Should You Replace SEO With GEO, or Make Them Work Together for Your Business?

SEO and GEO are different jobs, but both are needed for a local business to get found and recommended by AI tools. SEO builds the website foundation, while GEO builds trust where AI looks. This episode explains how they work together and what steps a business owner can take.

In this episode

• The difference between SEO and GEO for local businesses
• Why SEO alone is not enough for AI recommendations
• How to check if AI tools are naming your business
• Steps to combine SEO and GEO for better results
• Real examples from The Jordan Insurance Agency

Quick answers

Should a business stop doing SEO and focus only on GEO for AI recommendations?

A business should not stop doing SEO. SEO is the foundation for search engines, while GEO builds trust where AI tools look for recommendations. Both are needed and work together for best results.

What is the main difference between SEO and GEO for a local business?

SEO is about making a website show up in regular search results. GEO is about getting a business named by AI tools when people ask for recommendations. Each requires different actions.

How can a business check if GEO work is needed?

A business can ask AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini who they recommend for their service in their city. If the business is not named, GEO work is needed to build trust in AI sources.

Is it possible for a small business owner to handle both SEO and GEO alone?

It depends on available time and resources. Doing both by hand can take close to a full-time effort. Some owners start small by fixing their website and building profiles, then expand as needed.

What changes when a business does both SEO and GEO together?

When both are done, a business can see more inbound calls and higher quality leads. For The Jordan Insurance Agency, owned by the same person as BreakPoint Systems, all calls became inbound after focusing on both.

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Talia: If you had to pick one, would you focus on SEO or GEO for your business right now? Or do you need both?

Billy Jordan Jr.: If you want AI tools to recommend your business, you need both: SEO for search engines, GEO for the AI tools themselves. They’re not the same job, and you can’t skip the first one.

Talia: So, you can’t just swap out one for the other.

Billy Jordan Jr.: No, you need both, and they need to work together.

Talia: Okay. That's the episode. Let's get into it.

Talia: Welcome to The BreakPoint Brief, practical conversations about getting found, earning trust, and putting AI to work in a real business. I'm Talia. My job is to ask the questions a busy business owner would ask, and to not let anybody off the hook. Across the table, as always, is the founder of BreakPoint Systems, Billy Jordan Jr.

Billy Jordan Jr.: Good to be here, Talia.

Talia: Today, we’re talking about SEO versus GEO. That’s search engine optimization and generative engine optimization. Should you be doing both for your business, and how do they fit together?

Talia: Let’s get right to it. What’s the difference between SEO and GEO, and why does it matter for a local business?

Billy Jordan Jr.: SEO is about making sure your website shows up in regular search results—those blue links. GEO is about getting your business named by AI tools, like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini, when people ask for recommendations. Search Engine Roundtable and other outlets have reported that this is now a separate track. The key point: SEO is still the foundation. If you skip it, GEO won’t work.

Talia: So, if you’ve been doing SEO for years, are you halfway there?

Billy Jordan Jr.: You’re on the right path, but only halfway. For example, a roofing company spent years on SEO—good website, reviews, all that. But when someone asked ChatGPT, it didn’t name them. Turns out, their business wasn’t showing up on the sources AI trusts, like industry lists, local news, and forums. That’s where GEO comes in.

Talia: Let me push back. If SEO gets you on page one, why should you care what AI says?

Billy Jordan Jr.: Because more and more people are asking AI tools who to call. BrightLocal found forty-five percent of U.S. consumers have already done it. If you’re not being named there, you’re missing out.

Talia: What’s the biggest mistake you see business owners make here?

Billy Jordan Jr.: Thinking that SEO alone is enough. GEO is about building trust where AI looks, not just where Google looks.

Talia: How do you actually make GEO and SEO work together? What does that look like in practice?

Billy Jordan Jr.: You start with SEO: fast website, clear services, real reviews. Then you add GEO: you find out where AI pulls its answers—could be directories, industry articles, or even podcasts—and you build up your presence there. They feed each other. If your website isn’t solid, AI tools won’t even consider you.

Talia: Is that typical? Do most businesses need to start over on their website?

Billy Jordan Jr.: Not always, but most sites need some work. For example, a law firm had a decent site, but it was slow and didn’t answer basic questions clients were asking AI tools. They fixed the site, then built up profiles on legal directories and got mentioned in local news. That’s when they started getting named by AI.

Talia: So, it’s not just about your own website.

Billy Jordan Jr.: Correct. GEO means you have to show up in the places AI trusts. That could be a podcast, a local magazine, or an industry association site.

Talia: What’s one thing a business owner can check right now?

Billy Jordan Jr.: Ask an AI tool—like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini—who they recommend for your service in your city. If you’re not on that list, you’ve got some GEO work to do.

Talia: What’s the cost, in time and effort? Is this something a small business owner can actually take on, or is it a full-time job?

Billy Jordan Jr.: If you do it by hand, it’s close to a full-time job. For The Jordan Insurance Agency, it took about forty hours a week to keep up. That’s why I built systems for content, publishing, and website upkeep. But you can start small: fix your site, build up the right profiles, then keep at it.

Talia: How long before you see results?

Billy Jordan Jr.: For my agency, real results showed up within sixty to seventy-five days, but that’s early and depends on your market and effort. You can’t just set it and forget it.

Talia: Let me push back again. Is that timeline typical, or should most businesses expect it to take longer?

Billy Jordan Jr.: It varies. Some see traction in a couple of months, others take longer. It depends on how competitive your market is and how much work you put in.

Talia: Give me a real-world example of what changes when you do both.

Billy Jordan Jr.: When The Jordan Insurance Agency stopped buying leads and focused on this, every call became inbound. We saw more calls, and they closed at a higher rate than the leads we used to chase. It’s early, but it’s a different quality of business.

Talia: Okay, Billy. Somebody’s listened this far. What should they do Monday morning?

Billy Jordan Jr.: First, search for your business on Google and see how your website looks and loads. Second, ask ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini who they recommend for your service in your city. Third, check whether you’re being mentioned or listed on industry sites, directories, or local news.

Talia: And if they'd rather run their business?

Billy Jordan Jr.: If you want your business named and recommended by AI tools, BreakPoint Systems sets up your website and builds your presence so both SEO and GEO work together for you. Book a free discovery call at breakpointsystems.com, or start with your free AI visibility report. We'll show you whether AI tools are recommending your business, and your clearest first step.

Talia: That's The BreakPoint Brief. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time.

Talia: The BreakPoint Brief is produced by BreakPoint Systems. The Jordan Insurance Agency and BreakPoint Systems are separate businesses, both owned by Billy Jordan Jr. The results discussed are specific to The Jordan Insurance Agency and don't guarantee results for any business. AI search visibility plans run on a technology partner's platform under its own agreement, and BreakPoint Systems receives compensation when clients sign up. This episode is general information, not legal, financial, or insurance advice.