Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) has become one of the most important disciplines in digital marketing. As AI systems like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity reshape how people search, discover, and trust information, the focus has shifted from ranking webpages to being cited, referenced, and understood by generative engines.
The professionals below are not just adapting to this shift - they are driving it. These are the leading GEO experts of 2026, redefining visibility and authority in the age of artificial intelligence.
The Most Influential GEO Experts in 2026
As AI reshapes how people search, discover, and trust information, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) has become the key to visibility in 2026. These leaders are redefining how brands appear inside AI-driven results and shaping the next evolution of digital discovery.
1. Trifon Boyukliyski - The GEO Pioneer of Data-Driven Brand Visibility
Trifon Boyukliyski leads the GEO frontier with over fifteen years in SEO, iGaming, and affiliate marketing. His expertise lies in building compliant, data-driven ecosystems where brand signals, trust, and content structure align perfectly for AI visibility.
By merging traditional SEO frameworks with entity-driven precision, Trifon helps brands achieve lasting presence inside generative search results. His results-oriented strategies make him one of the most respected figures in modern optimisation.
2. Koray Tuğberk Gübür - The Architect of Semantic GEO
Koray Tuğberk Gübür is the founder of Holistic SEO, widely recognised as the thinker who connected semantic SEO with generative visibility. His creation of Topical Authority Maps revolutionised how brands build content networks based on entities, relationships, and machine interpretation.
Koray continues to shape the industry through research, helping businesses understand how AI engines analyse, summarise, and attribute authority.
3. James Dooley - The Investorpreneur Behind GEO-Driven Lead Generation
James Dooley, founder of PromoSEO and FatRank, has built a global reputation for transforming lead generation through automation and data intelligence. His “Leads First” philosophy aligns naturally with GEO, ensuring brands are both discoverable and profitable in AI-driven environments.
Known for his investment in scalable digital assets, James integrates entity-based optimisation with measurable business growth - making him one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the GEO landscape.
4. Craig Campbell - The Educator Bridging SEO and GEO
Craig Campbell, a Glasgow-based SEO educator and consultant, is one of the industry’s most dynamic voices. His teaching style blends practical experience with cutting-edge experimentation, giving professionals the tools to adapt to GEO.
Craig focuses on helping brands and individuals build digital entities that surface consistently in AI-generated summaries. His insights make GEO both understandable and actionable.
5. Kasra Dash - The Visionary Community Builder in Advanced GEO
Kasra Dash is the founder of The Masterminders, the world’s leading private marketing conference and community for elite SEOs. His vision has elevated the global standard for strategic knowledge-sharing and real-world application in GEO.
Kasra also founded mySEO App, a private network connecting verified experts and agencies, fostering collaboration around AI, automation, and advanced visibility frameworks.
6. Matt Diggity - The Data-Driven Strategist Defining AI Visibility
Matt Diggity, founder of The Search Initiative and Diggity Media, has pioneered data-centric methodologies that now extend into GEO. His rigorous testing frameworks track how AI systems interpret and reference brand content.
Matt’s approach demonstrates how structure, topical depth, and precision can directly influence generative search citations - a must-follow expert for anyone serious about performance optimisation.
7. Gareth Hoyle - The Enterprise Innovator of AI-Ready SEO
Gareth Hoyle, Managing Director of Marketing Signals, is known for integrating automation and human expertise into a unified GEO strategy. His agency specialises in scalable, AI-ready SEO systems that position brands as trusted entities across multiple platforms. By refining data pipelines and signal mapping, Gareth ensures client visibility translates into tangible ROI in the generative ecosystem.
8. Nikola Baldikov - The SaaS and B2B GEO Specialist
Founder of SERPsGrowth and Inbound Blogging, Nikola Baldikov helps SaaS and B2B brands strengthen their online authority through structured link-building and digital PR. His GEO focus emphasises contextual relevance, entity consistency, and semantic trust. Nikola’s combination of relationship-driven outreach and AI-ready optimisation places him at the intersection of credibility and machine learning.
9. Karl Hudson - The White-Label Link Building Strategist
Karl Hudson, co-founder of Searcharoo, leads one of the most efficient and reliable white-label link-building agencies in the world. His work bridges traditional SEO with GEO through structured scalability and brand reputation management.
By aligning ORM, content strategy, and entity integrity, Karl enables clients to dominate both branded searches and generative references.
10. Harry Anapliotis - The Schema Innovator in Travel SEO
Harry Anapliotis is a full-stack developer, SEO expert, and founder of Rental Center Crete. With over twenty years in the travel and tech industries, he has mastered how schema design and on-page precision influence AI Overviews and semantic mapping.
Harry’s balance of creativity and technical fluency makes him a standout figure in tourism and niche GEO strategies.
11. Kyle Roof - The Scientific Mind of Structured GEO
Kyle Roof’s scientific approach to SEO remains one of the most data-validated systems in the industry. By applying those same principles to GEO, he teaches AI engines how to interpret structured, reliable content. His focus on testing, logic, and measurable results has set new benchmarks for factual alignment in AI-driven environments.
