I’m thrilled to sit down with Milena Traikovich, a powerhouse in the world of digital marketing with a sharp focus on Demand Generation. With her extensive background in analytics, performance optimization, and lead generation, Milena has helped countless businesses craft campaigns that attract and nurture high-quality leads. Today, we’re diving into the evolving landscape of search engine optimization (SEO) and the emerging field of generative engine optimization (GEO), exploring how these strategies differ, complement each other, and what marketers need to know to stay ahead in this AI-driven era.
How would you explain the core differences between GEO and SEO to someone just stepping into digital marketing?
Great question! SEO, or search engine optimization, is all about getting your content to rank high on traditional search engines like Google. It’s been around for years and focuses on things like keywords, backlinks, and technical website setup to make sure your pages show up when someone types a query. GEO, or generative engine optimization, is newer and tied to AI tools like ChatGPT. It’s about making your content so clear, credible, and conversational that these AI systems pick it as a source to summarize or quote in their direct answers. While SEO drives clicks to your site, GEO often answers users right there in the chat, without them ever leaving the platform.
What’s your take on how AI tools are reshaping the way people search for information online?
AI tools are flipping the search game upside down. People aren’t just looking for a list of links anymore; they want instant, synthesized answers. Tools like these can understand the intent behind a question and pull from tons of sources to craft a response on the spot. This means users often get what they need without clicking through to a website, which is a huge shift from traditional search behavior. For marketers, it’s a wake-up call—your content might not get traffic in the old-school way, but it can still reach people if it’s part of those AI-generated summaries.
Why do you think GEO is gaining so much traction compared to traditional SEO in today’s digital space?
GEO is taking off because it aligns with how people are using technology now. With so many relying on AI for quick answers—whether it’s for research or buying decisions—being part of those responses is critical. Studies show a big chunk of searches end without a click, so if your content isn’t formatted or credible enough for AI to use, you’re invisible to a huge audience. SEO still matters for driving traffic, but GEO is becoming essential for staying relevant in this zero-click, conversational world.
Can you walk us through how the technology behind GEO differs from what powers SEO?
Absolutely. SEO relies on search engines that use crawlers to scan and index websites, ranking them based on signals like keywords, site speed, and links. It’s a structured, almost predictable process. GEO, on the other hand, is powered by large language models—think massive AI systems trained on endless data from books, articles, and forums. These models don’t just match keywords; they interpret the meaning and context of a question to generate a unique answer. It’s less about ranking and more about being a trusted source for that AI to draw from.
When optimizing content for GEO, why is a conversational tone so important compared to the keyword focus of SEO?
With GEO, you’re writing for how people actually talk or type their questions into AI tools. A conversational tone mirrors that natural dialogue, making it easier for the AI to pull your content as a relevant, human-sounding answer. Stuffing keywords, like we often do for SEO, can make text feel robotic or forced, and AI might skip over it. For SEO, keywords are still king because they help search engines categorize and rank your content. GEO prioritizes clarity and context over density, so it’s about sounding helpful, not just searchable.
How can marketers strike a balance between creating content that works for both GEO’s conversational style and SEO’s technical demands?
It’s about finding the sweet spot. Start by crafting content that answers real questions your audience asks, in a clear, direct way—that’s great for GEO. Structure it with headings or a Q&A format so AI can easily parse it. Then, layer in SEO best practices: use relevant keywords naturally, optimize meta tags, and ensure your site’s technical health with fast loading times and mobile-friendliness. The goal is content that’s both a trusted source for AI summaries and discoverable through traditional search. It’s a dual approach, but totally doable with planning.
How does GEO manage to deliver instant answers compared to SEO’s focus on driving users to websites?
GEO is built for immediacy. It uses AI to understand what a user wants and pulls together info from multiple sources to answer right in the conversation. It’s often a “zero-click” experience—users get what they need without going anywhere. SEO, by contrast, is all about guiding users to a destination. It presents a list of options, optimized for different intents, encouraging clicks to websites for deeper info. GEO solves the query on the spot; SEO gets you to the place where the solution lives.
What practical first step would you recommend for marketers wanting to dive into GEO while still maintaining strong SEO performance?
Start with a content audit. Look at what you’ve got and ask, “Does this answer my audience’s questions clearly and conversationally?” If not, tweak it to be more direct and human-sounding for GEO—think about how you’d explain it to a friend. At the same time, check that it’s still SEO-friendly with proper keywords and technical setup. Focus on pieces that target quick, informational queries for GEO, while keeping deeper, click-worthy content for SEO. It’s about mapping your strategy to user intent and making sure you’re covering both bases.
Looking ahead, what’s your forecast for the future of GEO and SEO in the marketing world?
I see GEO and SEO coexisting, but their roles will keep evolving. GEO will likely dominate for quick, conversational queries as AI tools get smarter and more integrated into daily life. SEO will remain crucial for driving traffic, especially for transactional or in-depth needs where users want to explore a website. The challenge for marketers will be mastering both—creating content that’s authoritative enough for AI to trust and optimized enough to rank. I think we’ll see more hybrid strategies, with tools and metrics emerging to help us measure success across both fields. It’s an exciting time to adapt and experiment!
