Businesses are being urged to build generative engine optimization (GEO) into their marketing strategies as more Filipino consumers turn to artificial intelligence (AI) platforms for information and product recommendations, according to executives from Meltwater and Belo Medical Group, Inc.

GEO centers on raising a brand's visibility in responses generated by AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Google's Gemini. It complements traditional search engine optimization (SEO), which works to lift website rankings in search results.

Adoption figures underline the shift. Meltwater and We Are Social's Digital 2026 Mid-Year Global Update found that 66.8% of Filipino internet users aged 16 to 24 used ChatGPT at least once a month. Ramnath Bojeesh, Meltwater's country manager for Southeast Asia and India, said seven out of 10 Filipino internet users were using AI tools, a sign of the technology's fast-growing uptake.

"Out of 10 people who are using [the] internet, seven of them are using AI," Mr. Bojeesh said in an interview on Nov. 4.

He said AI adoption in the Philippines was already exceeding the global average, changing how consumers access information and research products. The Digital 2027 Global Overview Report found that 26% of adult internet users worldwide use AI tools to research brands and potential purchases.

Mr. Bojeesh said businesses must consider how their brands appear in AI-generated answers, which draw on information from a wide range of online sources.

"In traditional search, people go in and put, 'I want to buy a shoe,' and it shows indexed websites based on sponsored bids or search optimization," he said. "But with generative AI, the prompt carries rich, contextual details. Generative AI evaluates news coverage, social media conversations, Reddit threads, and expert videos to deliver a synthesized, branded answer."

He added that companies should assess not only whether their brands appear in AI-generated responses, but also whether those responses are relevant and accurately reflect their products and services.

"The first step is obviously showing up. The second step is whether you're showing up for the right reasons and for the right prompts. And then the third step is whether your brand is resonating well within that particular category," he said.

Customer Queries

Belo Medical Group has begun folding customer feedback and research into its approach to AI-based search as patients increasingly consult AI assistants for information about beauty treatments.

Brand and Revenue Director Jam Henares said the company had noticed patients and employees referring to AI-generated information when discussing treatment options.

"Before, we would be so keen on buying keywords. If you wanted to be big on search, then you buy these things so that you can reflect higher up on the website," Ms. Henares said. "Whereas in GEO, we want to be part of the actual answer. You ask a question, it gives you an answer."

To move beyond assumptions about consumer behavior, the company interviewed prospective and new patients to understand the questions they ask when considering treatments.

"Anyone who has been involved in a brand for a while will tend to have a lot of biases," she said.

Those conversations, Ms. Henares said, helped Belo identify the information consumers look for when researching aesthetic treatments.

"What talking to patients reveals is, what are those moments? What are the questions that they ask? Your personal AI is privy to your unfiltered thoughts, so that flows into what people are actually typing regarding the category and the brand," she said.

Brand Visibility

Mr. Bojeesh said Philippine businesses could improve their visibility across AI platforms by keeping information about their products and services consistent across social media, content creators, and news coverage. That consistency, he noted, could help local brands compete with international companies that have larger marketing budgets.

"Local brands need to ensure they are represented well and indexed well," he said.

Maintaining coherent messaging across creator channels, online communities, and social media, he added, could raise the likelihood of brands being cited in AI-generated responses.

Ms. Henares said GEO strategies must also account for differences among customer segments. For Belo Medical Group, these include patients seeking surgical procedures, noninvasive facial treatments, acne care, and other aesthetic services.

Even as search habits change, she said, traditional marketing principles remain relevant.

"The brilliant basics stay the same when it comes to marketing. Knowing your customer, appearing where relevant, and investing in places where you're likely to win… these principles have been there ever since," she said. "AI now becomes a magnifier. If you have a great brand or a great product, then it magnifies that."

— Juliana Chloe A. Gonzales, BusinessWorld

Source: BusinessWorld