Search habits across ASEAN are changing faster than most marketing budgets can adapt. With consumers in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines increasingly turning to AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to research products and services, foreign businesses in the region face a new visibility challenge: ranking high on Google no longer ensures a brand will be recommended by the tools customers now rely on to make decisions.
This shift has given rise to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), also referred to as Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) — the practice of structuring digital content so AI platforms cite, recommend, and summarise a brand accurately. For businesses establishing or expanding operations in ASEAN, understanding this trend is becoming as relevant to market entry planning as understanding local tax and labour regulations.
The scale of the shift is significant. Indonesia’s weekly ChatGPT user base has roughly tripled over the past year, placing the country among the top five markets globally for weekly ChatGPT usage. In the Philippines, surveys show that 92 percent of knowledge workers are already using generative AI tools at work, ahead of both the global and Asia-Pacific averages. Regionally, the AI sector across Southeast Asia was valued at more than US$4 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow more than fourfold by 2033.
Businesses expanding across multiple ASEAN markets should note that AI adoption and the resulting GEO opportunity vary considerably by country. Vietnam’s AI startup ecosystem grew from around 60 companies in 2021 to close to 280 by 2024, supported by a large technical talent base. The Philippines has built its generative AI advantage largely around business process outsourcing and knowledge work. Singapore continues to function as the regional hub for AI investment and, correspondingly, for early adoption of AI-driven search behaviour among consumers. A GEO approach calibrated to Singapore’s market maturity will not necessarily translate directly to Vietnam or Indonesia, where adoption curves and consumer trust levels differ.
For businesses setting up in ASEAN, digital visibility strategy is worth factoring in alongside the more conventional elements of market entry — company registration, tax structuring, and hiring. A brand that gets its legal and operational setup right but is invisible to AI-driven search may still struggle to convert market entry into market share.
| This article was first published by ASEAN Briefing , which is produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The firm assists foreign investors throughout Asia from offices across the world, including in in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, and India . Readers may write to info@dezshira.com for more support. |
Read the original article : GEO Marketing Is Rising Across ASEAN
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