SEO vs GEO: what is the difference?

Answers · SEO and GEO

SEO (search engine optimization) is about showing up in Google’s list of links. GEO (generative engine optimization) is about being named in the answers AI assistants write, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Mode. They share most of the basics, so for many small businesses we would start with SEO foundations and add GEO checks on top.

The difference in one picture

With SEO, a person types a search, gets a list of links and picks one. With GEO, a person asks a question and gets a written answer. That answer may name a few businesses, and it may or may not link to them.

What they share

Most of the work is the same: clear pages, accurate business information, pages that load quickly, a complete Google Business Profile, real reviews and mentions on other sites. Work on one tends to help the other.

Where they differ

Measuring is the biggest difference. For SEO, Google’s free Search Console shows how many pages Google has, what people searched, clicks and average position. For GEO there is no comparable dashboard we rely on, so you check by asking the questions and counting. Answers can change from one ask to the next, so one check proves little.

The writing differs a little too. AI answers tend to draw on pages that state things plainly, so a short summary at the top and question headings help. Engines can also mix up companies with similar names, which is mostly a GEO problem.

Which to do first

If your site is new or not in Google yet, start with SEO. Nothing else works if your pages are not found. If you are already in Google, check what AI says about you, and fix your business profile and name clarity.

If you serve a local area, your Google Business Profile helps with both. In our check on October 4, 2026, Google AI Mode answered local questions from Google Maps profiles with reviews.

How we do both

Westward runs both on its own site, and both numbers are small. On October 12, 2026, Google had 23 of our 37 public pages. On October 4, we were named in 0 of 11 AI answers. We publish them as they are.

Who can do this for you

Westward builds these and sets them up. Each page shows what it does and what it has done.

SEO agent

Gets you found on Google

Checks eight things a day and writes down what it did.

See what it does

GEO agent

Gets you named by ChatGPT and AI search

Asks AI engines your customers’ questions and counts who gets named.

See what it does

Questions

Is GEO replacing SEO?

No one knows how the mix of people using search and AI will shift. Doing the shared basics well covers both, so we treat them as two views of one job.

Is GEO just SEO with a new name?

Partly. The foundations overlap. The difference is where you appear, a list of links or a written answer, and how you measure it.

Do I need both?

Most businesses benefit from the shared basics. Which one to focus on depends on where your customers look. Ask a few of them how they found you.