GEO Vs. SEO: What's Changing And How To Adapt In 2025

If you’ve been working on SEO for years, you may have noticed something unusual recently. Your carefully crafted blog posts are still ranking on the first page—but they’re not pulling in the traffic they used to. Why is this happening?

Because people aren’t just searching on Google anymore. They’re shifting to AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity AI to get instant answers. Also, as Google has launched AI overview feature, people are getting the answer to their queries there. For that reason people are unlikely to click through to your website.

That means your hard work can be useless if your content isn’t optimized for this kind of AI search. This is where Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) comes in. Let’s compare GEO vs. SEO and discuss how to optimize your website for AI search.

What Is SEO? (A Quick Refresher)

Before diving into GEO, let’s quickly recap traditional SEO:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website so that it ranks higher in search engines like Google. The main goal of SEO is attracting organic traffic by matching what users search for.

Key elements include in SEO:

Keyword research: Finding relevant search terms according to your services, products or website contents.
On-page optimization: Optimizing titles, meta descriptions, headings, content structure for better search visibility.
Off-page SEO: Building backlinks and brand authority.
Technical SEO: Improving site speed, mobile-friendliness, crawlability, and indexability.
Content strategy: Creating relevant, helpful, and authoritative content.

SEO is still effective—especially for transactional keywords, local searches, and discovery.

What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?

GEO is focused on optimizing content for getting cited, summarized, or used as a source by AI-powered search tools and large language models (LLMs).

SEO aims to rank your pages in search engines like Google. On the other hand, GEO helps to make your content visible inside AI-generated answers on platforms like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews.

Key Difference in a Nutshell:

SEO helps you rank on a search engine result page. GEO helps you to be a source inside the AI answer.

GEO vs. SEO: How Are They Different?

Aspect	SEO	GEO
Focused Platform	Traditional Search engines like Google, Bing, Yandex.	AI-powered engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity AI.
Main Optimization Goal	Rank at the top in the SERPs.	Get cited in AI-generated answers.
Content Style	Keyword-focused, long-form.	Well structured, semantic intent focused, contextual.
Focus	Getting clicks and traffic, improving engagement.	Building authority and credibility, increasing AI visibility.
Performance Metrics	Position in the SERPs, organic traffic.	Mentions in AI, featured snippets.

Why GEO Matters More Than Ever

AI-powered search assistants are growing so fast in usage. Even Google now shows AI Overviews right on the SERP. Users often get instant, summarized answers without visiting a website.

If your content isn’t optimized for AI engines, you may lose your organic traffic—even if you rank at the top of the SERP.

How to Optimize Your Content for Both Search Engine and AI

You may thinking about optimizing your content for generative engines or AI. Am I right? Don’t worry! At Markimist, we focus on both SEO and GEO. Here’s how you can optimize your content for both search engines and generative engines:

1. Structure Content for Clarity and Direct Answers

Focus on understanding the user’s intent behind your focus keyword—what are they really trying to find or solve?
Use intent focused clear headings and try to keep it engaging.
Instead of long paragraphs, try to include bullet points.
Focus on Q&A format and implement conversational tone.
Don’t distract your audience. Directly answer the user’s queries then add details.

Write content for human and structure for AI.

2. Keep in Mind E-E-A-T Principles

Show author expertise with bios and credentials. You may use the author box for better implementation.
Add outbound links to credible sources and keep your content updated.
Share original experiences or case studies.

3. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Add FAQ, HowTo, Article, Service and LocalBusiness schemas.
Help AI engines to understand the context of your content.

4. Embrace Semantic Richness

Go beyond keywords—include related terms, synonyms, and comprehensive coverage
Explain concepts fully with examples and analogies

5. Earn Authoritative Mentions

Get backlinks from trusted, relevant, high-authority sites.
Build your brand reputation across relevant platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SEO dead because of GEO?

Not at all, SEO still remains foundational. But combining SEO with GEO will you to increase your visibility across all search formats, including AI answers.

Can I optimize my single content for both search engines and AI?

Yes, you can. Create clear, authoritative, and well-structured content. It will help you to be visible in both traditional search and AI.

How can I measure GEO success?

Look for if your content is being cited by AI platforms or included in featured snippets and AI summaries. Check the impression and click from the discovery section of your search console. Look for AI platforms in traffic source with analytics tools like Google Analytics.

Final Thoughts: Adapt or Get Left Behind

SEO’s core principles still apply—but search is evolving fast. The smart move is to integrate Generative Engine Optimization alongside traditional SEO.

If you want your brand to not just rank—but to be recognized and cited in the age of AI-powered search, it’s time to update your strategy.

Want to Optimize Your Website for Both Search Engines and AI?

At Markimist, we help businesses adapt to this new search reality. Whether local or global, we build strategies that get you ranked on Google and cited by AI engines.