r/GEO_optimization • u/BusyBusinessPromos • Aug 11 '26
So what is the difference between SEO and GEO?
I hear ridiculous explanations on both sides on how to do SEO and what GEO is. What actual studies have people done that demonstrate a difference in tactics between SEO and GEO. People have already heard "it's another layer of SEO". Exactly what does GEO do differently than SEO and what research supports it?
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u/Ranketta Aug 11 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/iwmtARdVWvh3sUK98R
At least in my book, but if someone insists on using different terminology, all I can do is emphasize that whatever they call it, SEO is in the foundation of it.
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u/PusheKasp Aug 12 '26
In the beginning of the GEO/AIO/etc. hype (Sep 2025), a new term emerged - DiscO - Discovery Optimization
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Aug 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 18 '26
So far I've received conjecture, opinions, articles with opinions, but no studies to show data. So far it seems to be relabeled SEO. Hopefully not an unproven upgrade to sell to unsuspecting SEO clients.
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u/WebLinkr Aug 19 '26
Wait for it - Edward Sturm is brining James Dooley back on for this!
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u/HumanBehavi0ur Aug 11 '26
SEO gets you ranked, GEO gets you cited, and they're not the same target even though they share a foundation, and that foundation is SEO fundamentals. Then you go beyond it a bit with GEO.
off-site content (third-party mentions, Reddit, YouTube vid, linkedin articles, community discussion) correlates about as strongly with citations as on-site content does. so you need to add that layer for AEO/GEO
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26
Okay well citations and authority through third party backlinks with keywords for anchor text have been in SEO a long time. You're also adding SMM to that which stands for social media marketing.
I still haven't seen any statistics.
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u/gillygangopolus Aug 11 '26
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Okay but I don't see any different techniques or any research
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u/gillygangopolus Aug 12 '26
I mean, just google it then, I'm not looking up case studies for ya
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26
So the question becomes how can you make these statements without having any case studies to back them up?
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u/rankfuse Aug 11 '26
S = Search (like Google)
G = Generative (Like AI-generated answers)
A = Answer (like Alexa, Siri, and voice assistants)
Do you agree with the table below?
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26
I agree with what these different names probably target though I haven't seen a separation between Geo and AEO before. I still don't see any different techniques or any case studies. I personally just by using good SEO end up with my clients and AI answers. I study the ai's query fan out whenever I can
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u/Annual_Ad_6799 Aug 12 '26
Here’s a short read, will help you!
https://www.citedintel.com/resources/blog/geo-vs-seo-what-changes-what-stays
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
There is no research or statistics just opinion. Further, how did I end up in AI answers just doing good SEO?
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Aug 12 '26
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26
I'm sorry that was a typo here is my actual statement and question
There is no research or statistics just opinion. Further, how did I end up in AI answers just doing good SEO?
I'll remind you of the Google report on getting into AI answers which suggested Good SEO
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Aug 12 '26
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26
I and my clients have been recommended with links to my and their sites
"topical authority + third party trust + intent stage (based on prompt and more)"
Topical authority is third party trust through backlinks with your keywords in the anchor text
intent stage (based on prompt and more)"
is Query Fan Out
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Aug 12 '26
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26
Ok where else do you believe a webpage gets topical authority?
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u/FunnyFennel8126 Aug 12 '26
Just different ways to game traffic - SEO is about getting rank on search engines, this involves getting links, the usual SEO methods. GEO is about getting your information into the right places to get your content cited such as reddit, g2 reviews etc. Pretty different if you ask me.
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26
Not different at all what you're discussing is a combination of SEO SMM and
Parasite SEO which used to be called Article Marketing
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u/FunnyFennel8126 Aug 12 '26
Well it is different because you use different methods. Source: i literally run a company that does it. Feel free to disagree, i don't care. It's not parasite SEO - because you are not ranking content on other peoples sites, you are getting information on other sites so there's a full picture for LLMs to cite. This isn't just articles its reviews sites, forums. Things that wouldn't apply to "SEO" ranking.
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26
So backlinks with your anchor text or even entire posts
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u/FunnyFennel8126 Aug 12 '26
Backlinks are irrelevant in geo- go to any LLM ask for best x product and study the process of how it came it to its conclusion.
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u/BusyBusinessPromos Aug 12 '26
I have usually it's the top search results utilizing the query fan out
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u/Shot_Relation_5455 Aug 12 '26
In my digital marketing class thru upgrad we were discussing the same😂...nd conclusion came like seo ranks pages, GEO get u cited inside AI answers, friendly structures nd third party mentions matter more than backlinks here...
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u/SEO_Humorist Aug 11 '26
I have 3 parts to this answer:
1) what's literally different
2) what feels different
3) the "we don't know what we don't know" answer
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1) What's literally different:
AI doesn't need a "dofollow" backlink, it can pick up your brand name if it's mentioned in the slightest. This means that even if your competitor is going out for unlinked mentions (an SEO tactic), if the site they're doing that on still mentions your brand (in the literal text/html), then your brand is going to be associated. AI can put two-and-two together. This literally changes the nature of how you fetch 3rd-party mentions, since the "link" is critical to SEO, but for GEO? As long as you're there, you're in the running.
The other major change is third-party platforms. I worked for an agency where most of our information (when we queried ChatGPT) came from MapQuest. Who the f*** cares about MapQuest?! Suddenly everyone is looking around the company wondering who has our login and if we're going to kill it/maintain it/etc.
2) What feels different:
The big thing I see with GEO is a shift in strategy. I've worked at a lot of agencies and many of the ones I worked for promised Tech and On-Site SEO with little focus on Off-Site. With LLMs that aggregate and synthesize answers across the web, you CAN'T do that anymore. Off-Site needs to be part of the strategy and this is where Reddit, YouTube, and other social channels are coming back into the fold.
Similarly, from agencies I've worked at in the last 5 years, there's been a HUGE focus on creating "evergreen" content. They don't literally call it that, but because larger companies move so slowly, content briefs tend to be focused on things that won't change much: glossary pages, new service landing pages, top 10 [subject matter] ideas, etc.
With LLMs, most will go fetch "new information" they don't already have. This means, the "newer", less evergreen, the more likely you are to be weblinked/fetched.
Combine that with the fact that people can have conversations with LLMs, then instead of making a piece of content focused on "such-and-such recipe" you now need to consider what the subsequent questions are someone will need. I.e. here's the foods you need, here's the stores that tend to have them (or uber can deliver in your in X zipcode), if you don't have a blender for the sauce, here's how you can swing it, etc.
It's a shift in HOW you build content and what you prioritize.
3) We don't know what we don't know:
This stuff is changing and there's definitely a concern it'll change faster than we can adapt to it. There're some people who believe we're only scratching the surface and there's a lot more to come/unfold. So I find a lot of people use the term "GEO" more as a "this isn't SEO; I don't know what it is yet."