The short answer
SEO aims to get pages shown and clicked in search results. GEO aims to get AI to mention your brand accurately when it composes an answer. One is measured in rankings and clicks, the other in mentions and accuracy.
The shared foundation
Both depend on a crawlable site, clear structure, credible content and consistent brand facts. Weak foundations undermine both.
The main differences
SEO leans on keywords, pages and links. GEO leans on whether facts are clear, whether passages can be quoted directly, and whether sources describe you consistently.
Which comes first
Most companies should fix SEO technical foundations first, then add GEO brand facts and answer content. Running both together is the cheapest and steadiest route.
How to measure
SEO uses Search Console impressions and clicks. GEO re-tests a fixed question set monthly, recording mention, accuracy and whether a link is shown.
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