LATAM’s SEO Master on What Comes Next: Search Everywhere Optimization

Sebastián Galanternik (SEO SR. Manager in Mercado Libre)

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The search landscape is always changing. But this time, it may have changed for good. The industry runs towards yet another “industrial revolution”, this time with AI at its forefront. SEO is dead; long live SEO (Search Everywhere Optimization). 

The rise of “AI slop” is making it harder than ever to believe in anything you read on the web, yet AI is becoming increasingly hard to avoid - both for marketers and for users. What can we do in this turning of the tides, when the old world has not yet died, and the new, brighter world is struggling to be born?

While distrust in AI has grown in the last year, new acronyms like AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) are gaining traction, claiming to replace or "upgrade" traditional SEO, from Search Engine Optimization to Search Everywhere Optimization.

But are they something new, or just layers on top of the old game?

We spoke with Sebastián Galanternik, Mercado Libre’s Senior SEO Strategist, to get a grounded take on what’s hype, what’s real, and what still matters when everything feels like it’s shifting.

Mercado Libre is Latin America’s largest e-commerce and fintech ecosystem (think Amazon meets PayPal, but tailored for the region). Seba has been in the game for 20 years and has seen every so-called SEO apocalypse come and go, each replaced by a newer, scarier threat that still couldn’t kill SEO.

Without further ado, here’s what he shared with us:

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SEO vs. AEO vs. Whatever Acronym of the Month

What’s your take on AEO, GEO, and other acronyms trying to replace SEO? Are they bringing something new, or is it just old wine in new bottles?‍

To me, they’re just another layer added on top of what we already know. You can’t really do any of these new acronyms without thinking through SEO fundamentals. 

It’s like math: you can’t multiply if you never learned to add. Same goes here: you won’t get far with AEO or whatever the acronym of the month is without understanding traditional search engine optimization.

Yes, there are new complexities—especially when it comes to the answers large language models generate without relying on RAG (retrieval-augmented generation). These responses are based on models that only update every few months… though that could shift to every few days soon. In this “new layer,” what really matters is reputation and multichannel consistency. It feels like we’re moving from a web of traffic to a web of mentions.

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From Voice Search to AI Monetization: Should We Trust Google’s Next Big Bet?

A few years ago, during the “voice search” hype, we heard you say we should be cautious with anything Google hypes up—especially if it threatens their monetization model. With that in mind, what’s your diagnosis of the AI search landscape?‍

Take AIO, for instance—they’re pushing those modules down to second or third position in some search results, and adjusting based on CTR data from users. They know that AI-generated answers hurt ad revenue, and they’re trying to find a balance. 

I’d keep an eye on Alphabet’s next earnings report—if it’s anything like Q1, SEO still has a long runway. But if ad revenue (which accounts for over 90% of their net income) starts to drop, expect big changes.

Outside Google, I’m curious how OpenAI plans to truly monetize. How sustainable is their platform right now? No one really knows. This could all be another bubble, like the .com crash. Personally, I think the current LLM boom will burst—only the ones who manage to monetize will survive. And those survivors? They could be the next Google.

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Old Tech Doesn’t Die—It Evolves: The Role of Traditional Search Today

Users still need the illusion of choice—even if Google knows exactly where you’re going to click. It's anthropological behavior, and I have no doubt it’ll persist.

People will keep googling when the query is ambiguous, or when they’re looking for something transactional or commercial. Think about real estate: would you buy a house just because an AI recommended it? Or book a flight? Would you stay at a hotel just because ChatGPT told you to, without checking yourself? Those kinds of searches still have time left. Someday they’ll disappear too, sure. But for now, they coexist with the ChatGPTs of the world.

The ones already hit hardest—no surprise—are media outlets. Those zero-click queries like “How old is Messi?” have been dead for a while, and now I don’t even want to imagine the numbers. That corner of the search has already been replaced.

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What should companies keep in mind before investing in SEO today?

That it takes time. And while things might seem uncertain right now, I’d argue SEO is more necessary than ever. Don’t be afraid to invest across more search surfaces, for longer time horizons. Everyone’s trying to kill SEO—but more search bars pop up every day. It’s time to go bigger, build resilience across every channel: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Google, Perplexity, Pinterest… you name it.

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A prediction?

SEO isn’t dying. Not now, not ever. It’ll reinvent itself—again—and expand to more discovery surfaces than ever before. Its relevance will only grow.

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Where to go next

• Check out our last memo drop for the latest on tech and marketing trends
• We ran a Twitter experiment: this is what we found
• How to scale your content with pSEO the right way
• Sebastián's LinkedIn Profile

👀 Want to explore what SEO looks like in this new ecosystem? Let’s talk → Apply for a free workshop

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