GEO vs SEO explained
What generative engine optimisation (GEO) is, how it differs from traditional SEO, and why for most small businesses they work best together.
What is SEO?
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the work of helping your website appear in search engine results such as Google and Bing. It covers things like page titles, content that matches what people search for, site speed, mobile-friendliness, links from other sites and, for local businesses, your Google Business Profile.
What is GEO?
Generative engine optimisation (GEO), sometimes called AI search optimisation or AEO (answer engine optimisation), is about helping AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews understand your business and include it in their answers. The goal is not a ranking position but being mentioned, accurately, in a generated answer.
The main differences
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you appear | A list of search results | Inside an AI-written answer |
| What success looks like | Ranking high and getting clicks | Being named and described correctly |
| What matters most | Relevant pages, links, technical health | Clear facts, consistency across sources, reviews and mentions |
| How you measure it | Rankings and traffic in tools like Search Console | Asking AI assistants typical questions and tracking results over time |
Where they overlap
A lot. AI assistants that search the web rely on search engines to find sources, so a site that isn't indexed or is hard to understand struggles in both. Structured data, clear service pages, an accurate Google Business Profile, consistent listings and genuine reviews help with SEO and GEO at the same time.
What should a small business focus on?
You don't need to choose. Start with the shared foundations: a clear website, structured data, accurate listings and reviews. Then check what AI assistants actually say about you, and fix anything missing or wrong. Treat anyone promising guaranteed AI recommendations or guaranteed Google rankings with caution; nobody controls either.
Related guides
- How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT (UK)
- AI visibility for small businesses in the UK
- AI search optimisation for tradespeople
See whether AI recommends you now
Our free check asks AI the questions your customers ask and checks your website's basics. About 30 seconds, no card or sign-up. If you'd like us to handle the fixes, it's £295 one-off, with optional monitoring at £49 a month.
Run my free AI visibility check