The rapid adoption of LLMs like ChatGPT has reshaped search behaviour and given rise to a new term: GEO, or generative engine optimisation. In this article, I’ll refer to GEO as the practice of optimising specifically for LLMs and AI search experiences. Meanwhile, SEO is the practice of optimising for search engines and human audiences.
We’ll explore how GEO and SEO relate to one another, their similarities and differences, and why businesses should view them as complementary rather than competing fields.
The Difference Between Search Engines and LLMs
To understand how SEO and GEO fit together, it’s important to first recognise how search engines and LLMs operate differently.
|
Core Difference |
Search Engines |
LLMs |
|
Function |
Serves a ranked list of pre-existing content based on a user's search |
Generates a direct response based on a user's prompt |
|
Mechanism |
Crawls and indexes web pages, then ranks results via an algorithm |
Uses training data and pattern recognition to predict text sequences |
|
Goal |
Maximise rankings for relevant keywords to drive organic traffic and revenue |
Maximise citation visibility & accuracy, with favorable brand associations to drive AI referral traffic and revenue |
Understanding these differences is key to building an SEO and GEO strategy that aligns with the right goals and metrics. If you approach GEO as if it were SEO, such as chasing “rankings” in ChatGPT, this can result in misaligned priorities and wasted effort.
Yet, focusing only on the differences misses the bigger picture. While search engines and LLMs work in different ways, the work needed to succeed in both is largely similar due to their shared principles.
Shared Principles Between SEO & GEO
|
Principle |
SEO Benefits |
GEO Benefits |
|
Strong Rendering Strategies (E.g. SSR) |
Helps search engine crawlers discover and render JS content |
Helps AI crawlers discover and render JS content |
|
Strong Content Quality & Structure |
Helps to meet the needs of searchers |
Helps to meet the needs of LLM users |
|
Strong Crawlability & Indexability |
Prerequisite for a page to rank on search engines |
Prerequisite for a page to appear as a search grounding source or citation in LLMs |
|
Quality Links & Brand Mentions |
Helps build authority with search engines |
Helps build authority with LLMs |
|
3rd Party Reviews & Trust & Brand Signals |
Helps build authority with both searchers and search engines |
Helps build authority with both searchers and LLMs |
Because of this overlap, investing in solid SEO fundamentals also enables GEO success. That connection is further reinforced by how search engines and LLMs interact today:
- LLMs Are Connected To Search Engines
-
LLMs use retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) to browse search results (and other sources) in real time to inform their answers.
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- Search Engines Are Connected To LLMs
- Search engines like Google have AI Overviews & AI mode to synthesise AI responses.
Ultimately, both SEO and GEO share the same human‑centered goal: connecting with people, satisfying their intent, and building trust. Instead of being competing strategies, they’re complementary parts of the same system that shapes how information is discovered, trusted, and acted upon.
Why GEO Isn’t Replacing SEO
Beyond the shared foundations mentioned above, organic search continues to prove itself as a healthy, dominant channel — and for most businesses, SEO remains a more productive investment than GEO on its own. This is why GEO isn’t replacing SEO, and the data backs this up:
- Organic Search Has Grown Alongside ChatGPT Adoption
-
Studies show that the increasing adoption of LLMs has "grown the pie" of organic search. Users of ChatGPT conducted even more Google searches than non-users, not fewer.
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- Search Engines Remain Dominant
-
LLMs still occupy a small % of searches compared to search engines, as shown in this SparkToro study that proves Google remains the dominant platform by far, occupying nearly 74% of all desktop searches in the US across 41 major sites in the US.
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- Business Impact of Standalone GEO Remains Limited
While AI search is a valuable channel and adoption continues to grow quickly, the impact of standalone GEO is still limited for most businesses today. This is primarily because it overlaps with SEO, and overinvesting in GEO specifically can pull resources away from proven channels already driving results.
Consider the following factors to make an informed decision:
Performance, Potential & Fit
The value of GEO isn’t uniform across all businesses. Some, such as SaaS and B2B firms, see greater benefit because their customers increasingly engage with LLMs during the purchase journey. On the other hand, eCommerce businesses may see less value from GEO. Instead of generalising the impact of AI search, assess how it fits your business and your audience.
A practical way to do this is by tracking LLM referral traffic and conversions in GA4, projecting growth, and weighing the potential return against the cost of investment. Because GEO builds on SEO, its exact contribution can be difficult to isolate — so treat these metrics as directional indicators rather than absolute measures.
Readiness
Strong SEO foundations are a prerequisite for GEO success, since LLMs rely on many of the same principles to surface your brand.
Assess both your SEO progress and brand foundations before shifting focus. If key SEO opportunities that meaningfully drive business goals remain untapped, such as ranking for core commercial keywords or ensuring content is SSR, prioritise those first. Likewise, if your brand isn’t yet clear, consistent, and scalable, GEO will have limited effect. Once both SEO and brand foundations are solid, a greater focus on GEO is warranted to unlock more referral traffic and conversions from LLM‑driven search.
The Path Forward: A Unified Approach, Not Siloed Channels
The GEO vs SEO debate is a distraction. Treating them as separate silos ignores the reality of their shared foundations. Both aim to connect with people, meet their intent, and build trust.
The businesses that will win are those that embrace a unified approach — expanding SEO to include GEO and building a holistic, human-centred strategy.