GEO vs SEO: What should you focus on right now?

Lia Bartley

Have you ever expected a parcel, only to find the carrier left you a note saying “delivered”? That’s kind of like what’s happening in search today.

Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is all the rage, promising to deliver your content directly into AI (artificial intelligence)-generated summaries. Yet behind the hype, traditional SEO is still the backbone of discoverability.

GEO only works if your content already carries weight. Large language models like GPT 5 have knowledge that cuts off at late 2024 and rely on tools like retrieval-augmented generation to fetch fresher data. If you aren’t ranking in the top 20 of Google or Bing, you might as well not exist to those systems. This means you can’t skip over good old-fashioned link-building, on-page SEO and authority growth.

Let’s put it another way. Imagine you’ve baked a stellar cake and packed it in a pretty box. It doesn’t matter how fancy your presentation is if it sits unopened in the fridge. Traditional SEO gets people to your page. GEO is the icing that makes it noticed in AI-powered summaries, which is helpful, but not useful unless someone can actually get a slice.

Here’s what that means in practice. Invest most of your effort in SEO fundamentals: solid technical health, engaging content, structured data and building trusted links. At the same time, start layering in GEO-friendly work, such as ensuring your brand is known entity-wise across the web, that directory mentions reinforce your presence and that your site is easy for AI engines to crawl and understand.

In short: act like GEO is a highlighter, not the spotlight. Unless your content already draws attention, highlighting won’t make much difference. Keep SEO central to your strategy and let GEO amplify what’s already working.

If you’d like help balancing SEO and GEO, so you’re not chasing tomorrow’s buzz instead of building today’s real value, get in touch with the team at Engage Web. We’ll keep you visible and ready for whatever search platforms serve up next.

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Lia Bartley

Content Editor at Engage Web

With years of experience in the financial sector, Lia has swapped the world of mis-sold PPI in exchange for life as an eagle-eyed editor at Engage Web, ensuring our wonderful clients have equally wonderful content on their websites.

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