GEO consulting contract won in financial sector

MOU signed with Korea Tourism Organization

Digital marketing competition shifting from SEO to GEO

Brand strategy, content and media integrated into offering

'GEO service that delivers real results'

Park Ae-ri, CEO of HSAD [Herald DB]
Park Ae-ri, CEO of HSAD [Herald DB]

HSAD is expanding its generative engine optimization (GEO) business in step with the rapid spread of generative AI. The advertising firm plans to move quickly to capture the AI search marketing market, starting with the financial and public sectors.

Industry sources say the focus of digital marketing competition is shifting away from search engine optimization (SEO) — which aims to secure top rankings on search engines such as Google and Naver — toward GEO. GEO optimizes a company's or brand's content so that it appears as accurate, high-credibility information in answers generated by AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini.

Domestic companies have begun responding to the shift, and HSAD is expanding GEO as a new business area to keep pace.

HSAD was recently selected as the final contractor in a competitive GEO consulting pitch by a financial firm, according to industry sources. Global consulting firms also took part, but HSAD prevailed by combining the brand strategy and creative capabilities it has built through advertising and marketing work with its GEO consulting approach. The company had earlier signed an MOU with the Korea Tourism Organization to strengthen the AI search competitiveness of Korean tourism content.

HSAD intends to go beyond simple AI search analysis or consulting, linking GEO to brand strategy, creative work, content and media. The company also draws on its own GEO scoring dashboard and an AI-based content production solution.

Corporate demand for GEO services is growing. According to HSAD, inquiries have been coming in at a rate of at least one per week this year from companies across a range of industries — including finance, home appliances, consumer goods and business-to-business sectors — seeking to understand the concept, explore how to apply it and develop strategies tailored to their brands.

The global GEO market is projected to grow more than tenfold, from $390 million in 2025 to $4.25 billion in 2032, according to market research firm MarketsandMarkets. The compound annual growth rate is forecast at 41 percent, with the Asia-Pacific region expected to lead at 43 percent annually.

"GEO is not simply about being well-exposed to AI — it is an ongoing process of creating content that AI can trust and cite," said Yoon Jeong-min, head of HSAD's IX Center. "HSAD's strength lies in combining the brand strategy and creative capabilities of an advertising agency with AI technology to deliver GEO services that go beyond analysis and translate into real results."


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