SEO vs GEO: how to get found on Google and in AI answers
What generative engine optimisation is, how it differs from classic SEO, and a practical checklist for showing up in both search results and AI assistants.
The short answer
SEO (search engine optimisation) is about ranking in search results. GEO (generative engine optimisation) is about being the source an AI assistant quotes or recommends when someone asks it a question. They overlap heavily: both reward clear, accurate, well-structured pages on a fast site that other reputable sites refer to.
What changes with AI search
- People ask full questions rather than typing keywords, so pages that answer a specific question directly do well.
- The assistant often gives one answer rather than ten links, so being cited matters more than being on page one.
- Assistants favour facts they can verify across several sources, which rewards consistent information about your business everywhere it appears.
A checklist that works for both
- Answer the question in the first two sentences of the page, then add the detail.
- Use real headings and short paragraphs, with one topic per page.
- State facts plainly: prices, locations, timelines, what is included.
- Add structured data (schema) for your organisation, services, FAQs and articles.
- Keep your name, address and service details identical on your site, business profiles and directories.
- Make the site fast and easy to use on a phone.
- Publish useful guides on the questions customers actually ask.
- Earn mentions and links from relevant, reputable sites.
- Add an llms.txt file that summarises your site for AI crawlers, and do not block them if you want to be cited.
How long does it take?
Technical fixes can show results within weeks. Rankings for competitive terms and regular AI citations build over months, because both depend on a track record. Be wary of anyone who guarantees a position; nobody controls the results.
How to measure it
- Search Console impressions, clicks and average position for the terms you care about.
- Enquiries and sales from organic visitors.
- Referral visits from AI assistants in your analytics.
- Spot checks: ask the main assistants the questions your customers ask and see who is recommended.
Quick answers
GEO stands for generative engine optimisation: making your website and business information easy for AI assistants to understand, trust and cite when they answer questions.
Technical improvements can show within weeks. Ranking for competitive searches usually takes several months of consistent work, and no agency can guarantee a position.
General information, not professional advice. Prices and rules change; check the current position before acting.