GEO vs SEO: Why the Smartest Marketers Are Optimizing for Answers, Not Just Rankings
Your next buyer is asking ChatGPT for advice. Will your brand be in the response?
Recently, I was sitting with my college-aged kids when a question came up that stumped the group. Normally, this is when someone grabs their phone and Googles it. To my surprise, both of my kids went to AI engines to search for the answer. Surprised, I asked them to walk me through how they search for information. The answer? Not Google or Bing. They go to their generative engine of choice and ask for an answer. Upon further discussion, they shared that everyone in their peer group searches this way, and the only time they go to a search engine is if the answer they get seems off.
Mind. Blown.
Enter Generative Engine Optimization, the next frontier of digital marketing. If you’re not thinking about it yet, you’re already behind. Generative engines are rewriting the rules of search by combining classic search functionality with the conversational power of generative AI.
The result? When my kids searched for answers, they didn’t simply get links to sites that may or may not have the information they were looking for; they got a thoughtfully curated AI-generated response they could continue asking questions about or diving deeper into the details. For college students, it’s a significant help. But for the average business person looking for software or services to help them resolve business challenges, it’s a game-changer.
Case Study: Google vs ChatGPT
To see it in action, I pretended to be a marketing exec shopping for a new ABM platform.
I Googled “Top ABM Platforms.” And received a laundry list of links to SEO-driven blog posts, sponsored results, and articles.
Then I asked ChatGPT the same question.
ChatGPT provided me with six recommendations, four honorable mentions, and three pro-tips. It also asked me if I wanted help choosing based on my current stack or budget range. If 80% of the buyers in the market are researching before they ever hit your website, you must have a GEO strategy. Especially as Gen Z and Alpha come of age.
What is Generative Engine Optimization?
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a strategy to optimize website content for AI-driven search engines and generative models, aiming to have your content prominently featured in AI-generated responses rather than just traditional search engine results. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking in search results, AEO prioritizes how AI understands and highlights your content when crafting answers.
GEO vs SEO: What’s the Difference?
While they sound similar, GEO/AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and SEO are very different. With SEO, you are focused on generating content and the technical elements of your website so that you appear at the top of search results (and usually complement your paid search strategy). With GEO/AEO, you are ensuring your content is the answer that the generative engines choose to use when they generate a response.
SEO is about visibility. GEO/AEO is about authority. Together, they form a powerful growth flywheel.
What is Multimodal Content?
Multimodal content is simply content that is presented in multiple “modes.” If you have an ebook, that would be one mode. Multimodal content for that same ebook would be presenting that content as a webinar, a video, a motion graphic, and an image. You are presenting your content in multiple modes, and it isn’t optional in the AEO era - it’s mandatory. Looking for ideas on how you can adapt one piece of content into another 8 different modes, see my recommendations here.
Is SEO Dead?
Not at all. But it is evolving.
If your current strategy focuses on keyword stuffing, low-value link building, and 800-word blog posts trying to game rankings, then you’re behind. The LLMs will ignore you, and Google’s algorithm likely isn’t too far behind. SEO and GEO aren’t mutually exclusive, they’re complementary. And because of this, smart companies are optimizing for both.
Getting Started with GEO
Define the Role of Generative Engine Optimization in your growth strategy.
How is your audience using generative tools in search?
How well does your current content surface in AI-generated responses? If you haven’t checked this, it should be first on your list.
Are you mapping questions, not just keywords? Move beyond keywords and think about use cases, questions, and problems. Think about how your ICP will use generative engines and the questions they will ask.
Audit Your Current AEO/GEO Footprint.
Test prompts across the primary platforms. Search for common buyer questions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Copilot.
Check who is being recommended. Are competitors showing up more often than you?
Analyze content structure. Is your content bite-sized, structured, and source-friendly?
Build an AI-Optimized Content Engine.
Use natural, conversational language.
Answer related questions within your content to anticipate and satisfy user intent.
Create structured, “answer-ready” formats: FAQs, “What is’” “How to,” comparisons, frameworks.
Use high-authority formats, including case studies (not a PDF), expert POVs, and original data. LLMs love original data. Do not bury it in a gated PDF.
Use semantic-rich HTML, schema markup, H1-H3s, bullets, and well-labeled sections (you should be doing this for SEO already).
Incorporate visual content, such as custom graphics, photography, and infographics.
Experiment with video content. Short-form video content is the perfect medium for answering complex questions or explaining processes.
Add podcasts or sound clips to expand your reach and appeal to users who prefer to learn by listening.
Prioritize Citability & Ingestion.
Make it easy for LLMs to cite you. Break your content into bite-sized ideas with clear headings and labeled sources.
Index your content. Ensure your content is crawlable, fast-loading, and part of indexed sources (like Wikipedia, Quora, and Medium).
Publish your thought leadership on platforms like Substack, LinkedIn, and GitHub (for tech audiences) that LLMs ingest.
Evolve Your PR & Backlink Strategy
Focus on structured, AI-crawlable sources (e.g., Crunchbase, TechCrunch, newsletters, transcripts).
Pitch quotes and interviews that land in roundup-style, formatted content.
Get mentioned on AI-friendly sites.
Measure AEO/GEO Success Differently
Track prompt visibility, not just keyword ranking.
Monitor brand mentions and citations in LLM-generated results.
Look at assisted discovery metrics (e.g., upticks in branded search, referrals from ChatGPT plugins, etc.).
We are entering a new era of search, one where being clickable isn’t enough. You have to be citeable. If your content isn’t showing up in generative answers, your brand is invisible to an entire segment of modern buyers. SEO got you on the map. AEO/GEO will make you the destination.
Now is the time to think about your strategy. Don’t just optimize for algorithms. Optimize for answers.
Want help building a GEO strategy that drives trust, traffic, and traction? Let’s talk.
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