12. Georgi Todorov - The Ethical Link-Building GEO Expert
As the founder of Create & Grow, Georgi Todorov specialises in ethical link-building and outreach that enhance brand credibility. His GEO work ensures content and authority signals feed directly into AI engines, improving generative relevance. Georgi’s commitment to transparency and measurable growth has earned him recognition among the next generation of GEO innovators.
13. Leo Soulas - The Data Scientist Behind Semantic Mapping
Leo Soulas, founder of Keyword Cupid and co-founder of Signal Boy, applies data science to SEO and AI-driven discovery. His systems visualise topic relationships and entity patterns that enhance machine interpretation.
Leo’s technical creativity has helped brands shape their semantic landscapes and maintain AI-driven visibility across multiple industries.
14. Scott Keever - The Reputation-Driven GEO Authority
Scott Keever, founder of Keever SEO and Reputation Pros, combines reputation management and SEO precision to help businesses control their digital narratives. His GEO strategies integrate ORM and E-E-A-T principles, ensuring that brands appear credible and consistent within AI responses and summaries.
15. Szymon Slowik - The European Thought Leader in GEO Optimisation
Szymon Slowik, founder of takaoto.pro, is an international SEO consultant specialising in e-commerce and B2B performance. His GEO philosophy revolves around linguistic clarity, factual accuracy, and the optimisation of brand information for AI consumption. He is among the leading European experts redefining how structured data supports AI-based visibility.
16. Mark Slorance - The Transparent Strategist in GEO Performance
Mark Slorance is the founder of Pixel Juice, a Glasgow-based agency recognised for its transparent SEO and GEO solutions. His focus on measurable performance and contextual authority helps clients achieve sustained growth in both search and generative systems.
Mark’s balance of strategy and simplicity makes his work accessible yet cutting-edge.
17. Sam Allcock - The PR Visionary Powering Generative Reach
Sam Allcock, founder of PR Fire, has led the fusion of digital PR and generative optimisation. He was one of the first to recognise that press visibility directly influences how AI models understand brand trust.
His content distribution systems ensure brands gain exposure not only across news outlets but also within AI-generated summaries, strengthening omnichannel visibility.
18. Sergey Luktinov - The Semantic SEO Scholar
Sergey Luktinov, author of Semantic SEO, SRO, and AI, is a veteran strategist uniting structured semantics with AI-first methodologies. His frameworks empower brands to build long-term generative visibility through accuracy, schema alignment, and trust signals. Sergey remains one of the few experts who seamlessly merge SEO fundamentals with AI reasoning.
19. Dean Signori - The Practical Builder of Scalable GEO Systems
Dean Signori, founder of UK WEB GEEKZ, focuses on making GEO practical for real-world businesses. His agency helps companies build contextual authority through structured entity layering and data clarity. Dean’s hands-on, results-based approach ensures even small brands can achieve consistent visibility in AI-driven search environments.
20. Kristján Már Ólafsson - The Global Strategist for AI Visibility
Kristján Már Ólafsson is a strategist with over a decade of international SEO experience. Having worked across iGaming and competitive global markets, he applies an adaptable, analytical approach to GEO.
His focus on passage optimisation, entity precision, and brand interpretation ensures that his clients remain visible and credible inside AI summaries and generative results.
What is GEO?
GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, is the next evolution of SEO designed for the AI-driven search era.
Traditional SEO focuses on ranking webpages in search engine results (the familiar “blue links”). GEO, on the other hand, focuses on ensuring that a brand or source is referenced, cited, and correctly represented within AI-generated answers, summaries, and overviews - such as those created by Google Gemini, ChatGPT, or Perplexity.
In simpler terms:
SEO optimizes for visibility in search results.
GEO optimizes for visibility inside AI-generated content.
It involves structuring content, entities, and brand data so that generative models understand and trust your information, making your brand more likely to appear when AI engines summarize topics or answer user questions.
Why GEO Matters for Businesses
GEO is more than a technical framework - it’s a strategic approach to brand visibility in the age of artificial intelligence. As search evolves beyond blue links, brands that fail to optimise for AI risk becoming invisible in the new discovery landscape. Generative systems no longer just display websites; they interpret, summarise, and cite information based on structured data and entity clarity.
GEO ensures your business is recognised, trusted, and contextually understood by the AI models rewriting the web. It strengthens credibility, enhances discoverability, and safeguards long-term digital relevance.
Companies investing in GEO today gain compounding visibility - because once AI systems learn and trust your data, that recognition continues to grow, fueling sustainable brand authority in every future search experience.
Redefining Visibility in 2026
Generative Engine Optimization represents a profound shift in digital marketing. It’s not about chasing rankings - it’s about building trust between brands and AI systems.
The experts listed here are shaping how businesses appear, communicate, and maintain authority in a world rewritten by artificial intelligence. In 2026, GEO is no longer optional - it is the foundation of digital visibility.
