A new year inevitably brings with it a fresh wave of “Is SEO dead?” debates. This year’s culprit? The rise of large language models (LLMs) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). As usual, the reality is more nuanced. While SEO is being fundamentally reshaped by LLMs and AI-driven search experiences, that doesn’t necessarily mean it no longer matters.
Is GEO its own entity or simply the next stage in SEO’s evolution? It’s too early to say, but what is clear is search behaviours and technologies are shifting, with generative systems transforming how information is discovered and summarised. From students to shoppers, the steps we take to make informed decisions have changed, but have the fundamentals that underpin them?
From integration with GEO to user preferences, let’s explore why SEO is still an essential piece of the digital marketing puzzle.
SEO vs GEO: What’s the difference?
SEO focuses on improving a website’s visibility in traditional search engine results pages. It brings together content quality, technical performance, site structure and authority to help search engines understand and rank pages appropriately.
GEO, on the other hand, is about preparing content to be accurately interpreted, referenced and surfaced within AI-generated answers on tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
The similarities between SEO and GEO:
- Both aim to satisfy user intent with relevant, useful answers informed by high-quality, well-structured content
- Both prioritise clarity, context and relevance over keyword volume
- Both depend on trust signals such as authority, credibility and E-E-A-T
- Both rely on strong technical foundations to ensure crawlability
- Both require ongoing optimisation as platforms and behaviours evolve
The differences between SEO and GEO:
- SEO focuses on ranking pages in search results, while GEO focuses on being referenced or cited within AI-generated answers
- SEO success is measured through rankings, traffic and conversions, whereas research shows GEO visibility is often about inclusion and influence
- SEO is driven by search engine algorithms, while GEO is shaped by how large language models summarise and synthesise information
- SEO typically drives users to websites, while GEO may deliver answers without a click (the zero-click search environment brought about by AI Overviews and ChatGPT conversations, which expand on search results without the need to click through to a site)
- GEO prioritises extractable, context-rich content blocks and summaries rather than overall page performance
Why SEO still matters in 2026
There’s no denying the last few years have seen a significant surge in excitement around adoption of AI tools. Some experts suggest a negative impact on SEO, with analyst firm Gartner predicting a 50% decrease in organic traffic by 2028, largely influenced by AI generated answers.
The truth is, again, likely more complicated. While search behaviour is becoming more fragmented, SEO still plays a critical role in how brands are discovered, trusted and referenced across both traditional and AI-driven experiences in 2026. Let’s explore why.
SEO and GEO work hand-in-hand
While GEO is an exciting and enticing practice, it is also a developing one, one built off the back of SEO.
GEO does not operate in isolation. Results to prompts may seem to appear out of thin air, but they are actually the result of complex generative systems that rely heavily on content that already exists, ranks and is indexed by search engines.
If search engines aren’t ranking your pages, generative systems will be limited in ways to reference you in the first place. GEO relies on SEO essentials of appearing in traditional rankings, securing references on high authority sites and making your presence felt across SERP features. To perform well on LLMs you need to own your brand conversation, prove trustworthiness and have something to say – sound familiar?
GEO influences how conversations around your brand and industry are summarised and shared, but it’s SEO that gets brands into the conversation in the first place.
LLMs crawl Google for up-to-date knowledge
Large language models don’t generate answers in isolation. They draw on current search results, historic website/brand authority and relevance to the question to ground their response – all of which are underpinned by SEO fundamentals.
Though LLMs are trained on vast datasets, live search integration ensures that SEO signals such as strong content structure, relevance and credibility continue to influence how and when a page is featured. AI tools are built to provide high quality, informed answers, and using the world’s most popular sources of information are key in that.
Optimising for search engines provides LLMs with the crucial insight it wants, particularly when answering queries with local and trusted suggestions.
Users will always want valuable content
Whether a user is typing a query into Google or asking their AI assistant for help, the goal is the same – give them useful, reliable information.
While an increase in AI “hallucinations” has cast doubt over the legitimacy of LLM responses, it is largely true that well performing content tends to share common traits. It is relevant, accurate, easy to digest and clearly structured. This content prioritises author expertise, referenced sources and an understanding of how modern users digest information. While you might need to make your blogs skimmable and integrate video assets, quality will always be the most important factor.
This is why content quality remains central to organic performance. Without genuinely useful content, neither search engines nor generative platforms have a reason to surface it.
SEO is about much more than keyword rankings
Modern SEO is much more than a keyword checklist. Ranking on search engines relies on finding the most relevant pieces of a broad discipline and interpreting how Google, Bing, etc put trust in a website. Keywords are just a small piece of this puzzle.
In 2026, effective SEO involves:
- Robust technical health checks
- Ensuring a positive, easy and fast user experience
- Defining a clear site architecture
- Clear signs of E-E-A-T
These same factors influence whether content is suitable for use in AI-generated answers. Though keywords may not play a major role in whether ChatGPT decides to site your business, adjacent SEO essentials do.
Users are still using search engines
Think about how you and the people you know search. Do they all use ChatGPT and Gemini for every single question? Do they exclusively rely on Google AI Overviews? Chances are, they don’t. Despite rapid adoption of AI tools, search engines remain deeply embedded in our search practices, a crucial part of how we find and verify information.
Though click-through-rates may be down, the majority of users still turn to Google, etc for research-led, high-intent and local searches. This is particularly true when trust, comparison and validation matter. People are still using search engines every single day – 82% of adults in the UK, in fact. And when they do click, that’s often a sign they’re further along in the decision-making process.
Key Takeaways:
- SEO and GEO work hand-in-hand: Both SEO and GEO aim to satisfy user intent and get relevant information in front of the user
- Users are still turning to search engines: Search engines remain a crucial part of how people research, compare and validate information, particularly for high-intent, local and trust-led queries
- LLMs crawl Google for up-to-date knowledge: Generative engines are heavily reliant on how content is indexed and validated by search engines, meaning well-optimised, authoritative SEO content is more likely to be discovered and prioritised by AI systems
- SEO is about more than keyword rankings: While keywords play a role, modern SEO focuses on technical health, content quality, structure and trust signals – all of which influence whether content is extracted into AI-generated answers
- E-E-A-T is critical for SEO and GEO success: Demonstrating experience, expertise, authority and trust helps both search engines and generative models determine whether sources are credible enough to rank, reference or cite in responses
- Optimisation is a never ending process: SEO has always been a moving target. As search behaviour, algorithms and AI models continue to evolve, ongoing optimisation informed by algorithm changes is essential to maintain visibility
- Will GEO replace SEO?: No, not yet at least. Search engines are integral to how LLMs provide answers to their queries
Find the balance between SEO and GEO with Loom
Here at Loom, we understand optimising for both SEO and GEO is an ongoing process, one the marketing world is still working to decipher. What’s important to remember is how the two work hand in hand – while GEO makes your brand part of the answer, SEO is the grounding that makes your site visible.
Our expert SEO and Content teams can help optimise your pages and create compelling blogs with AI, search engines and (most importantly) users in mind. To get started building a strategy for your business, contact us today.
