Where should you start with SEO and GEO?
Check page accessibility, answer your readers' questions, and track Google and AI results separately.
SEO helps search engines find and understand your website. GEO looks at how your brand and content appear in generative AI answers. Success is measured differently in each, but both begin with an accessible page that answers a reader's question well.
Start with a single page. What does a visitor want to learn? Can they find that information easily? These questions help identify which technical issue to fix or which content to add.
Check that the page is accessible.
Google says the same SEO fundamentals apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode. You do not need a special AI file or a separate structured data type. Meeting technical requirements and being indexable, however, does not guarantee inclusion.
First check for barriers to accessing the page. Make sure important information is available as text and that related pages link to it. This keeps technical gaps in view while you work on content.
Help readers make a choice.
Consider a search for a project management tool for teams. Listing features on your comparison page may not be enough. Readers may also want to know which team sizes the tool suits, what setup involves and how pricing changes.
Bring these answers together in a comparison table. Explain your first-hand experience and any limitations you can verify. Cite external information and help readers evaluate their options.
Track Google and AI results separately.
Record the date and source of each check. Compare page impressions and clicks in Google across comparable periods. For AI answers, note the platform, question, date and the URL of any cited page.
A brand mention and a link to your website are different outcomes. One positive answer does not establish an increase in overall visibility. Repeat the same checks and evaluate each platform separately.
Start with a small change and track the result.
Address one specific gap on a page, such as completing a comparison table, and record the date. Then track rankings, clicks and links in AI answers. If you see growth, consider seasonality and other changes made during the same period.
Google's people-first content guidance emphasizes original information and usefulness to readers. It can guide improvements, but cannot guarantee a ranking or inclusion in an AI answer.
This guide was prepared with AI assistance using official sources. Examples are not customer results and do not promise performance improvements.