SEO vs. GEO: What Google Just Confirmed and What We're Doing About it

For the last year, marketers have been trying to figure out what to call the next era of SEO.

Is it now GEO?

What the heck is AEO?

Is it all AI Search Optimization?

According to Google’s latest guidance, the answer is surprisingly simple: it is still SEO.

Google recently published a new resource through Google Search Central about optimizing websites for generative AI features in Google Search, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. The biggest takeaway is that Google does not see “GEO” as a completely separate strategy from SEO. Instead, Google says its generative AI features are built on the same core Search ranking and quality systems that have always powered Google Search.

In other words, if your website is already built on strong SEO fundamentals, you are already working toward better visibility in AI-powered search experiences.

This is exactly why we recently expanded our own website with more service content, deeper industry pages, and a dedicated case studies section. Not because we are trying to “game” AI search, but because we want Google, AI-powered search tools, and real people to better understand what we do, who we do it for, and the results behind our work.

That is the heart of modern SEO.

So, What Is GEO?

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. You may also hear the term AEO, which stands for Answer Engine Optimization. These terms are being used to describe strategies focused on showing up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT-style responses, and other generative search experiences.

The problem is that many people are treating GEO like it requires an entirely new playbook.

Google is saying it does not.

From Google’s perspective, optimizing for generative AI search is still optimizing for the search experience. The format of search is changing, but the foundation is the same: helpful content, strong technical structure, clear information, trustworthy signals, and a website that real people actually want to use.

What This Means for Business Owners

This is good news for small and mid-sized businesses because it means you do not need to chase every new AI search trend.

No, you do not need to panic-create hundreds of AI-focused pages.

No, you do not need to rewrite your entire website for robots.

No, you do not need to add special AI content just because someone online said you should.

What you do need is a website that clearly explains who you are, what you do, where you do it, why you are credible, and how you help your customers.

That has always been good SEO. Now, it is also good GEO.

How We Are Applying This to Our Own Website

We recently took our own advice and started making the DOMORRE website more useful, specific, and proof-driven.

Instead of relying on a few broad service pages, we added more detailed content that better explains our work across strategy, creative, digital marketing, industry-specific marketing, and fractional CMO support.

We also added a case studies section because results matter. It is one thing to say you offer marketing strategy, website design, digital ads, or brand development. It is much stronger to show how that work has helped real clients solve real business problems.

This is exactly the kind of content Google is encouraging businesses to create: content that is valuable, unique, and not interchangeable with every other website in your industry.

A generic marketing agency page can only say so much.

A page that explains how we helped a grocery client strengthen loyalty marketing, or how we helped an e-commerce brand rebuild its digital presence, or how we helped a nonprofit clarify its message and launch with purpose gives search engines and people more to work with.

That is where SEO and GEO meet.

The Best Easy Tips for SEO and GEO

1. Add Real Case Studies (Like We Did!)

Case studies are one of the easiest ways to strengthen both traditional SEO and AI-powered search visibility.

Why? Because they naturally include specifics.

They usually include:

• The client or industry

• The challenge

• The strategy

• The services provided

• The results

• The proof behind your expertise

For DOMORRE Marketing, adding case studies helps our website tell a deeper story. It gives Google more context about the types of clients we work with, the industries we serve, and the problems we solve. It also gives potential clients a clearer reason to trust us.

For any business, a case study does not need to be overly complicated. Start with a simple structure:

The client had this problem.
We did this work.
This changed as a result.

That alone is better than another generic service paragraph.

2. Expand Thin Service Pages

If your website only has one short paragraph for each service, it may not be giving Google or your customers enough information.

For example, a page that simply says “We offer digital marketing” is not nearly as helpful as a page that explains:

• What kind of digital marketing you offer

• Who it is for

• What platforms you manage

• What problems it solves

• How your process works

• What makes your approach different

• What questions clients usually ask before starting

This is why we have been adding more content to our own site. Not fluff. Not filler. Useful explanations that help people understand what we actually do.

More content is not automatically better. Better content is better.

