Is GEO Replacing SEO?

GEO isn't the end of SEO. Think of it as the next chapter, what happens when search expands across multiple platforms, uses different modes, and gets a major boost from AI. SEO isn't going extinct, but it's definitely evolving.

As generative AI search tools change how we find information, our understanding of SEO has to expand to include them. It's time to see SEO as "search everywhere optimization," with GEO as a key piece of the puzzle.

GEO vs. SEO: What's the Real Difference?

Let's break it down simply:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is all about optimizing for traditional search engines.
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is about optimizing for generative AI tools that give direct answers.

The engines are different, but the mission hasn't changed: help people find answers to their questions. Users still want the best information with the fewest clicks. Generative AI just shortens that path from query to action, making the whole experience smoother. As one expert at a major marketing conference put it, it all still begins with a question.

A New Kind of Search Engine Has Arrived

SEO was never just about one dominant search engine, even if it often felt that way. Search professionals have always had to adapt to new tools as they gained traction.

The main distinction between GEO and SEO lies in how different factors are weighted by their algorithms and how (or even if) your content shows up. This shift toward an all-in-one search-and-solution engine isn't new. The days of a simple list of 10 blue links are long gone.

Generative AI is just the next logical step in this evolution, building on things like the featured snippets and embedded calculators we've seen in search results for years. There's no longer a "traditional search" versus "AI search." It's all just different shades of AI search now. The top search engines are already weaving AI deep into their algorithms and results. This trend will only continue until there’s no meaningful separation between the two.

Where GEO and SEO Overlap

The game is the same, but you might need a few new skills. For both SEO and GEO, the fundamentals still hold true:

• Figure out what your users actually want.
• Answer their questions quickly and correctly.
• Structure your content so it's easy for search tools to parse.
• Create genuinely helpful and relevant material.
• Build pages that are logical for both people and web crawlers.
• Offer a fast, user-friendly online experience.
• Boost your site's authority to earn more brand mentions.

So, what's still relevant from "traditional" SEO? A lot. Strategies that focused heavily on keywords have become less effective over time, as algorithms got smarter about penalizing keyword stuffing. However, keyword research is still crucial because it reveals the language people use and what they expect to find on your site. It also helps you gauge interest and prioritize which topics to cover.

Ultimately, strategies built around user intent are still the most powerful in today's search landscape.

Thinking Beyond Traditional Search Boxes

Optimizing for search everywhere means looking beyond the main search engines. People are asking questions on:

• Social media platforms
• Online forums

Users are already searching on these sites, and these platforms are also feeding information to generative AI engines. Spreading your content across different platforms helps AI see and cite your brand as a reliable source. A modern search strategy needs to account for all these sources. SEO specialists must now track how their brand and site appear everywhere to build a winning strategy.

Actionable GEO Strategies You Can Use Today

Getting good at GEO is no longer optional. While generative AI currently accounts for a small slice of the search market, its rapid growth suggests it could drive a significant portion of website traffic within the next year. It's time to bake GEO practices into your regular SEO workflows.

Content

• Track mentions of your brand and website in AI-powered large language models (LLMs).
• Create in-depth pages written in a conversational tone that cover topics thoroughly, not just target keywords.
• Use anchor links with clear headings to make content easier to digest and provide structured answers.
• Cite reputable sources to back up your data and boost your authority.
• Regularly prune underperforming pages and keep your content updated.
• Add unique data, interactive tools, or calculators to give people a reason to visit your site directly.

Links

• Use SEO tools to calculate the contextual relevance of your keywords, link profile, and content clusters.
• Audit your backlink profile to measure the relevance of sites linking to you.
• Build a strong internal linking structure that points to your most important, evergreen content.

Technical

• Ensure your site remains crawlable and indexable by using robots.txt and other relevant protocols.
• Add RSS feeds for your blog and news sections to help with crawling, indexing, and recency signals.
• Improve page speed and rendering for efficient content delivery.
• Use structured data (markup) for FAQs, definitions, and stats to influence how your content appears in AI-generated snippets and summaries.
• Optimize metadata for all your multimedia, including image alt text and video transcripts.
• Regularly audit how your content is being crawled, indexed, and retrieved.

How to Weave GEO into Your SEO Program

Another reason to view GEO as part of SEO is that we need more alignment, not more silos. It's time to connect more closely with other digital marketing efforts.

If you haven't started this conversation with your team and leadership, here are a few simple steps:

1. Establish that generative AI optimization falls under the broader SEO umbrella.
2. Learn the new best practices for LLMs and begin training your teams.
3. Track traffic from generative AI sources and build dedicated reporting dashboards.
4. Get buy-in to start testing new ideas in the generative AI space.
5. Share your wins and lessons learned as part of your overall SEO strategy.

A Glimpse into the Future of Search

So what might be next for search everywhere optimization?

New Lingo

The verb "to google" became a household term years ago. This decade, we'll likely see new phrases compete for that top spot, though "Ask an AI" doesn't quite have the same ring to it yet. There's a real opportunity for a catchy new term to define the act of searching.

New Tech

Check your site's analytics and you might notice a few visits from smart TVs. People are already asking questions to voice assistants built into their TVs, cars, and watches, basically any device connected to the web. How would you optimize for a car's operating system? You'd ensure your website has the right content so your local business is the top suggestion when a driver asks their car for directions to nearby dog-friendly restaurants.

New Formats

Agentic AI systems are the next frontier. These are smart virtual assistants that can handle tasks, processes, and interactions on their own. SEO professionals will need to optimize for these systems, too, both by tailoring site content and by working with developers to build their own helpful agents. And before anyone coins a new acronym like AEO (agentic engine optimization), let's just agree to keep it all under the umbrella of search everywhere optimization.

The Definition of SEO Is Evolving

Search engines have been moving toward this generative future for years. The good news is that SEO pros already have the right toolkit to master these new AI systems. We just need to tune our skills for a different kind of engine. We're great at learning new algorithms, and this is no different.

Generative AI is arguably the biggest opportunity in our industry right now, if you're curious and brave enough to embrace it.