SEO, GEO, and Keywords: How AI is Changing Book Discovery

Search is changing faster than it has in decades.

Readers are no longer relying solely on Google—they're increasingly asking ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI assistants for recommendations, comparisons, and buying advice. At the same time, Google's own search results now incorporate AI-generated summaries that are reshaping how users discover information.

For publishers, this raises an important question: How do you ensure your books, authors, and metadata remain visible in this new search environment?

This webinar , hosted by BISG's AI Working Group, will explain the differences between traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google's evolving AI-powered search experience, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)—the emerging practice of optimizing content so AI systems can accurately understand, cite, and recommend it.

Designed specifically for publishing marketers and metadata professionals, this session will provide a practical overview of how search behavior is changing, what those changes mean for book discovery, and how publishers can adapt their websites, metadata, and content strategies without abandoning the SEO fundamentals that still matter.

Discovery does happen on the open web, and it also happens where most book buying begins: retailer search, where the keywords and metadata publishers supply through ONIX determine whether a title is surfaced at all. This session covers both environments: what actually drives visibility in retailer search, and how SEO and GEO apply to publisher websites and content.

Topics include:

• Understanding the differences between Google Search, SEO, AI overviews, and GEO
• How readers are using AI tools to discover books and authors
• Which metadata reaches retailers, which reaches search engines, and which reaches AI systems
• How AI systems interpret publisher websites differently than traditional search engines
• Practical strategies publishers can implement today to improve discoverability across both search engines and AI assistants
• Common misconceptions about AI search—and where publishers should focus their efforts
• What book keywords do in retailer search, and how much of current keyword practice is working
• Where reader demand signals come from, and how publishers can read them
• Which parts of discovery can be measured today, and which are still untested

Whether you're new to SEO or already managing discoverability strategies for your organization, this session will provide a practical framework for navigating the rapidly evolving intersection of search, AI, and book marketing.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

SARAH BEAN is Book Launchers’ marketing expert, a self-publishing book service. With over 20 years of publishing and entertainment industry experience, Sarah has helped over 800 authors launch and market their books. From bestseller strategies to leveraging stages for sales, she works with authors to identify their brand, develop marketing strategy, and set themselves apart in the crowded creator market. Sarah started her career in the literary department of a global booking agency before becoming a speaking agent with a roster of best-selling authors, celebrities, athletes, and business leaders. She’s managed New York Times bestselling authors, produced live events like TEDx, and was an entertainment journalist covering TV/film news and red carpet interviews for leading entertainment websites.

CHRIS SIM is the founder of Kadaxis, which uses AI and market signals to help trade publishers understand what readers are looking for and make their books easier to find. The company works with publishers on keyword and metadata programs at catalogue scale, with methods refined across hundreds of thousands of titles. Its clients include several of the largest trade houses. Kadaxis was named BookTech Company of the Year at the FutureBook Awards and shortlisted for a BISG Industry Innovation Award.

Chris was previously CTO at Bookish.com, the book discovery venture backed by Penguin, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster, where he built its search and recommendation systems and co-authored a patent for a literary recommendation engine. He was later a venture CTO at BCG X, formerly BCG Digital Ventures, where he was recognized as one of the firm's global topic leaders in generative AI.

His current work extends that foundation into a broader discovery strategy, including how books surface in AI-driven search. He has spoken at industry conferences, published in industry journals, and contributed to BISG's 2018 keywords best-practices standard.

JOSHUA TALLENT is an acclaimed teacher and guide on the role of data in publishing, and a vocal advocate for high quality book metadata. He serves as the immediate past chair on BISG’s Board of Directors and as director of sales and education at Firebrand Technologies, where his focus is helping publishers of all sizes learn about, and find solutions to their workflow and metadata problems. Joshua can often be found researching odd metadata issues, creating training videos and documentation about Firebrand services, and speaking at conferences about the latest innovations and advances in publishing data and workflow management. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys playing complex board games, teaching Bible classes, and fiddling with his home automation system.

BISG's AI Working Group brings together professionals from across the publishing ecosystem to discuss emerging developments, share experiences, and identify opportunities for industry collaboration.

Through September, the Working Group will continue meeting monthly as an informal discussion forum, providing a space for open conversation about the challenges and opportunities AI presents for the book industry.

This fall, the group will review the results of the 2026 survey and use those findings to help define future priorities, resources, and deliverables that can support the industry as AI adoption continues to evolve.

We welcome your participation. To join, e-mail info@bisg.org to express your interest and get on the mailing list for meeting invites, agendas, and other key communications