Who Will Win Beauty's Arms Race for GEO?

"There's no one way to hack visibility on these LLMs [large language models], and if there was, they'd quickly shut it down. ChatGPT, which is the most prominent AI search engine with 60.7 percent share, cites, on average, more than 22 sources per prompt response. Gemini, which comprises 15 percent of AI searches and is the fastest-growing tool in the category, cites between seven to 10 sources per response."

"You need sources that are not you, to say nice things about you. Product recommendation media is coming back. It's possible that ChatGPT and the others will change their algorithms eventually, but right now, these 'best of' lists...they're more influential than traditional channels."

"In addition to optimizing owned websites and social media channels for LLM readability, brands must ensure, perhaps more than ever, that they appear prominently on commonly cited sources like Reddit, YouTube and TikTok, as well as annual awards and 'best of' articles by beauty publishers, which are poised to grow once again in relevance."

AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini are rapidly capturing search market share, with ChatGPT holding 17 percent of searches in Q4 2025 compared to Google's 78 percent. Beauty companies are adopting generative engine optimization (GEO) to increase visibility on these platforms, replacing traditional SEO strategies. Unlike SEO, GEO requires a multifaceted approach with no single optimization method. ChatGPT cites over 22 sources per response while Gemini cites 7-10 sources. Brands must optimize owned channels and secure prominent placement on third-party platforms including Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, and beauty publisher award lists and recommendation articles to appear in AI-generated responses.

Read at WWD