In the latest Seminar of our Digital Marketing specialization, we were pleased to welcome Sebastian Prohaska, CEO of ithelps Digital, to discuss the massive shift occurring in the world of search: the transition from traditional SEO to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

The session focused on how Generative AI is redefining search engine marketing. Sebastian shared a remarkable real-world case study where a company scaled its AI search visibility from 0% to 70% in just 60 days. He explained that while the foundations of ranking—technical health, high-quality content, backlinks, and user satisfaction—remain vital, the way information is retrieved is changing.

A significant portion of the talk was dedicated to the mechanics of "Query Fanout." Sebastian explained how AI search engines essentially "search for us" by breaking down a single user query into multiple layers to synthesize a response. Understanding which sources these AI models refer to is now the key to maintaining brand visibility in a "post-link" world.

Finally, we discussed the evolving toolkit for modern marketers, including Keyword Surfer and specialized SEO and GEO tracking tools. These tools allow companies to monitor their domain's performance not just on a traditional results page, but within the generated answers of AI agents.

We would like to thank Sebastian Prohaska and ithelps for providing our students with such a forward-looking dive into the future of search engine marketing.