SEO vs GEO: How to Get Found When AI Gives the Answers

A few years ago, if you wanted to find something, you Googled it and clicked through to a website. That pattern is shifting. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google’s own AI Overviews now give direct answers — without anyone clicking through.

This changes the game for your website. But it’s not a reason to panic.

What is GEO?

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation. Where SEO is about being found in search engines, GEO is about being cited by AI systems. The difference sounds subtle — but it matters.

With SEO, you want to appear on page 1 of Google. With GEO, you want ChatGPT to mention your name when someone asks: “Who is a good web designer in the Netherlands?”

How it works in practice

AI models pull their information from multiple sources: websites, reviews, mentions on other sites, structured data, and — for the newer models — live search results. The more consistently your name and expertise appear in trustworthy sources, the higher the chance an AI system will mention you.

In practice that means:

• Build authority through content — write articles that directly answer specific questions in your field. AI models love to cite sources that give clear, factual answers.
• Get mentioned on other sites — a Google Business profile, mentions in industry publications, client reviews on Google and Trustpilot all strengthen your GEO position.
• Use structured data (Schema.org) — technical markup that helps both search engines and AI systems understand who you are, what you do, and where you work.
• Be specific and authoritative — “I make websites” won’t cut it. “I’m a freelance web designer specialising in Webflow and Astro for SMEs in the Netherlands” gives AI a reason to mention you in the right context.

Is traditional SEO dead?

No. Google clicks haven’t disappeared — they’ve shifted. Informational queries (“how does X work”) are increasingly answered by AI. But transactional queries (“hire a web designer Amsterdam”) still lead people to websites.

The difference: the funnel has gotten longer. Someone asks ChatGPT for advice, ChatGPT mentions names, that person then Googles those names. If you’re not findable at that point, you miss the conversion.

What you can do right now

1. Write content that answers questions — not for search engines, but for people. AI pulls answers from content that is clear and direct.
2. Maintain a complete Google Business profile — with photos, description, and recent reviews.
3. Build backlinks from quality sources — mentions in industry sites, local media, specialist blogs.
4. Use Schema.org markup — for your name, location, services, and reviews.
5. Be specific about your niche — generic positioning works less and less. The clearer your specialism, the better AI can place you.

The bottom line

SEO and GEO aren’t opposites — they reinforce each other. A website that performs well in Google typically also has the signals AI systems value: authority, clarity, and consistency. The only thing that changes is that you now also think consciously about how you want to be cited, not just how you want to be found.

For SMEs, this is actually good news: the quality of your content and reputation matters more than ever. That’s a playing field where a well-positioned small business can compete with larger competitors who have a bigger marketing budget.