What's the difference between SEO and GEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about ranking your pages on Google and other search engines. It's about keywords, page speed, backlinks, and structure.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is about getting your content cited or referenced by AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google's AI Overviews. These tools don't just rank pages — they pull specific answers from trusted, well-structured sources.
The good news: most of what makes a site good for SEO also helps with GEO. But there are some specific things AI models favour that traditional SEO doesn't fully cover.
SEO foundations you can't skip
Before anything else, these are the non-negotiables for any website that wants to rank.
None of this is new — but most small business websites still get at least two or three of these wrong.
- Clear page titles and meta descriptions for every page
- One H1 per page, with supporting H2s/H3s for structure
- Fast load time — under 2s on mobile, ideally under 1s
- Mobile-first design and layout
- HTTPS (SSL certificate — mandatory, not optional)
- Internal linking between related pages and blog posts
- An XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
- Clean URL structure: /services/web-design not /page?id=47
What GEO adds on top
AI models prioritise sources that are clear, authoritative, and easy to parse. This means your content needs to be structured so both humans and machines understand it instantly.
The biggest shift with GEO is that AI doesn't care how many backlinks you have as much as it cares about whether your content directly answers a question.
- Use clear question-and-answer formatting in blog posts and FAQs
- Add structured data (schema markup) for your business, services, and FAQs
- Write in clear, direct language — avoid vague marketing copy
- Cover topics with enough depth that you're a credible source, not just a surface mention
- Keep your content updated — AI tools favour fresh, accurate information
- Get cited or mentioned on other credible sites (this still matters for GEO too)
Good for SEO + GEO
- •Clear headings and structured content
- •Fast, mobile-optimised pages
- •Specific answers to specific questions
- •Updated, accurate information
- •Schema markup and metadata
Hurts both
- •Vague copy with no real substance
- •Slow pages with unoptimised images
- •No internal linking or site structure
- •Outdated or thin content
- •Generic page titles and missing meta tags
Where to start if you're doing this from scratch
Don't try to fix everything at once. Start with the basics: make sure every page has a proper title, meta description, and one clear heading. Fix page speed. Set up Google Search Console and submit your sitemap.
Once the foundations are solid, start publishing content that answers real questions your customers ask. That's what builds both search rankings and AI citations over time.
