Everyone is racing to sell you on some fancy new GEO/AEO/LLM approach.
But when you break it down and ask them to describe how the approach differs from SEO, they can’t.
And the answer is simple: while, yes, there are some new things that you can do to increase visibility across LLMs…and LLMs can pull from pages 2,3 or 4 of Google for insights…those are things you should be doing anyways, to every page on your site…it has no bearing or change on your SEO approach.
Just because an LLM can pull information from page 4 and not just page 1 means you are going to…not optimize for page 1…leaving 99% of the traffic on the table?
Of course not.
Don’t take my word for it. Here’s SparkToro’s latest data proving my point:
- 95% of US devices still use traditional search every month
- Traditional search usage actually grew: from 83% of people searching 10x per month → 87% in 2025
- 20% of US devices use AI tools like ChatGPT 10x a month
- Adoption of AI platforms is slowing down
AI isn’t taking over search—it’s simply becoming additive to traditional search. Which is fantastic, that means more touchpoints to get your brand in the spotlight. This is a win-win!
So if you’re shouting “SEO is dead, AI has taken over!”— you’re missing the point entirely.
👉 It’s not a zero-sum game.
👉 There isn’t “one winner” and “one loser.”
👉 That’s like saying email marketing is irrelevant because Instagram exists.
Breaking news: people use multiple platforms to find information, engage with brands, and make buying decisions.
Google is fed up with the conversation, too.
They’ve taken a hard-fast stance on the matter: “Good SEO is good GEO”:
You can watch this specific segment at 29:58 in the video here.
Tactical takeaways for marketers:
- Double down on SEO—it’s not shrinking, it’s evolving. Your customers are still searching with traditional SEO, and doing good SEO sets you up for AI visibility, too.
- Experiment with AI and discovery platforms, but don’t over-rotate your entire strategy and lose page 1 Google ranking where the vast majority of searches still happen.
- Meet your audience where they are (plural)—Google, YouTube, ChatGPT, TikTok, newsletters, you name it.
- Diversification and BRAND building is the moat. Mentions, links, features, content at all stages.
The future isn’t “AI vs. SEO.”
It’s AI and SEO.
-Jeremy
