GEO vs. SEO: I'm Still Figuring It Out, But Here's What I'm Learning

Published: 6/2/2025

People are saying 'GEO', I’m still trying to wrap my head around what that really means.

No, not "SEO". GEO.

I’ve been working in content strategy and technical SEO for a long time. Metadata, site structure, schema, performance, all that good stuff. But when I started hearing about Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), I heard I needed to rethink how content is read, not just ranked.

To be clear: I'm not a GEO expert. I’m probably getting a few things wrong. But I want to share how I’m experimenting with it, because if you’re also building content for the future, this shift matters.

So What Is GEO?

From what I understand so far (and I could be wrong!), GEO is about optimizing your content for AI systems. Not just search engines. It’s less about traditional SERPs and more about how tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Google's SGE interpret, summarize, and cite your content.

Instead of fighting for the #1 blue link, you're aiming to be the source that generative models pull from, paraphrase, or link back to.

What Changes?

• Is my website easy for AI to understand?
• Do I structure things clearly enough for summarization models?
• Is my writing accessible and direct enough for both humans and large language models?

I had no idea.

A Few Things I’m Trying (And Probably Still Messing Up)

• Breaking content into smaller chunks: AI models seem to digest shorter paragraphs more effectively.
• Writing in clear, declarative sentences: Less fluff, more facts.
• Using metadata to guide structure: Titles, headers, alt text — all still matter.

Is that definitively what GEO requires? No idea. But it’s part of what I’m exploring.

Why This Post?

Because I don’t think we need to be GEO “experts” to start practicing GEO-aware content design.

If you’re curious like me, here’s what I’d say:

• Start by simplifying your content.
• Make it easier to summarize.
• Write for scanners (both human and machine).

And if you do know more about GEO please reach out. Correct me. Teach me.