What is the difference between GEO, SGE and SEO?

Search is evolving at a rapid pace, and businesses need to stay ahead of the curve to maintain their online visibility. Traditional Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has long been the foundation of digital marketing, but new developments like AI Overviews (formerly known as Search Generative Experience, or SGE) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) are reshaping how search engines function and how businesses can optimise their content.

Below, we explore what AI Overviews and GEO are, how they work, and how they integrate with SEO to form a comprehensive search strategy.

What is Search Generative Experience?

Although still a commonly used term, ‘Search Generative Experience’ is now actually out of date. This is because SGE was replaced by Google’s AI Overviews and other features earlier this year. With this in mind, explaining what SGE means is to actually explain what AI Overviews is.

Put simply, AI Overviews is Google’s latest AI-driven search feature, designed to provide users with summarised, AI-generated responses directly in search results. This feature has evolved beyond the Search Labs experiment and is now a core part of Google Search. The idea is a simple one – rather than simply listing web pages based on ranking factors, AI Overviews generates detailed responses using AI, often pulling information from multiple sources to create a comprehensive answer. The goal is to improve search efficiency by reducing the need for users to click through multiple links to find the information they need.

How to optimise for AI Overviews?

Since AI Overviews is still a relatively new feature, best practices for optimisation are still evolving. Unlike traditional SEO, where ranking factors are well-documented, optimisation for AI-generated summaries remains somewhat experimental. However, early observations suggest that certain strategies can improve the chances of your content being featured.

While Google has not explicitly outlined how it selects sources for AI Overviews, it appears to favour authoritative, well-structured, and contextually relevant content. By following the strategies below, businesses can improve their chances of being included in AI-generated responses:

• Create authoritative, well-structured content – Google prioritises reliable and expert sources, so focus on high-quality, factual content.
• Use conversational and natural language – AI models favour content that mimics human communication. Answer questions directly and concisely.
• Implement structured data and schema markup – These help Google understand your content better, increasing the chances of being featured in AI-generated responses.
• Optimise for long-tail and question-based queries – Since AI Overviews often respond to natural language searches, targeting question-based keywords and producing more user focused content can improve visibility.
• Improve E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) – Google’s AI assesses content based on these principles, so ensure your site demonstrates expertise in your industry.

What is GEO?

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the practice of optimising content for AI-driven search engines and chat-based search experiences. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking web pages within standard search results, GEO ensures that AI models understand and prioritise your content in generative responses.

With the rise of AI-powered search features like AI Overviews and Bing’s AI chat, GEO is becoming increasingly important. Instead of relying solely on traditional ranking signals, search engines now use machine learning models to extract and synthesise information from various sources. GEO aims to align your content with these new AI-driven ranking factors.

How does Generative Engine Optimisation work?

Unlike traditional SEO, where ranking factors have been refined over time, GEO is even more fluid – what works today might need to be adjusted tomorrow.

Since AI models don’t rely solely on keyword-based indexing, but rather on understanding context, relationships, and meaning, optimising for AI-driven search requires a shift in strategy. Instead of just aiming for higher rankings, the focus is on making content easier for AI to interpret, summarise, and present in conversational-style search responses.

Although there’s still some trial and error involved, early insights suggest the following techniques can help businesses improve their visibility in AI-generated search results:

• Content structuring for AI consumption – AI tools pull data from structured, well-formatted content. Using bullet points, tables, and FAQs can help make your content more accessible to AI models.
• Conversational keyword targeting – GEO focuses on optimising for AI-generated responses, which often mimic human conversation. Targeting natural, question-based queries is key.
• Enhancing semantic relevance – AI-driven search engines use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand meaning rather than just keywords. Writing in a way that reflects user intent is crucial.
• Entity-based optimisation – Rather than focusing solely on keywords, GEO considers how your content connects with recognised entities (such as brands, people, and concepts) within Google’s Knowledge Graph.
• AI-assisted content creation – Leveraging AI-powered tools to generate or refine content can improve alignment with AI search models. However, ensuring human oversight is still essential for quality and accuracy.

It’s still early days, that’s for sure, however as AI search technology advances, businesses that proactively adapt their content strategies will be in the best position to remain visible and relevant in a landscape where AI plays an increasingly central role in search. But what does this all mean when it comes to adapting your existing digital marketing strategies?

How does GEO integrate with SEO?

Well, while SEO and GEO have distinct focuses, they are not mutually exclusive. In fact, integrating both strategies can enhance your overall digital marketing efforts. Here’s how they work together:

• Content quality remains central – Both SEO and GEO prioritise well-researched, authoritative content. The key difference is that GEO emphasises AI-readability alongside traditional ranking factors.
• Technical SEO supports GEO efforts – Page speed, mobile optimisation, and structured data not only help with traditional rankings but also improve how AI processes your content.
• Link building and authority building still matter – While AI-driven search engines synthesise information differently, authoritative sites still have a higher chance of being referenced in AI-generated answers.
• User experience (UX) is crucial – A well-structured, easy-to-navigate site benefits both SEO and GEO by improving crawlability and content accessibility for AI models.

Search is changing, and with AI Overviews and Generative Engine Optimisation reshaping how content is surfaced, businesses need to adapt with it. While traditional SEO remains crucial, optimising for AI-driven search will help ensure your content continues to reach the right audience. Ultimately, as search evolves, a hybrid approach that combines SEO and GEO will yield the best results.

At Click Consult, we stay ahead of these trends, helping businesses navigate the evolving search landscape. Our team of experts can refine your SEO strategy, implement GEO best practices, and ensure your content is ready for AI-powered search.