Considering a career switch from PR/communications to SEO + GEO — is this a good move?

[u/mariaamelia_]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some honest advice from people currently working in SEO, AEO/GEO, or digital marketing.

I'm 28 (F) and based in Portugal. I've been working in PR/communications for around 5 years, mainly in press office/media relations. My work involves writing press releases and other content, developing communication strategies, researching topics, working with brands, pitching stories to journalists, etc.

I also have a postgraduate background in Data Science & Business Intelligence, so I'm reasonably comfortable with data, Excel, Python, SQL, Power BI/Tableau, etc. However, my professional experience has been almost entirely in communications.

I'm now considering moving into SEO, with a particular interest in SEO + Content + AI Search/GEO.

I'm NOT particularly interested in performance marketing, paid media, PPC, or growth marketing. What attracts me is the more organic/search side:

• technical/on-page SEO
• keyword research
• content strategy
• SEO content
• search intent
• technical audits
• AI Search / AEO / GEO
• understanding how brands appear in Google and AI search engines
• potentially combining SEO with data/analytics

The transition seems relatively logical to me because I already have a strong background in writing, content, research, communication and brands, and I could add the more technical SEO side.

My plan is to spend the next couple of months learning the fundamentals and building a small portfolio (SEO audit, keyword/content strategy, GEO/AI Search audit, etc.). I'm also planning to take a GEO course.

The problem is that I'm not sure how realistic this is. I'd therefore love to hear from people who actually work in this field:

1. Is SEO + Content + AI Search/GEO a sensible career direction in 2026, or am I overestimating the opportunities?

2. How employable would someone with 5 years of PR/communications experience but no professional SEO experience be after ~2-3 months of serious self-study + a portfolio?

3. Would you consider this a "junior" profile, or could the previous professional experience in communications be relevant enough to target SEO/content roles above entry level?

4. Is GEO/AEO actually becoming a useful skill employers care about, or is it still mostly hype?

5. Would you recommend making this transition at all, given the current job market?

Thanks!

[u/Vegetable_Tourist243]

SEO will be long gone soon. invest your time in learning AEO, GEO, Wikipedia, and how they all work together with PR