We analyzed five years of global Google Trends data for "near me" searches. The pattern is unmistakable: every single December shows a significant spike in search intent, specifically for retail and shopping categories. Every December, something predictable happens in worldwide search behavior. The question is: are you prepared for it?

Your customers just asked ChatGPT where to buy your product. It recommended three competitors. You weren't even mentioned. This happens thousands of times a day. Every "where can I find..." query that doesn't surface your brand is revenue walking past your door.

Every Black Friday, retailers pour millions into the same playbook. Increase ad spend. Optimize the homepage. Send more emails. Fight for traffic. And every Black Friday, they lose to the same fundamental problem: their entire business is trapped on one website.

The marketing world just witnessed a pivotal moment. Zeta Global's launch of their GEO platform this week, combined with the fact that 40% of generative engine optimization startups have emerged in just the past year, signals something profound: we're not just witnessing the evolution of search, we're watching the birth of an entirely new customer discovery ecosystem.