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How people search today··2 min read

SEO and GEO, where they part

They do not compete and they do not replace each other. They share the foundations and diverge in the goal, and the divergence is where the opportunities are lost.

What they share

A reachable, fast site, with real text rather than pictures of text, and a sensible heading structure. Whoever did technical SEO well has already done this part, and it is a big part. No system can cite what it cannot read.

Where they diverge: the unit of measure

SEO thinks in pages and positions: this page, for this query, at this position. An answering system thinks in statements: this sentence, from this source, is solid enough to put inside. You can rank first on Google and appear in no answer at all, because the top-ranked page contains not one quotable sentence.

You can rank first on Google and appear in no answer at all: the page holds no quotable sentence.

Where they diverge: thin content

SEO tolerates — sometimes rewards — long content circling the topic. An answering system wants the opposite: the short sentence that settles it. Long text is not a problem in itself, as long as it contains clear-cut statements. It is long text without statements that leaves nothing to take.

  • SEO: which page answers this query.
  • GEO: which sentence can be quoted in this answer.
  • Together: a page that answers and that contains quotable sentences.

The mistake seen most often

Adding a block of structured data to content that says nothing, and expecting it to change something. Structured data declares explicitly what the text says: if the text says nothing, it declares nothing in a tidier way.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to choose between the two?

No, and the choice does not arise: the first is the prerequisite of the second. The risk is not choosing badly, it is stopping at the first and thinking it is enough.

Do the same pages work for both?

Often yes, with targeted rewriting. A separate structure is rarely needed, and when it is, it is for content that was not on the site at all.

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