GEO vs SEO: what's the difference?
Mostly none. GEO (generative engine optimization) is the same work as SEO, plus a few listings ChatGPT leans on. Google says so plainly:
"The best practices for SEO remain relevant for AI features in Google Search (such as AI Overviews and AI Mode). There are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, nor other special optimizations necessary." (Google Search Central)
ChatGPT is the one real difference. It draws on different sources than Google: Yelp was cited in 80% of its local answers (BrightLocal, 2026), while Google Business Profile is "hardly used by ChatGPT" (BrightLocal, 2026).
| Work | Helps Google AI answers | Helps ChatGPT | Already part of good SEO? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawlable site, one page per service and area | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business Profile | Yes | A little | Yes |
| Yelp page complete | Some | Yes | Often skipped |
| Bing Places | No | Likely, via Bing search | Often skipped |
| ChatGPT listing claimed (US) | No | Corrects your details; no guaranteed boost | New |
| Tracking AI mentions | Not split out in Search Console | Listing insights, or a question test | New |
So a fair GEO add-on is listing work and a monthly check, not a second retainer the size of your SEO bill.
What's proven
- Your site must be reachable. OpenAI: "To make a website eligible for inclusion, allow OAI-Searchbot to crawl the site" (OpenAI).
- Listings feed ChatGPT. Yelp appeared in 80% of ChatGPT's local answers (BrightLocal, 2026).
- Your website gets cited. Business sites were 42% of all local AI citations (BrightLocal, 2026).
- Page changes can raise visibility, in a lab. The paper that named GEO found it "can boost visibility by up to 40% in generative engine responses" (Aggarwal et al., KDD 2024). That was a research benchmark, not ChatGPT's local answers, and it found results vary by topic.
What isn't
- Guaranteed placement. OpenAI: "Placement is not guaranteed" (OpenAI). Even claiming your ChatGPT listing "doesn’t guarantee increased visibility" (OpenAI).
- Special AI files. For Google, "You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, or markup to appear in these features" (Google Search Central). Be wary of paying for an llms.txt file.
- Paying your way into answers. "Advertising doesn’t influence ChatGPT’s independent answers" (OpenAI).
- A ranking from one screenshot. Repeat ChatGPT answers overlapped only 23% (BrightLocal, 2026). Any "you're now #1 in ChatGPT" claim from a single run proves little.
Do AI search visitors book more?
The evidence is mixed, and the volume is small.
| Study | What it found |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Clarity, 2025: over 1,200 publisher and news sites, one month of conversions | AI visitors signed up at 1.66% vs 0.15% from search, but AI referrals were "less than 1% of overall traffic" (Clarity) |
| Kaiser and Schulze, 2025: 973 online stores, 12 months | Organic ChatGPT traffic "performs worse than all traditional channels—except for social media advertising" on conversion rate and revenue per session, though its conversion rate improved over the year (University of Hamburg) |
| Google, on AI Overviews | Clicks from those pages "are higher quality (meaning, users are more likely to spend more time on the site)" (Google Search Central) |
The two studies measured different things (sign-ups on publisher sites vs sales in online stores), and neither covered local service businesses. First-hand numbers are small but point one way. In October, at an accounting firm we run marketing for, paid ads brought 2,689 visitors and 13 bookings (0.5%); ChatGPT referrals landing on service or About pages brought 10 visitors and 2 bookings. Of its leads to November 11, those sent by ChatGPT answers reached "ready to start" 9 of 9 times, against 6 of 16 from organic search, 2 of 8 from Google ads and 1 of 5 from Meta ads.
"How did you hear about us?": the only way to see AI referrals
Your analytics will undercount AI. Two reasons:
- Google mixes AI answers into normal search data. Sites in AI Overviews and AI Mode "are included in the overall search traffic in Search Console" (Google Search Central).
- Many people never click. OpenAI counts a local mention "even if the customer doesn’t open the listing or visit the website" (OpenAI). They call or search your name later.
So ask. Put "How did you hear about us?" on your booking form and at the start of every first call, with "ChatGPT or another AI assistant" as an option. In the US, also claim your ChatGPT listing to see mentions and clicks over the past 28 days (OpenAI).
What to ask a generative engine optimization agency
| Ask | A good answer | A red flag |
|---|---|---|
| What exactly will you do each month? | Named listings, named pages, a fixed question test | "Proprietary AI signals" |
| How will you measure it? | The same 20 or more questions, asked repeatedly, every month; ChatGPT listing insights | One screenshot |
| Do you guarantee placement? | No | Yes: OpenAI says placement is not guaranteed |
| How is this different from my SEO? | Listings and tracking on top of it | A full second retainer for the same pages |
| Will you add AI files or schema for AI? | Not needed for Google | It's the main deliverable |
Run the 20-question test yourself before you sign. It gives you a baseline the agency can't argue with.
Example
Illustrative cases. The prices and scores are invented for the example, not market rates.
A $2,000-a-month GEO quote on top of $1,500 SEO
The scope: "AI visibility optimization", llms.txt, monthly screenshot report. Most of that is already in the SEO retainer or isn't needed. Better deal: ask the SEO provider to add Yelp, Bing Places and the ChatGPT listing, plus a monthly 20-question test.
A dental practice scoring 2 of 40
The owner runs the test: rivals are named on 15 to 20 of 40 answers, with Yelp in most Sources lists. The fix is listing work and a few treatment pages. A one-time project, then a monthly check.
An HVAC company already named often
It scores 18 of 40, level with its top rival, and 3 of last month's callers said "ChatGPT". Paying more for GEO buys little here. Keep the listings current and keep asking callers.
Different for you?
- You want to measure before you buy: the 20-question test.
- You want to do the work yourself: how to get ChatGPT to recommend your business.
- You care about Google's AI answers most: AI Overviews and AI Mode for local services.
- You're comparing SEO prices: what SEO costs a small business.
- You're deciding who does the work: SEO agency vs freelancer vs in-house vs AI.
- You'd rather have it done and tracked: SEO & GEO Agent.