SEO vs GEO: what's the difference?

What is SEO?

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the set of techniques that move your website up in Google's results. When someone types "plumber Montreal" and your site shows up in the top links (or in the local pack with the map), that's SEO at work. It rests on three pillars: your page content, the technical structure of your site, and authority (the links and mentions other sites give you). SEO has been around for over twenty years and remains the single most important channel for most local businesses, because most customers still search on Google.

What is GEO?

GEO, or generative engine optimization, is newer. More and more people no longer type keywords — they ask a question to an AI assistant: "can you recommend a good plumber near me?" — and get a written answer with a short list of names. GEO is about being on that list: making your business visible and credible in the sources AI models read, so they name you when a customer asks for a provider of your services. It's not about a position on a page, but a presence in a sentence.

The 5 concrete differences

The important nuance: these two columns overlap heavily. AI assistants don't guess — they read the web. ChatGPT relies on Bing's index, Gemini on Google's index and Google listings, Perplexity crawls sites directly. So a large part of your SEO also feeds your GEO.

Do I need SEO, GEO, or both?

For almost every local business in Montreal, the answer is both — but in a certain order.

• SEO first, always. That's where most of your customers still are, and it's the foundation GEO is built on. A business invisible on Google is, almost always, also invisible to AI.
• GEO next, but don't wait. The share of searches going through AI assistants is growing fast, and most of your competitors aren't working on it yet. That's a window: the businesses building AI visibility now gain a lead that's hard to catch up on later.

The right move isn't to choose, but to sequence: solidify local SEO, then add the GEO layer — knowing both share the same base.

How SEO and GEO work together

Here's what many agencies won't tell you: 80% of the work is shared between the two. A complete Google Business Profile, a presence on Bing, an identical name-address-phone everywhere, steady reviews, a clear and fast site — all of it improves your Google ranking and your chances of being cited by an AI, at the same time. GEO then adds a thin but decisive layer: structured data (schema.org) that AI crawlers read, an llms.txt file, and content written as direct answers a model can quote as-is. In other words, done right, your SEO investment pays off twice.

Where to start

1. Complete your Google Business Profile — right category, all fields, photos, reviews. Foundation of local SEO and GEO.
2. Get on Bing — it's what ChatGPT's search reads. Ignored by almost everyone.
3. Make your name, address and phone consistent everywhere on the web.
4. Add structured data and an llms.txt file to your site.
5. Write answer-shaped content, in French and English if your customers search in both.
6. Measure monthly — on Google (rankings) and on AI (mention rate).

For the detailed AI-side walkthrough, see our full guide: how to appear in ChatGPT's answers (in French).

Frequently asked questions

Does GEO replace SEO?

No — it builds on it. AI reads the same sources as Google. SEO stays the foundation; GEO adds the layer models read specifically.

Can I do GEO without SEO?

Barely. A business absent from Google and Bing has almost no credible source for AI to read and cite. SEO creates that raw material.

How long until I see results?

For local SEO: a few weeks to a few months depending on competition. For GEO: live-search assistants (Perplexity, ChatGPT search) can cite you within weeks if your foundations are solid.