Is fame the new currency in Google’s AI era?

Lia Bartley

There was a time when SEO (search engine optimisation) was a bit like stacking supermarket shelves.

Put the right products (keywords) in the right place, make sure the aisle signs (meta data) pointed in the right direction and hope shoppers (Google) noticed. It wasn’t always glamorous, but it worked.

Now, the landscape has shifted. With generative engine optimisation (GEO), search engines aren’t just listing links anymore, they’re talking back with artificial intelligence (AI) summaries. Instead of “here are 10 websites,” users get, “Here’s the answer, stitched together neatly for you.” If your brand isn’t known, it risks being left out of the conversation entirely.

This is where “fame engineering” comes in. Put simply, AI likes to mention names it already recognises. If you’re invisible, you won’t feature. It’s the digital equivalent of the old pub quiz. When the team captain needs an answer, they’ll turn to the person who’s shouted out something smart before, not the bloke in the corner who’s said nothing all night.

Take restaurants, for example. Ask Google AI where to eat in Manchester and it’s probably going to name Rudy’s or Hawksmoor, not the new Italian that’s quietly opened on the corner. Why? Because people are already talking about Rudy’s. Reviews, testimonials, case studies, blog posts – all feeding the machine. The small Italian might serve the best pizza you’ve ever tasted, but unless it’s putting itself out there, AI doesn’t “know” it exists.

The same applies to your business. You can’t just throw together bland blogs and hope to sneak into AI summaries. Human-written content matters more than ever, because that’s what builds trust and authority. It’s the difference between posting “We’re the best solicitors in town” and publishing a genuinely useful explainer like “What you need to know about inheritance tax in the UK.” One is marketing noise. The other is the kind of content real people share, and that AI engines love to cite.

Don’t mistake “fame” for chasing viral moments, either. You don’t need to dance on TikTok or plaster your face on billboards (fair play if you want to, though). Fame in GEO terms is about being visible in the right places – trusted blogs and reviews – and making sure the search engines can tie those mentions back to you.

Want to give it a go yourself? You can download this free guide on how to become cited by AI*. Or, if you’d rather not juggle citations, content and strategy on your own, get in touch with Engage Web, and let our team do the heavy lifting while you focus on running your business.

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Lia Bartley

Content Editor at Engage Web

With years of experience in the financial sector, Lia has swapped the world of mis-sold PPI in exchange for life as an eagle-eyed editor at Engage Web, ensuring our wonderful clients have equally wonderful content on their websites.