SEO vs GEO: What’s the Difference?
By tung.nguyenthanh, at: Jan. 15, 2025, 3:41 p.m.
Estimated Reading Time: __READING_TIME__ minutes
If SEO is the veteran marathon runner of digital marketing, GEO is the AI-powered hoverboard that just showed up at the starting line. They both aim to help your business get seen but the rules of the race are changing fast.
Let’s break it down.
What is SEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the long-standing practice of making your website more discoverable to search engines like Google and Bing.
Goal: Appear higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Method: Use keywords, backlinks, optimized content, and technical setups to please Google’s ever-changing algorithm.
You win when someone clicks on your link from the search page.
What is GEO?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the new frontier, where you optimize your content for AI-generated answers from platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity.
Goal: Be the answer in AI-generated responses.
Method: Provide clear, structured, trustworthy, and AI-readable content that gets pulled into the answer without needing a click.
You win when the AI mentions your brand directly in its response.
Key Differences: SEO vs GEO
| Feature | SEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Search engines (Google, Bing) | Generative AI (ChatGPT, Gemini) |
| Visibility Goal | Get clicks from SERPs | Be included in AI answers |
| Optimization Style | Keyword-rich, metadata, backlinks | Structured, clear, AI-consumable |
| Search Flow | User sees a list of links | User gets an AI-generated answer |
| Success Metric | Click-through rate (CTR) | Mention rate in AI output |
| Content Strategy | Long-form, blog-centric | Contextual, question-driven, factual |
Should You Use SEO or GEO?
Trick question. You need both.
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SEO gets you discovered on Google.
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GEO gets you mentioned by ChatGPT and other AI bots. Look at this videos - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cM7hAa6doR8, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsnBlGvqeas&ab_channel=BenHeath-GoogleAds
In today’s world, your website isn’t just trying to win Google’s heart. It’s trying to be remembered by AI. That’s the difference between being clickable and being quotable.
Final Takeaway
If you’re still pouring your whole digital strategy into SEO without thinking about GEO, you’re showing up to a space race with a bicycle.
At Glinteco, we help brands stay ahead of the curve by optimizing not just for keywords, but for conversations with AI. Let’s future-proof your visibility, one line of content at a time.