3. Answer the Questions People Are Already Asking

AI search is built around more specific, conversational questions.

People are no longer only searching phrases like “marketing agency Massachusetts.” They are asking things like:

“Do I need a fractional CMO or a marketing agency?”

“How much should a small business spend on digital ads?”

“What kind of marketing support does a grocery store need?”

“How can a nonprofit improve visibility without a huge marketing budget?”

These are the kinds of questions your website should answer.

A great place to start is with the questions your clients already ask during sales calls, onboarding meetings, emails, and proposals. If one person is asking, others are probably searching.

This blog post is an example. We are writing about SEO vs. GEO because our clients are hearing new terms, seeing AI change search results, and wondering what they should actually do next.

4. Make Your Content More Specific to Your Business

Google specifically calls out the importance of valuable, unique, personal content.

That means your website should not sound like it could belong to anyone.

For us, that means talking about the actual industries we support, including grocery, nonprofit, cannabis, education, e-commerce, real estate, municipal work, and more. It also means showing the actual types of work we do: fractional CMO strategy, brand development, digital advertising, website design, content strategy, public relations, and campaign execution.

For another business, specificity may look different.

A contractor might add pages about the types of homes they work on.

A retailer might create pages around product categories, seasonal promotions, or local shopping habits.

A nonprofit might share impact stories, board leadership, program outcomes, and donor FAQs.

The goal is the same: make your website more useful, more accurate, and more reflective of your real-world expertise.

5. Keep Local and Business Information Updated

For local businesses, the basics still matter.

Google’s guidance specifically mentions local business information and Google Business Profiles. If your hours, services, locations, products, or contact details are inconsistent online, that can weaken both your traditional search visibility and your AI search visibility.

Easy updates to make:

• Update your Google Business Profile.

• Make sure your name, address, and phone number are consistent.

• Add current services and products.

• Upload strong photos.

• Keep your website location pages updated.

• Make sure your social profiles and directory listings match your website.

AI search pulls from the broader web, so consistency matters.

6. Use Images and Video When They Add Value

Google also noted that images and videos can create more opportunities for visibility in traditional and AI-powered search experiences.

This is another area where businesses can make simple improvements.

Add photos of your team, your work, your products, your process, your events, or your space. Add short videos that explain what you do, answer common questions, or show the experience of working with you.

For us, this could include project photography, behind-the-scenes campaign work, client results, team content, and creative examples. For other businesses, it might be before-and-after images, product demos, event recaps, service walkthroughs, or customer education videos.

The key is relevance. Do not add media just to add media. Add it when it makes the page more helpful. And, stay away from generic stock images if you can.

7. Stop Chasing “AI Hacks”

Google directly addressed several common GEO and AEO myths.

You do not need to break all of your content into tiny “chunks” for AI.

You do not need to rewrite every page in a robotic Q&A format.

You do not need fake mentions across the internet.

In fact, Google warns against tactics designed to manipulate rankings or generative AI responses. The safer and smarter strategy is to create genuinely useful content that reflects real experience, expertise, and trust.

Are We Calling It SEO or GEO?

For now, we recommend calling it SEO, with room to explain the AI search layer when needed.

GEO and AEO are useful terms because people are starting to search for them. But they should not replace SEO entirely. SEO is still the foundation. GEO is part of the evolution.

We will likely continue using SEO as the main term, while also talking about AI search visibility, GEO, and AEO when it helps clients understand the bigger picture.

Create Useful Content

Google’s latest guidance confirms that the future of search is not about abandoning SEO. It is about doing SEO better.

The businesses that will win in both traditional search and AI-powered search are the ones that create useful content, answer real questions, keep their websites technically sound, maintain accurate business information, and show clear proof of experience.

That is why we are applying the same strategy to our own website.

We are adding more content.

We are building out industry pages.

We are publishing case studies.

We are answering the questions our clients are already asking.

And we are making sure our website does a better job explaining what we do, who we help, and why it matters.

So, yes, search is changing.

But the core strategy is not as complicated as some people are making it sound.

Good SEO is good GEO.