GEO vs SEO: what’s the difference, and do you need both?
SEO helps you rank in a list of search results. GEO helps you get named inside the answer an AI writes. Most brands need both: AI engines find pages through search, then decide which brands to recommend.
Side by side
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank high in search results | Be named and cited in AI answers |
| Where you show up | Google and Bing results pages | ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Google AI and others |
| What the buyer sees | A list of links to compare | One answer with a short list of brands |
| What you optimise | Keywords, links, technical health | Brand facts, quotable content, third-party mentions |
| How you measure | Rankings, clicks, traffic | Share of Answer, citations, AI referrals |
How they work together
AI engines run searches in the background. Pages that rank are more likely to be read.
Being read isn’t enough. Clear facts, proof and mentions decide who gets recommended.
We review your SEO as part of every TUNE Audit, so nothing is done twice.
Common questions
Should we stop investing in SEO?
No. Search still feeds AI engines. Shift some effort toward GEO rather than replacing SEO.
Can our SEO agency do GEO?
Some can. GEO adds work most SEO teams don’t do: tracking AI answers repeatedly, earning mentions on the sites AI cites, and rewriting pages to be quotable.
Which should we start with?
Start by measuring. A free AI Mirror shows whether AI already names you, which tells you where the gap is.
Ranked on Google, but missing from AI?
Find out in two minutes with a free AI Mirror.