CALA News & Views | Issue 56 | Innovative Aging

We are in the middle of a technological shift similar to the invention of the internet. AI-powered searches are the new norm, “prompting” is replacing “Googling,” and ChatGPT and Claude actually have a chance of dethroning Google as the King of Search. The rules are changing fast – what does this mean for your senior living community? What is GEO? For decades, digital marketing operated under a simple rule: optimize your website for Google’s keywords, rank on page one, and capture the traffic. But traditional search engines are losing their monopoly. Driven by a staggering 527% year over-year explosion in AI traffic, Large Language Models (LLMs) are projected to surpass traditional search volume by 2028. We now see two methods of organic search marketing in action: ● SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Optimizing your website to rank at the top of search results in organic search engines like Google and Bing. ● GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Optimizing your digital footprint so AI models understand, trust, and recommend your business in AI Search tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc. SEO was the driver of optimization until ChatGPT hit the scene in 2022. We now see traditional search engines like Google being the last place a user will go – they will get their list of businesses and complete their research in an AI search tool and then hit Google to get the website and phone number. How are Users Searching? 52% of US adults are now using AI every day and 60% of adults are using AI to power purchase decisions. The data overwhelmingly shows that buyer behavior is shifting towards using AI platforms to influence how and where they are spending their money. But what does that mean exactly for the discoverability of your senior living community? It’s helpful to think of this new era as more conversational than transactional. Where in the past they might have simply typed “senior living near me” into a Google search and started researching the first five communities listed, they can now be much more intentional and start with broader prompts.

Here’s what a typical flow could look like:

Prompt 1: My mother is experiencing more slips at home The AI being used will likely start a “conversation,” asking questions to further explore whether this is a new behavior, whether it’s happening in certain places, etc. As this “conversation” goes further, it could then get to a point where it is recommending homecare or a senior living community to support the parent. It’s going to be quite late in this chain before the AI actually recommends solutions based on everything it has gathered about the senior in question and its recommendations. The next challenge will be ensuring your community appears on one of these lists. An AI Search Will Recommend Your Community Traditional SEO was about keywords, backlinks and technical site speed. AI models think differently. They don’t just read your website; they scrape the entire internet, including news articles, forums, social media, local directories and review platforms – to identify the perfect business to recommend to a specific user. Your website is no longer the only source of truth on the specifics of your business. The AI engine will evaluate multiple factors across the internet to create the final “list.” This is done through a process called “query fan out.” When an AI engine decides which senior living community to recommend, it evaluates three primary pillars: 1. Intent Alignment: How accurately does your community’s total online footprint match the highly specific, nuanced needs of the user? 2. Brand Sentiment: What does the internet at large say about your culture, care quality and employee satisfaction? 3. Ratings & Reviews: Does high-authority, third-party social proof validate your claims? Ultimately, AI optimizes for trust. Because these models want to provide the safest, most accurate answer to the user, your brand reputation has officially become your most critical digital ranking factor. Building Your Reputation From the Inside Out Because AI relies heavily on real-world brand sentiment, you cannot "hack" your way to the top of ChatGPT or Gemini with technical prowess alone. The only way to win at GEO is to build a brand that cannot be faked. Your onsite culture is your marketing. o This can be understanding the types of activities offered, meal options, care levels and more.

CALA NEWS & VIEWS I ISSUE 56 | AUGUST 2026 22