Discussion GEO SEO Strategy

Is GEO replacing SEO? How should I balance traditional search vs AI search?

BA
BalancingAct_Mike · Head of SEO
· · 118 upvotes · 10 comments
BM
BalancingAct_Mike
Head of SEO · January 6, 2026

Been doing SEO for 15 years. Now everyone’s talking about GEO.

My current reality:

  • 95% of our organic traffic still comes from Google
  • AI traffic is growing but tiny (<2%)
  • Leadership wants “an AI search strategy”

My dilemma:

Do I pivot resources to GEO? Or stay focused on SEO that’s actually driving business?

Questions:

  1. Is GEO replacing SEO?
  2. How should I allocate resources between them?
  3. What’s different about optimizing for AI vs Google?
  4. Are they complementary or competing strategies?
10 comments

10 Comments

SS
SearchEvolution_Sarah Expert Search Strategy Director · January 6, 2026

GEO is evolution, not replacement. Let me put this in perspective.

Current traffic reality:

Source% of Search TrafficGrowth Rate
Google Organic87.3%Stable
AI Search (all)<1%+200%/year
Projected 202875%/25%Gartner estimate

Why SEO still matters:

  1. Massive traffic volume advantage (345x more than AI)
  2. Established attribution and measurement
  3. Clear optimization paths
  4. Most AI sources cite top Google results

Why GEO matters now:

  1. Traffic quality difference (AI converts 5x better)
  2. Growing rapidly
  3. Early mover advantage
  4. Future-proofing

The strategic answer:

GEO doesn’t replace SEO. It extends it.

BM
BalancingAct_Mike OP · January 6, 2026
Replying to SearchEvolution_Sarah
What’s the actual resource allocation you recommend?
SS
SearchEvolution_Sarah · January 6, 2026
Replying to BalancingAct_Mike

Here’s a practical resource split:

Current recommended allocation:

ActivityTime AllocationWhy
Core SEO (technical, on-page)50%Foundation still critical
Content quality25%Benefits both SEO and GEO
GEO-specific optimization15%Entity, structure, authority
AI monitoring10%Track performance, adapt

What “GEO-specific” means:

  • Entity optimization (consistent brand mentions)
  • Schema markup enhancement
  • Content structure for AI extraction
  • Third-party mention building
  • AI platform monitoring

The overlap:

About 60-70% of what helps SEO also helps GEO:

  • Quality content
  • Clear structure
  • Technical excellence
  • Authority building

My advice:

Don’t abandon SEO. Enhance it with GEO tactics. Most efforts compound for both.

KM
KeyDifferences_Marcus Search Analytics Lead · January 6, 2026

The key differences that matter.

GEO vs SEO comparison:

FactorSEO WeightGEO Weight
BacklinksVery HighMedium
KeywordsHighLow
Brand mentionsMediumVery High
Entity recognitionLowVery High
Content depthMediumVery High
Structured dataMediumHigh
E-E-A-T signalsHighVery High
Page speedHighMedium
Mobile-friendlyHighMedium

The biggest shift:

SEO: “How do I rank for this keyword?” GEO: “How do I get cited for this topic?”

Backlinks vs mentions:

SEO rewards linked mentions. GEO rewards ANY mention from authoritative sources.

An unlinked mention in a Forbes article helps GEO significantly but SEO minimally.

This changes outreach strategy:

SEO: Focus on getting backlinks GEO: Focus on getting mentioned (links nice but not required)

OL
OverlapFocus_Lisa Expert · January 5, 2026

Focus on the overlap - it’s larger than people think.

What helps BOTH SEO and GEO:

TacticSEO BenefitGEO Benefit
Quality contentRankingsCitations
Clear structureUX, crawlabilityAI extraction
E-E-A-T signalsTrust rankingCitation authority
Fast site speedCore Web VitalsCrawl efficiency
Schema markupRich snippetsAI understanding
Regular updatesFreshness signalCitation freshness
Comprehensive coverageTopical authorityCitation-worthy depth

What’s SEO-specific:

  • Backlink building
  • Keyword optimization
  • Internal linking structure
  • Meta tag optimization

What’s GEO-specific:

  • Entity consistency across web
  • Third-party mention building
  • AI platform monitoring
  • Content formatting for extraction

The practical approach:

Build strong overlap foundation first. Add specialized tactics as resources allow.

FT
FutureProof_Tom · January 5, 2026

Let me share our traffic trajectory.

Our AI vs Traditional search over 18 months:

PeriodGoogle OrganicAI TrafficAI %
Jan 202598,0004200.4%
Jul 202595,0001,8001.9%
Jan 202692,0004,2004.4%

Google declining slightly. AI growing rapidly.

But here’s the conversion story:

PeriodGoogle ConversionsAI Conversions
Jan 20252,74450
Jul 20252,660216
Jan 20262,576504

AI traffic is 4.4% but drives 16% of conversions.

The projection:

If trend continues, AI could drive 30%+ of conversions within 2 years while being only 10-15% of traffic.

