GEO agency vs SEO agency: which do you need?
Both help buyers find you, but they aim at different outcomes. Here's how to tell which one your business needs right now.
An SEO agency works to rank your pages in search results. A GEO agency works to get your brand named, and described accurately, inside AI answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google AI. If your search fundamentals are weak, start with SEO. If they're solid but AI doesn't mention you, add GEO. Many businesses need both, with GEO built on top of SEO.
SEO agency vs GEO agency at a glance
| SEO agency | GEO agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Rank in search results | Be named in AI answers |
| Key metric | Rankings, organic traffic | Share of Answer, accuracy, citations |
| Where the work happens | Mostly your website and backlinks | Your website plus reviews, directories, forums and press |
| Typical deliverables | Technical fixes, keyword content, links | Fact alignment, answer-first pages, earned mentions, AI testing |
| How progress is measured | Search Console, rank trackers | Repeated tests across several AI engines |
When you need SEO first
- Your site is slow, hard to crawl or poorly structured.
- You have very little content explaining what you do.
- You don't rank at all for your core services.
AI engines lean on much of what search engines find, so weak foundations hold back GEO too. We explain the overlap in GEO vs SEO.
When you need GEO
- You rank reasonably well, but AI assistants recommend competitors.
- AI describes your business inaccurately or out of date.
- Your buyers research by asking AI, which is common in legal, healthcare, software and professional services.
- You want to measure and grow how often AI names you.
When you need both
Most established businesses benefit from both. SEO keeps the foundations healthy; GEO turns that visibility into recommendations. Adviol works alongside your existing SEO team or agency rather than replacing it. See our services.
Questions to ask any agency offering GEO
- How do you measure AI visibility, and across which engines?
- Do you repeat each test to account for answers that vary?
- How do you earn third-party mentions, not just edit our pages?
- What exactly will we see in monthly reporting?
- Will you guarantee results? (An honest answer is no.)
- SEO ranks you; GEO gets you recommended.
- Fix weak SEO foundations first.
- Add GEO when AI names competitors instead of you.
- Ask agencies how they measure, and walk away from guarantees.
Frequently asked questions
Can one agency do both SEO and GEO?
Some can. Check that their GEO work includes multi-engine measurement and off-site mentions, not just on-page edits.
Will GEO hurt my SEO?
No. Clear, accurate, well-structured content helps both.
Is GEO more expensive than SEO?
Costs are comparable. See our Resonance Retainer plans for typical monthly pricing.
Do I need to switch from my SEO agency?
No. GEO can sit alongside your current SEO work.
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