What is SEO?
SEO, or search engine optimization, is work on a website's content and technical setup that helps search systems understand its pages and helps people find information they need.
Consider a cafe available for private bookings. A brand story alone cannot tell a potential customer whether it fits their event. Capacity, equipment, pricing conditions and contact details answer that task. The page also needs to be accessible and understandable to search systems.
How does SEO relate to GEO?
SEO concerns a site's presentation in search systems. Generative engine optimization extends the discussion to how generated answers mention and cite information.
Google’s documentation states that established SEO practices also apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode. A special wording pattern or formatting change does not, by itself, guarantee a search position or an AI citation.
Keep the work tied to a reader's question. Then measure the relevant outcome separately: access and indexing, impressions, clicks, mentions or citations. Those observations answer different questions.
Sources and scope
Source-language entry updated 2026-10-22; no separate source-check date is recorded. This adaptation preserves that provenance and does not represent a new audit of the cited pages.