A mid-sized direct-to-consumer (D2C) skincare brand, armed with a meticulously researched SEO campaign, was in for a surprise. Despite its efforts, when potential customers turned to Google’s AI Overview, the brand was conspicuously absent, with the summary instead spotlighting two competitors. This unexpected turn of events underscored the need to adapt to an AI-first search environment.
The marketing team’s experience was a wake-up call. Years of focusing on keyword-centric SEO suddenly felt outdated in an AI-first search environment. This shift in the industry is driving a rapid increase in demand for Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) training, as professionals seek to adapt to the changing search landscape.
Platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping how information is discovered, said Jitendra Kumar, CTO at Simplilearn, noting a ‘sharp increase in interest for AI-search and GEO content’ among learners. Shantanu Rooj, founder of Team Lease EdTech, added, ‘Over the last year, digital marketing has transformed into a far more data-driven, AI-enabled field, sparking a new wave of excitement. Across our platforms and partner universities, AI-search and GEO modules now make up over one-fifth of all digital marketing enrolments — up from less than 10% last year.’
According to Rooj, most of this demand comes from working professionals in marketing, content, and growth roles with 3–8 years of experience, “who see the writing on the wall for traditional SEO.” This aligns with a 150% surge in AI-related job postings in India over the past five years. Recruiter outreach to learners with GEO certification has also jumped, with many graduates now being hired into growth marketing, performance marketing, and digital strategy roles — positions that explicitly feature GEO-related KPIs. Rooj said placement conversions for GEO-trained candidates consistently outperform those trained in traditional SEO.
Importantly, the trend is no longer confined to major metros. While Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR remain strong markets, tier-2 hubs like Kochi, Indore, and Jaipur are rapidly catching up, driven by startups, D2C brands, and digital agencies serving national and global audiences. By 2026, GEO-related programmers are expected to constitute a significant 30–35% of all digital marketing enrolments, marking the anticipation of future opportunities. ‘Learners and employers alike now see GEO not as a niche skill, but as the future of discoverability in the digital ecosystem,’ Rooj said.
Simplilearn reports that over 45% of its GEO learners are working professionals with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in fields such as marketing, IT, finance, and media. “GEO is still a new concept, but it’s gaining momentum quickly as businesses explore new ways to stay visible in an AI-first world,” Kumar said. The platform is preparing to roll out new modules on AI-powered SEO and GEO across its flagship digital marketing programs in the coming months.
At upGrad, too, learner behaviour reflects surging interest in AI-driven search skills. “If SEO was like TV advertising, GEO is like personalised social media feeds — curated, contextual and AI-led,” said Rohit Sharma, president–consumer business at upGrad. He noted that while GEO is still emerging, marketers are discovering its rules in real time.
Sharma explained that the fundamentals of GEO and SEO are similar, but GEO demands specialised tools, fact-rich content, and a willingness to experiment with AI search engines. To illustrate the momentum, he shared that upGrad’s free Basics of SEO course recorded one enrolment every 2 hours over the last 4 months, while its advanced U&AI certification with Microsoft and NSDC crossed 100,000 paid sign-ups within 3 months.
Prashant Rastogi, director at Coursera for Campus and Government–India, said, GEO is not just a technical skill — it’s a strategic capability that will define how brands build visibility and trust in an AI-first economy.” Citing Adobe research showing that 90% of Indian consumers believe Gen AI has already improved their online shopping experiences, Rastogi added, “It’s no longer just about ranking higher on search engines — it’s about ensuring your content is discoverable and trusted in AI-generated responses.