My resource rebalancing:

Started at 95% SEO / 5% GEO Now at 75% SEO / 25% GEO Will adjust as data evolves

Follow the conversion data, not just traffic volume.

ER
EntityExpert_Rachel · January 5, 2026

The entity recognition difference is crucial.

How SEO sees your brand:

  • URL structure
  • Keywords on page
  • Backlink anchor text
  • Domain authority

How AI sees your brand:

  • Entity consistency across web
  • Knowledge graph presence
  • Third-party mentions
  • Topical associations

Practical example:

For SEO: “Project management software” on your page For GEO: AI needs to understand “[Your Brand] is a project management software used by enterprises”

Entity optimization checklist:

  1. Consistent company name everywhere
  2. Wikipedia/Wikidata presence
  3. Crunchbase profile updated
  4. Consistent messaging across platforms
  5. Schema markup for Organization
  6. Author entities with credentials

The impact:

Strong entity signals help AI confidently cite you. Weak signals mean AI may not recognize you’re relevant even if you rank well in Google.

CC
ContentTeam_Chris · January 4, 2026

Content strategy differences.

SEO content approach:

  • Target specific keywords
  • Optimize for single queries
  • Focus on ranking metrics
  • Length based on competition
  • Update when rankings drop

GEO content approach:

  • Target topics and entities
  • Answer multiple related queries
  • Focus on citation-worthiness
  • Length based on comprehensiveness
  • Update for freshness regularly

The combined approach:

Content ElementSEO OptimizationGEO Optimization
TitleKeyword in H1Topic clarity
OpeningKeyword in first paragraphDirect answer
BodyKeyword variationsComprehensive coverage
StructureH2/H3 for keywordsH2/H3 as questions
DataSupporting claimsOriginal/citable data
UpdatesWhen rankings dropRegular freshness

Create content that serves both.

Keyword-optimized AND comprehensive AND citation-worthy.

MA
Measurement_Amy · January 4, 2026

Measurement is where things get tricky.

SEO measurement (mature):

  • Rankings
  • Organic traffic
  • Click-through rate
  • Conversions
  • Search Console data

GEO measurement (evolving):

  • AI citation frequency
  • Brand mentions in AI
  • AI referral traffic
  • Citation positioning
  • Share of voice in AI

Tools comparison:

MetricSEO ToolsGEO Tools
Tracking maturityEstablishedEmerging
Data accuracyHighMedium
AttributionClearChallenging
BenchmarkingEasyLimited

My approach:

  1. Use Am I Cited for AI monitoring
  2. Set up proper AI traffic attribution in GA4
  3. Track conversions separately for AI traffic
  4. Monthly comparison reports

The challenge:

AI measurement is where SEO measurement was 10 years ago. Build tracking now even if data is imperfect.

BM
BalancingAct_Mike OP Head of SEO · January 4, 2026

This thread shaped my strategy. Here’s my plan:

Strategic position:

GEO is not replacing SEO - it’s extending it. Both matter. Balance based on data.

Resource allocation (starting now):

AreaCurrentTargetWhy
Core SEO70%60%Still drives most traffic
Overlap activities20%25%Benefits both
GEO-specific5%10%Growing importance
AI monitoring5%5%Essential for learning

Implementation priorities:

  1. Foundation (Month 1):

    • Set up AI traffic attribution
    • Implement Am I Cited monitoring
    • Audit entity consistency

  2. Enhancement (Months 2-3):

    • Add schema markup
    • Improve content structure for AI extraction
    • Build third-party mention strategy

  3. Ongoing:

    • Monthly performance review
    • Adjust allocation based on conversion data
    • Stay current with AI platform changes

Key metrics to track:

  • Traditional: Rankings, organic traffic, conversions
  • GEO: AI citations, AI traffic, AI conversion rate
  • Combined: Total search visibility, share of voice

Message to leadership:

“We’re evolving our SEO strategy to include AI search optimization. The approaches are complementary - 70% of tactics benefit both. We’ll track performance and adjust resources as AI search grows.”

Thanks everyone - clear path forward.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between GEO and SEO?
SEO focuses on ranking websites in traditional search engines like Google through keywords, backlinks, and technical optimization. GEO focuses on getting content cited in AI-generated answers through authority, semantic relevance, and entity recognition. SEO drives clicks; GEO drives citations.
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No - GEO is an evolution of SEO, not a replacement. Traditional search still drives significantly more traffic. However, AI search is growing rapidly, and GEO becomes increasingly important. Brands need both strategies working together.
How should I balance GEO and SEO efforts?
Currently, maintain strong SEO foundation while adding GEO optimization. Most GEO tactics complement SEO efforts. Focus 70-80% on SEO fundamentals, 20-30% on GEO-specific tactics. Adjust as AI search traffic grows in your analytics.
Do GEO and SEO have different ranking factors?
Yes - SEO relies heavily on backlinks and keyword optimization. GEO emphasizes brand mentions, entity recognition, and semantic authority. Both value E-E-A-T, quality content, and good structure. About 40% of AI citations come from top 10 Google results.

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