SEO vs GEO: what are the differences?

ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Mistral, etc. Searching for information using AI tools is becoming increasingly popular. Traditional search engine optimization (SEO) is evolving to accommodate the use of these platforms.

Surely you have come across the following terms:

Here in this article there is a clear explanation of these different concepts with their commonalities and differences.

The emergence of GEO

Artificial intelligence is being adopted at full speed. ChatGPT now has over 800 million active users.

For brands, the goal of the game is to appear on these new platforms by being mentioned and/or mentioned in responses.

For industry professionals: web agencies, SEO specialists, freelancers, AI engineers, etc. we had to find new words to designate this new discipline.

👉 The objective: to be able to offer clear and understandable offers to the general public.

The term “Generative Engine Optimization” or GEO is currently the most used:

Agencies today offer services dedicated to GEO:

Is this the end of SEO?

No, “SEO” search is still predominant with more than 30,000 searches per month in France:

We are gradually seeing an evolution towards “GEO SEO” or “SEO AI”.

SEO vs GEO: curriculum

What SEO and GEO have in common

1. Offer quality content

Reliable, unique and well-written content remains the basis for being visible on Google and artificial intelligence tools.

2. A clear and readable structure

Both SEO and GEO favor well-structured content with:

• clear titles and subtitles (H1, H2, H3).
• short paragraphs,
• bulleted lists and tables,
• precise targeting of subtopics.

This is especially important for LLM tools that need to generate concise responses.

3. Authority and credibility

Whether we’re talking about SEO or GEO, one principle remains unchanged: the more expert you are perceived to be, the more likely your content will be used as a reference.

In fact, this credibility is based on the following criteria:

Backlinks and external mentions

In SEO, quality inbound links strengthen organic rankings and signal to Google that your content deserves to be indexed and featured.

In GEO, these backlinks play an equally decisive role: Even without a clickable link, a textual mention in recognized content can strengthen your semantic weight and increase your chances of being mentioned in an AI response.

The EEAT signals (Experience, Competence, Authoritativeness, Reliability)

Google uses EEAT to evaluate the trustworthiness of a page.
Generative engines follow this logic: they favor content coming from expert sites, produced by identified authors and supported by evidence (studies, data, citations).

If your digital reputation aligns with your real-world experience, your content becomes easier to integrate into the responses you generate.

Proof of experience and legitimacy

Case studies, sector analyses, verified customer reviews, participation in conferences, specialized publications…

These elements play a key role in SERPs, but also in AI summaries, because they allow generative models to more clearly identify who is authoritative in a specific niche.

4. Alignment with user intent

In both approaches, the goal is not to multiply content, but to produce something that is actually in line with what the person wants to find, understand or solve.

5. The use of structured data

Both SEO and GEO rely on structured data to help engines (classical or generative) improve understand and extract your content.

In SEO, schema markup can improve visibility in SERPs via enriched extracts (rich snippet).

Here’s an example with embedded reviews:

In GEO, this same structuring facilitates the extraction and reuse of information by LLMs, who need clear benchmarks to generate a reliable response.

The differences between SEO and GEO

SEO optimizes so that your site is consulted.
GEO optimizes so that your brand is used as a reference in an AI response.

Examples of differences

Different KPIs

The traffic generated to your site is no longer the only indicator of success.

With the arrival of AI, other parameters must be taken into account:

To measure these KPIs, you can run manual tests or use tools like the Semrush AI Kit:

GEO: what changes for your brand?

GEO does not replace SEO, but several adjustments are needed.

Create content designed to be cited

AIs better understand contents that follow an informative logic: definitions, data, concrete examples, methodologies, FAQs.

Do :

✅ Bring original ideas, real-world experience and clear skills.
✅ Write content that exactly satisfies the intent of your users.
✅ Multiply formats, frameworks, checklists, “how-to” definitions.
✅ Think “one idea = one paragraph”.
✅Write practical cases.

Diversify your presence beyond Google

Generative engines are not only based on websites indexed by Google: they also analyze videos, social networks, studies, media, etc.

To be mentioned in AI responses, you must therefore diversify your presence.

Do :

✅ Be active on Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn
✅ Distribute your content across multiple platforms
✅ Vary formats: long posts, scripts, transcriptions, expert comments.

Measure your AI visibility, not just your organic traffic

With generative research the user gets an answer without necessarily clicking.

You then need to monitor new indicators to understand where your AI visibility stands

Do :

✅ Track your AI traffic
✅ Track your AI citation rate
✅ Analyze your textual mentions (even without links)

To conclude: the next step

With the adoption of artificial intelligence, should you change everything in your SEO strategy?

The answer is no.

The basics remain the same: offer quality content that truly satisfies search intent, continue to obtain backlinks and take care of the technical aspects of your website.

To be visible in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc., however, you need to have a real brand strategy and increase your presence.

Frequently asked questions