How GEO differs from SEO and whether a business needs GEO as well as SEO

You can ask a question not only in a search bar but also to an AI model: "where to order a website in Tashkent", "which clinic to choose". Hence a new term - GEO. Below - how it differs from the familiar SEO and whether a business needs to work on SEO as well as GEO.

What is SEO?

SEO is work on getting a website found in search for queries related to your business. A person types a query, sees a list of links and chooses on their own which website to visit.

SEO includes the site structure, texts written for client queries, the technical condition and external mentions. More details - in the article What SEO Services Actually Include.

What is GEO?

GEO is work on making the AI models that answer people's questions know about your business and mention it in their answers. A person asks a question and gets a ready answer, not a list of links.

If an AI model has not found clear information about you, its answer will feature competitors. I wrote more about how this works in the article What GEO Is and Why Your Site Should Show Up in ChatGPT.

How does GEO differ from SEO?

The main difference is in what a person sees:

Result format - in SEO it is a link in a list, in GEO it is a mention inside an answer.

Who makes the choice - in SEO the person chooses the website, in GEO the AI model influences the choice.

Visiting the website - in GEO a person may get an answer and not open your website, so what exactly is said about you matters.

This leads to the main practical conclusion: for GEO, not only visibility matters but also the accuracy of what is known about you.

What do SEO and GEO have in common?

More than it seems. Search and AI models alike need a website that is easy to read and understand:

Clear structure - services have their own pages, headings answer questions.

Useful text - specific answers, not general words.

Openness - the page text is available without extra steps, not hidden in images.

Company facts - the name, address, services and prices are stated explicitly.

That is why GEO does not replace SEO but is built on top of it.

What is especially important for GEO?

AI models put together an answer from what they were able to read and understand. So for GEO, the following matter:

Answers to questions - a questions and answers block on service pages, worded the way clients ask.

Consistent data - the name, address, phone number and services match on the website and in external profiles.

Structured data - a machine-readable description of the company and the questions helps understand the page.

Specifics - the more precisely services, prices and terms are described, the lower the risk that something inaccurate is said about you.

Do you need to choose between SEO and GEO?

No. It is not an "either-or" choice. A website built with search in mind is already largely ready for AI models. The rest is work on clear facts and answers to client questions.

If there is no website at all, you need to start with it: neither search nor AI models will recommend something that does not exist.

How do you check whether AI models see your website?

A simple check: ask an AI model about your company and about your niche in your city. See whether it mentions you, describes your services correctly and does not confuse you with other companies.

I described the detailed check procedure in the article How to Check if ChatGPT Knows About Your Website.

How much does a website ready for SEO and GEO cost?

A landing page - from $190, a multipage website - from $490, a complex project - on request. I build a clear structure, questions and answers blocks and structured company data into the website during development. The article Landing page or multipage website: what your business needs will help you understand which format to choose.

If you want to know what AI models know about your business, write to me - I will check and tell you what is worth fixing.