SEO and GEO
Rank in Google. Appear in AI. Be found everywhere your customers are looking.
Search has split into two distinct channels: traditional search engines and AI-powered discovery. Winning visibility today means optimising for both.
The Landscape
Search is changing fast
SEO vs GEO: What Are They?
These are not competing strategies. They are complementary disciplines that share many of the same foundations but target different discovery channels.
Traditional Search
SEO - Search Engine Optimisation
SEO is the practice of improving a website so it ranks higher in Google and other search engines. When someone searches for terms related to your business, good SEO puts your pages in front of them. Unlike paid ads, organic rankings do not cost per click and compound in value over time.
Where it shows up
Google and Bing organic listings, Google Maps, Featured Snippets, People Also Ask, Google Shopping, Google Images.
AI-Powered Discovery
GEO - Generative Engine Optimisation
GEO is the discipline of optimising so your brand is cited and recommended by AI tools: ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot. A growing share of people, particularly younger audiences, start their research in AI rather than Google. If you are not in the sources these tools draw from, you are invisible to them.
Where it shows up
Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Apple Intelligence, and AI-powered shopping and review surfaces.
The good news: strong SEO and strong GEO share the same foundations. High-quality, well-structured content backed by real expertise improves visibility in both channels. GEO is not a replacement for SEO - it is an extension of it.
What Drives Better Visibility
SEO and GEO each reward different signals, though many overlap. Here is what matters most in each channel.
SEO Ranking Factors
- + Technical SEO: Crawlability, indexation, site speed, mobile responsiveness, clean URL structure, and correct use of canonical tags.
- + Core Web Vitals: Google uses LCP, INP, and CLS as ranking signals. Fast, stable pages that respond instantly perform better.
- + Keyword and Intent Match: Targeting the right search terms with content that matches what the searcher actually wants to find or do.
- + On-Page Optimisation: Title tags, headings, meta descriptions, internal linking, and image alt text all signal relevance to Google.
- + Content Quality and E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google increasingly rewards content written by genuine subject experts.
- + Backlinks: Links from reputable, relevant websites remain one of the strongest authority signals in Google's algorithm.
- + Local SEO: Google Business Profile, local citations, and location pages for businesses serving specific geographic areas.
- + Structured Data: Schema markup that helps Google understand page content and can unlock rich results in the SERP.
GEO Visibility Factors
- + Authoritative, Direct Writing: AI tools favour content that states facts clearly and provides specific, confident answers - not vague or hedging copy.
- + E-E-A-T Signals: Named authors with credentials, publication dates, verifiable claims, and references to real-world experience all build AI credibility.
- + Clear Content Structure: Well-organised headings, bullet points, and definition-style explanations make it easier for AI to extract and cite specific passages.
- + FAQ and Q&A Format: AI tools are built to answer questions. Content structured around direct questions and answers maps naturally to how they retrieve information.
- + Third-Party Mentions and Coverage: The more your brand and expertise appear in external articles, press, and directories, the more AI tools treat you as a credible source.
- + AI Crawler Access: Your robots.txt must not block AI crawlers (GPTBot, Google-Extended, PerplexityBot) or your content cannot be indexed by these tools.
- + Topical Depth and Coverage: Covering a subject comprehensively signals authority to AI models, making you more likely to be surfaced for related queries.
- + Consistent Brand Presence: A coherent, verifiable digital footprint across your website, social profiles, and third-party platforms strengthens AI confidence in your brand.
Rank in Google. Get cited by AI. Be found everywhere.
Talk to us about an SEO and GEO audit for your website. We will identify where you stand, where the opportunities are, and what to do about them.