GEO vs SEO: What Google Says Is and Isn't Different
If an agency has offered you "GEO services", you may be wondering whether this is a new discipline or SEO under a new name. For Google Search, Google gives a direct answer. Its guide on generative AI features says that "optimizing for generative AI search is optimizing for the search experience, and thus still SEO."
That does not make the topic empty. AI-generated answers change how people reach your site, how you check performance, and which advice deserves your money. This article separates what Google has actually said from what vendors claim, so you can decide what to do and what to skip.
Short answer: GEO (generative engine optimisation) is an industry term for making content likely to be used or cited in AI-generated answers. For Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google says no special optimisation is needed beyond standard SEO. What differs is how you measure results and which AI-specific tactics to avoid.
What GEO means
GEO stands for generative engine optimisation. AEO, or answer engine optimisation, is used in much the same way. Neither is a Google term. Both describe the effort to appear inside answers written by AI systems, not only in a list of blue links.
Many agencies sell GEO as a separate service. Google's guide tells publishers to be wary of third-party tools that promise ranking success or claim to use internal Google metrics. So treat GEO as a name for a goal, not as proof that a distinct method exists.
What Google says about AI features in Search
Two Google pages cover this: AI features and your website (updated 10 December 2025) and Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search (updated 10 July 2026). Together they say:
- A page must be indexed and eligible to appear in Google Search with a snippet before it can be shown as a supporting link. Even then, indexing and serving are not guaranteed.
- There are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and no special optimisations are necessary.
- You do not need to create new machine-readable files, AI text files, markup or Markdown to appear in Google Search.
- Structured data is not required for these features, and there is no special schema.org markup for them.
Notice what is missing from that list: a new content format, a new file, or a new set of keywords. The requirements are the ones that already applied to any page that wants to show up in search.
Where GEO and SEO overlap
Task | Same as normal SEO? | What Google's pages say |
|---|---|---|
Let Googlebot crawl the page | Yes | Robots.txt rules are the site-level control for crawling |
Keep the page indexed and snippet-eligible | Yes | A page must be indexed and eligible for a snippet |
Publish original, first-hand content | Yes | Listed as a recommendation, not an AI-only step |
Use clear headings and sections | Yes | Listed as a recommendation |
Use relevant images and video | Yes | Follow the existing image and video guidance |
Add structured data | Optional | Not required for AI features; may still help with rich results |
Keep a Google Business Profile (local businesses) | Yes | Recommended for local businesses |
If your site already does these things well, you have done most of what Google describes for AI features.
What is genuinely different
Measurement. Google's December 2025 documentation said traffic from AI features counts towards overall Search traffic and appears in the Search Console Performance report under the 'Web search' type. In June 2026 Google announced Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console. We could not read the details of that announcement, so check your own Search Console account and Google's post for what the report covers before you promise a client any AI reporting.
Controls. If you want to limit what Google shows, Google points to nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet and noindex for Search, and to Google-Extended for AI training and grounding in other Google systems. A page that blocks snippets by mistake can also lose eligibility, so check these tags on pages you want shown.
What nobody can promise. How AI answers change clicks is still being studied. We have not put a click-loss figure in this article, because we could not find one from a source we could verify. Be careful with any figure that gives a precise percentage without a named study.
What to skip
Google's guide specifically warns against several tactics sold under the GEO label:
- Splitting content into small "chunks" for AI. Google says its systems can understand more than one topic on a page and that there is no ideal page length.
- Adding an llms.txt file to improve Google visibility. Google says Search does not use it. You can keep one for other services, but do not expect it to help in Google Search.
- Rewriting pages in special AI phrasing. Write for your readers.
- Buying or manufacturing mentions across the web. Google says inauthentic mentions are less helpful than they might seem.
- Creating many pages for small query variations. Google says this can violate its scaled content abuse policy.
A practical check for your own site
- Open Search Console and use URL Inspection on your five most important pages. Confirm they are indexed.
- Check those pages for noindex, nosnippet or max-snippet settings that you did not intend.
- Add something only your business can say: your process, your own photographs, the questions customers ask you before they enquire.
- Review headings. Each should describe the text below it.
- Merge or remove near-duplicate pages, so one page answers one question.
- If you serve local customers, keep your Google Business Profile accurate and current.
- Look at the Search Console reports for AI features if your account shows them, and note the date you started watching, so you can compare later.
Hypothetical example: a clinic's treatment page uses text copied from a supplier. Before thinking about GEO, the clinic should confirm the page is indexed, then add its own process, who carries out the treatment, and what a first visit involves. Pages covering health topics should also be checked by a qualified professional.
What about ChatGPT, Perplexity and other assistants?
Google's guidance covers Google Search only. Other assistants publish their own documentation, and we have not verified how they choose sources for this article. If a vendor claims to know exactly how a particular assistant picks sites, ask for the assistant's own documentation or a named study.
Questions to ask before paying for GEO
A fair proposal can survive these questions:
- Which deliverables are different from normal SEO work, and why?
- What evidence supports each one? A named study or official documentation counts. "Our experience shows" does not, unless the agency can show the work.
- How will progress be measured, and is the data from Search Console or a third-party tool that estimates results?
- Does any task create many near-identical pages or rely on llms.txt, chunking or paid mentions?
Honest answers will often show that part of the package is ordinary SEO, which is fine, provided it is priced and described as such.
The decision for most businesses
Most businesses do not need a separate GEO budget. They need pages that are indexed, original, clearly organised and kept accurate, and they need to read Search Console regularly. If a proposal for GEO lists work that is not in the checklist above, ask what it is meant to achieve and what evidence supports it.
For related reading, see our guides on AI in SEO, whether SEO is dead and how AI answers and ads may affect organic traffic. If you would like a second opinion on a GEO proposal, you can reach the ASK Digital Agency team through the contact page.