GEO vs SEO: What Businesses Need to Know
There’s a lot of buzz right now about AI taking over Google searches and whether traditional SEO is becoming irrelevant. Let’s clear that up.
The truth? SEO isn’t dead. It’s evolving. And the next phase is GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation.
What Is GEO?
GEO is all about making your content easy for AI tools like Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience) and ChatGPT to understand, summarise, and reference. Instead of just ranking in search results, the goal now is to be cited in AI-generated answers.
Common Myths About SEO and AI
Myth 1: “SEO is dead now that AI answers everything”
Reality: SEO is shifting into GEO. You still need to optimise, but now it’s so AI systems can find and credit your content.
Myth 2: “AI will find my content no matter what”
Reality: If your content isn’t well-structured, AI might ignore it completely. Schema, clear headings, and authoritative signals are key.
Myth 3: GEO vs SEO: “GEO is completely different from SEO”
Reality: GEO builds on the SEO fundamentals, such as fast-loading pages, clear structure, and genuinely helpful content. What’s new is the focus on Q&A style formats, schema markup, and formatting that makes sense to AI crawlers.
4 GEO-Friendly Actions to Take Now
Keep your website technically strong. Speed, mobile responsiveness and clean code still matter.
Use schema markup. This helps AI understand your content in context, like knowing which part is an FAQ or a review.
Add Q&A content. Think about what your customers are asking and answer those questions clearly on your site.
Build credibility. Expertise, trustworthiness and helpfulness are more important than ever. This is what AI tools are trained to look for.
Why This Matters
Even in an AI-first world, your content can still be discovered if you speak the language AI understands.
Not sure if your website is AI-ready?
Message us for a quick check-up. We’ll help you get found, cited, and trusted in the new era of search.
Need help navigating the shift from SEO to GEO? The Search Republic can get your business future-ready, without the tech overwhelm.