GEO vs. SEO: Which Matters More?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation, for those of you new to all of this) used to be the be-all and end-all of writing content. Your business’s online success depended largely on your website’s crawlability, on ranking organically for keywords, and on where you placed on the SERP.
In the age of AI, it’s easy to think that SEO might be obsolete. After all, 37% to 55% of consumers now use AI instead of Google or other search engines, and LLM’s like ChatGPT are everywhere.
AI has become so prevalent in the online world, in fact, that a new term has been coined: GEO, or Generative Engine Optimisation. In simple terms, it involves creating your content with LLMs and AI in mind, rather than SERPs.
But is it more important than SEO? Is SEO really dead?
The difference between GEO and SEO
It’s important for anyone creating content online to understand the difference between GEO and SEO. They might both be digital marketing techniques, but how they work and how to work with them differ in key ways.
The tenets of SEO, if you ask anyone, can be broken down into keywords, an organised structure, backlinks, and a well-made (or easily crawlable) website. These, when combined, create content that Google and other search engines will push to the top of their search results.
When it comes to GEO, though, things are a little more complicated. LLMs are designed to remember past conversations, and so have more context when they’re asked questions. They’re also designed to interpret the intent behind the question, rather than simply throw out answers.
This means, AI results tend to prefer content that sounds more human. It prioritises conversations, clarity and verified facts over keywords and structure.
Is GEO more important now?
What the stats say about GEO
The most recent statistics say that while 37% to 55% of consumers use AI over search engines, the traffic referral from AI is still less than 1%.
Microsoft, however, has said that consumers directed by AI are three times more likely to convert to sales.
So it’s not a clear-cut answer.
GEO can help your content to appear in LLM conversations, and that’s important. It’s likely to get more important as time goes on, as more and more LLMs appear, and more AI is integrated into search engines.
However, that doesn’t mean that SEO is any less important. People are still using search engines, and ranking for SEO keywords will still help you to find customers.
Not only that, but AI favours trusted domains, especially when it comes to AI overviews, so don’t cast SEO aside just yet. Not to mention that some AI rely on SERP; Gemini uses Google’s directory. So your crawlability and keyword usage definitely still matter!
How to use GEO and SEO together
Your best bet is to use GEO and SEO together. That way you’re covering all of your bases, and giving your content the best chance to appear in the search engine AI overview, at the top of the SERP, and in an LLM chat.
That means…
Taking a multimedia approach
Well chosen photos with accurate alt texts have always been a good way to make content look reputable and helped contribute to SEO. GEO takes that to another level.
LLMs are all about factual information and context. Images, videos and transcripts provide deeper data that text can’t provide on its own. This makes your content easier for the AI to parse and understand, and therefore, easier to cite.
Creating well-structured, human-sounding content
Somewhat ironically, AI search models prioritise authentic, original data rather than recycled content. As a result, they tend to cite human-sounding content much more often than anything AI written.
SEO prioritises well-written, well-structured content, too. So the key to appeasing both is simple: write well, and organise your thoughts. Use H1s, H2s, and write like a person.
Using questions and answers
Trying to make sure there are enough keywords in a piece of writing online, or in a script for a video, can prove difficult. SEO relies heavily on keywords, but keyword stuffing is not the answer - they have to make sense, sound natural.
A good way to successfully slot in keywords is to use questions. Questions around the topic are likely to reference the title or topic in, giving you another seamless keyword placement.
Questions are also a great way to improve your GEO. AI search engines themselves are trained on conversational prompts like questions, so question and answer formats are familiar to them. They also provide easy, clear summaries for the AI to paraphrase, and are examples of authoritative, concise sources, which AI prioritises over ambiguity.
Learning how to use E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T is a framework from Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, and is used by SEO experts across the world. It’s a good way to remember what search engines are prioritising, and it also works for GEO.
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. To follow the framework, your content needs to show real, authentic experiences, high level skills or training, a solid reputation, and should be on a safe and transparent website.
GEO also requires all of the above. As we’ve established, LLMs search for authenticity and reliability, both of which the E-E-A-T framework provides.
Bringing in an expert marketing consultant
The easiest way to make sure your business is doing enough to cover GEO and SEO is to bring in an expert. SEO and GEO are constantly changing, and it can be a big task to try and keep up with them.
That’s why Remarkabull does it for you.
We support businesses looking for marketing support in Sussex and the South East. That includes making sure your content is all aligned with your business, and that all of it is optimised to convert as many clicks as possible.
Get in touch for a free discovery call and find out more about our tailored marketing approached.