How Generative AI Is Transforming Search Part 1: What It Means for Canadian Farm & Food Communication

Today’s search environment is experiencing a profound transformation—a shift driven by the rise of generative AI technologies such as Google’s Search Generative Experience, ChatGPT, Copilot and more. Where search once meant typing keywords and scanning through a list of links, Canadians now interact with intelligent tools that deliver nuanced, conversational answers and curated summaries in real time. This evolution is more than just a technological advance; it is a fundamental change that is reshaping how Canadians discover, trust, and act on food and agriculture information.

In this new landscape, being discoverable means more than just ranking well—it means being selected by AI as a reliable, authoritative source when Canadians seek facts about their food and farming. Canadian Food Focus (CFF) has been on the front lines building public trust around the Canadian Agriculture sector for over 6 years and we’ve been tracking and preparing for the seismic shift in terms of how Canadians discover and engage with food and farming information online.

This is a pivotable time and how we respond to this incredible opportunity is vital for everyone in Canada’s food system—from producers and marketers to educators and policymakers.

How Search Is Changing: SEO > GEO > AEO

The world of online search is no longer confined to the familiar lists of links generated by traditional search engines. Instead, generative AI—systems like ChatGPT, Google’s Search Generative Experience, and voice assistants—now deliver direct, synthesized answers to users’ questions. This shift marks the rise of answer engines, which interpret, summarize, and contextualize information instead of simply indexing it.

As a result, Canadians are increasingly turning to AI-driven platforms for food facts, questions about how food is grown and raised and what to eat guidance. These platforms effectively act as information gatekeepers, selecting what users see, learn, and share. Using a Librarian as an example, traditional search you ask about a topic and the Librarian tells you which shelf it can be found on, With AI, you ask the Librarian about a topic and they summarize for you, you never see or touch the book.

We can debate whether this shift is right or wrong, but practically it’s important to recognize that this is simply today’s reality—and for Canadian Food Focus, it presents a unique opportunity to strengthen our impact. And why our efforts remained focused on creating high quality content that is indexed by search engine and ai crawlers, campaigns and ads come and go, indexed content pays dividends for decades.

Key Definitions

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The practice of optimizing web content so it appears higher within traditional search engine results (e.g., Google), increasing visibility to users who search via keywords or phrases.
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Strategies that ensure your content is cited—or used as an authoritative source—by generative AI systems when they deliver direct answers. Content must be easily “read” and trusted by these advanced engines.
• AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): Tactics aimed at making your content the preferred, featured answer within answer engines, whether accessed by conversational queries, voice searches, or AI chatbots.

Why This Change Is Significant

This transformation has profound implications for all stakeholders in Canadian food and agriculture. Here’s why:

• Visibility Rules Have Shifted: It’s no longer enough to rank well in a search engine. To be seen and trusted, your content must be selected by generative AI—a process that prioritizes clarity, structure, and authority.
• Trust and Authority Matter More Than Ever: Because AI models curate what Canadians see, only the most credible and transparent food and farming information gets shared. The sources AI chooses to highlight shape the public’s beliefs, knowledge, and behavior.
• Impact on Public Literacy: The gatekeeping power of AI means that every omission, inaccuracy, or bias in what is featured can have widespread consequences for food literacy and public trust.

While advertising remains an essential tool for driving awareness, its visibility ends when campaigns do. In contrast, GEO and AEO strategies cultivate lasting visibility by ensuring high-quality content is organically surfaced, referenced, and recommended by AI systems in everyday moments that matter most—when Canadians are searching for answers, making choices, and forming opinions.

This shift moves marketing from short-term impressions to long-term influence—deepening public understanding and trust in Canadian agriculture.

Conclusion

Generative AI isn’t just changing technical search rules—it’s reshaping the entire landscape of public knowledge, trust, and decision-making about Canadian food and farming. By understanding and harnessing SEO, GEO, and AEO—and taking strategic steps to optimize content for both humans and AI – we can ensure that Canadians receive reliable, relevant, and confidence-building information whenever and wherever they search.