present-day reality, and the numbers paint a clear picture.
According to a recent Gartner report on the future of search, the volume of queries going to traditional search engines is expected to drop by 25% by 2026. The report also suggests that organic traffic to websites could fall by more than 50% as people find they prefer the immediate, consolidated answers AI provides.
This tells us something incredibly important. People are quickly learning to trust these new tools. Research shows 79% of consumers plan to use AI-enhanced search within the next year, and 70% already feel confident in the results.
When I look at that data, I see one thing: the centre of gravity for digital trust is moving. It’s shifting away from the domain name and toward the quality of the answer itself.
A Blueprint for Building Trust with AI
Adapting to GEO doesn’t mean abandoning what you know. It’s about deepening your focus on what has always mattered most: genuine expertise. Think of it as a change in mindset, guided by a few core principles.
1. Think Like an Answer Engine
The first step is a simple shift in perspective. The goal is not to "beat" an algorithm. For me, the goal is to understand what the AI is trying to do, which is provide the best, most helpful answer possible. Your job is to help it succeed by making your expertise clear and accessible. This means moving beyond simple keywords and diving deep into the complex, conversational questions your clients truly have.
2. Build on a Foundation of Verifiable Trust
I believe a great piece of content for an AI, much like a great poem, is one that makes the reader feel something. In this context, that feeling is confidence. And confidence is born from evidence.
A ground-breaking study on GEO from researchers at Princeton and other top institutions (Aggarwal et al., 2023) discovered that certain tactics significantly improve visibility in AI answers. They found that simple acts of credibility, like citing reliable sources, adding statistics, and including direct quotes from experts, boosted a source's inclusion by 30-40%.
For professional firms, this is a clear and actionable insight. Every piece of content you produce should be a bastion of credibility, supported by data and transparent sourcing.
3. Speak with Clarity and Purpose
Structure isn't just a technical task; it's a form of respect for the reader, whether human or machine. I see it as a way of removing any friction between your knowledge and another's understanding. Use clear headings and lists to organise your thoughts. Implement technical best practices like Schema markup to explicitly label your content for AI. And most importantly, provide a direct answer to the core question early on, setting the context with clarity and purpose.
4. Champion the People Behind the Expertise
In a world of automated answers, the human element becomes more valuable, not less. An AI, like a discerning client, is built to trust credentialed experts. Your firm’s greatest GEO asset is the people who walk its halls every day.
To be seen as an authority, you have to be part of the broader conversation. This means making your experts the heroes of your content and encouraging them to share their knowledge not just on LinkedIn, but on platforms like Reddit and Quora where community discussions are shaping the AI’s understanding of the world. It’s about reciprocity; giving valuable knowledge back into the ecosystem you wish to be a part of.
Our Approach at Ike Media
This philosophy is at the very heart of our work. At Ike Media, we're a team that comes from the worlds of AI, machine learning, and professional services. This background gives us a unique perspective, allowing us to bridge the gap between technical possibility and commercial reality.
Our purpose is to help leading firms in law, finance, and engineering apply these principles. We don't just build websites or write articles. We work with you to:
Develop a 'Library of Truth' that serves as a definitive, credible source for your industry.
Engineer Digital Platforms where every technical detail is designed for clarity and interpretation.
Amplify the Voices of Your Experts across the web, building their authority and, in turn, your firm’s.
We believe this is how modern, trusted brands are built.
The Choice Ahead
The business world is adopting this technology at a remarkable rate. A recent McKinsey global survey on AI found 65% of organisations are now using generative AI, a number that has nearly doubled in less than a year. This is no longer a conversation for the IT department; it's a core strategic consideration.
For us, the choice seems clear. You can either continue to build a digital presence for a world that is fading, or you can begin building one for the world that is emerging. A world where your value is measured not by how many people you can attract to your website, but by how much wisdom you contribute to the answer.
For expert GEO guidance and support, view our services or book a discovery call with Ike Media today.
About the Author
Luke co-founded Ike Media, a digital marketing agency for professional services in Australia. Luke has significant expertise in SEO and GEO, and helps firm lead through growth marketing and digital strategy.
