Generative Engine Optimization Emerges as the Holiday Season’s Fastest-Growing Service
Even as AI reshapes discovery, retailers are turning to real, human-made content to earn shoppers' trust, according to
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NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While some businesses may view AI as a shortcut to a strong holiday season, a new survey from Fiverr (NYSE: FVRR) released today finds retailers pairing AI with freelancers to get their brands found in search and their content trusted by shoppers.
The findings are based on Fiverr’s 2026 Holiday Marketing Index, which surveyed hundreds of top-rated Fiverr freelancers across eight countries and examined hiring trends in search, content creation, and e-commerce ahead of the 2026 holiday season.
As more shoppers turn to AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews to decide what to buy this season, retailers are racing to keep up. According to the report, 67% of freelance search specialists surveyed report rising retailer demand for generative engine optimization, or GEO, compared with 56% who report rising demand for traditional search rankings. Specialists still name traditional search the stronger long-term investment and recommend retailers invest in both rather than choosing one over the other, since visibility now depends on showing up in results across both.
Discovery alone isn’t enough, since retailers are also recognizing that once a shopper finds their brand, they still have to earn that shopper’s trust. That’s driving demand for UGC, or user-generated content: real, unscripted video made by actual creators for TikTok and Meta. Sixty-nine percent of UGC freelancers report rising holiday demand, as retailers bet that shoppers are more likely to trust a genuine person talking about a product than an AI-generated video, something AI hasn’t been able to replicate convincingly.
That reliance on specialized talent is also changing what retailers expect to pay. Sixty-one percent of independent contractors surveyed say retail clients expect discounts simply because AI tools are involved, even though 89% say those same clients judge the results, not which tools were used to get there.
“AI alone isn’t enough for any retailer to succeed this holiday season, it takes outside expertise to actually make it work,” said Shiri Hellmann, VP of Global Brand Communications at Fiverr. “Retailers are turning to specialists who know how to get recommended by AI search tools and creators who know how to earn a shopper’s trust, and that combination is what’s setting the successful ones apart.”
Other key findings from the report include:
- Store readiness needs are getting more specific: 57% of e-commerce specialists report rising demand for store management, while 43% report rising requests specifically for Shopify optimization and conversion rate optimization, as retailers work to turn holiday traffic into actual sales rather than just handling the volume
- About half of search specialists say businesses underestimate how long visibility work takes to pay off, a reminder that retailers who wait too long risk missing peak season entirely
- Across every category surveyed, freelancers report clients hiring them more for advice and strategy than for execution: 83% of search specialists, 79% of e-commerce specialists and 76% of UGC freelancers say the ask has shifted from doing the work to guiding the plan
Tiffany Jones, founder of TJL Collection, a clothing line for tall women, is one of the businesses profiled in the report. When she needed help keeping her marketing sharp during her busiest sales periods, she found the specialist she needed on Fiverr instead of building an in-house team.
“Someone who’s deep in this category understands what actually moves the needle, from what to prioritize to how to move fast when it matters,” Jones said. “That kind of expertise is hard to build in-house, especially heading into the holidays.”
Fiverr Is Backing Businesses Ahead of the Holidays
With the 90-day sprint to the holidays coming up, Fiverr is giving businesses $250 toward freelance talent in the most critical categories this season, from AI-search strategy to UGC to store readiness. Businesses can claim their $250 at https://www.fiverr.com/cp/fiverr-drops.
About Fiverr
Fiverr’s mission is to transform the way the world creates and works together. We’re shaping the future of work with the world’s leading open platform, seamlessly connecting top talent and cutting-edge technology with businesses around the globe. From expert freelancers in over 750 skilled categories to best-in-class GenAI models and agents, Fiverr provides the most advanced and comprehensive talent and tools for digital services, helping businesses get mission-critical projects done fast and cost-effectively.
From small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, millions trust Fiverr for projects in software and AI development, digital marketing, finance, business consulting, video animation, music, architecture and more.
Learn how to future-proof your business with exceptional talent and cutting-edge tools at fiverr.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Methodology: Based on a direct survey of top-rated Fiverr freelancers in UGC, search and e-commerce, fielded ahead of the 2026 holiday season across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Australia. Findings are self-reported and not projected against the general population.
Press Contacts
Jenny Chang
Madeleine Bendalin
press@fiverr.com
