On January 12, 2026, the AI application sector saw a surge in activity in the A-share market, with discussions centering on the concept of "Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)" gaining significant attention. GEO is viewed as a new marketing paradigm aligned with generative AI search scenarios.
According to analysis by the American consulting firm Gartner, by 2028, traffic from traditional search engines to brands is expected to decrease by 50%, as consumers increasingly receive search results generated by artificial intelligence. This structural shift is considered a key background for the rise of the GEO sector. Huayuan Securities pointed out that as generative AI products like Doubao and Qianwen gradually become the core gateway for information acquisition, GEO aims to enhance brand citation and visibility in AI-generated answers by optimizing the semantic expression, structural form, and credibility endorsement of content.
Recent industry developments have further heightened related interest. On January 10, Elon Musk announced via the social media platform X that the platform's latest content recommendation algorithm would be officially open-sourced within a week. This move has been interpreted by some in the market as an entry into the GEO field. Meanwhile, the user base for domestic native AI applications continues to expand. QuestMobile's statistics from last month show that in the native AI market, Doubao leads with 155 million weekly active users, DeepSeek has over 80 million weekly active users, and Tencent Yuanbao has more than 20 million.
Market analysis has explored the evolving logic of investment in the AI industry chain. China Galaxy Securities believes that the deep concerns in the field of artificial intelligence do not originate from the production side but from the demand side. Currently, the application potential of generative AI across various industries still has significant room for improvement. Guojin Securities also stated that the development of large models will accelerate the commoditization of "simple applications," and for applications with deep industry-specific expertise (Know-how), large models are not a threat but rather an important tool to consolidate their core advantages.
At the enterprise level, several companies have disclosed business progress or layouts related to GEO. Zhewen Interconnected announced the launch of the generative engine optimization agent "HochiGEO." Bluefocus disclosed that, together with Inno Angel Fund, it has co-led an investment in PureblueAI Qinglan, a startup focused on the GEO field. Weimob Group recently officially released its self-developed GEO solution "Weimob Xingqi." According to data estimates from Minglue Technology, the global GEO market size in 2025 is approximately $11.2 billion, and it is expected to grow to $100.7 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of about 55% during the period.
