If you’ve spent more than five minutes on LinkedIn lately, you’ll have seen it:
GEO is the future. SEO is dead. You must optimise for ChatGPT immediately.
And honestly? It’s starting to feel a bit like renovating your kitchen because you saw a nice one on TikTok. All while the boiler’s broken and the roof’s leaking.
Yes, AI is exciting. Yes, it’s changing how people discover information. But before small businesses rip up their SEO playbook and start chasing new acronyms, it’s worth listening to what Google quietly (and sensibly) said on the matter.
First things first: what is GEO?
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation. It’s the idea of optimising your content so AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity mention your brand in their answers.
On paper, it sounds clever. After all, if people are asking AI questions instead of Googling, surely that’s where you want to be?
Well… maybe. But not blindly.
Google’s take: calm down and check your numbers
Google’s Search Advocate, John Mueller, recently weighed in on the whole SEO vs GEO debate. And his response was refreshingly grounded.
His message wasn’t “ignore AI” or “GEO is pointless”. Instead, he said businesses should look at the full picture and prioritise based on how people actually find them.
In other words, it doesn’t matter what you call it (SEO, GEO, AI optimisation), what matters is where your audience really is.
Mueller also pointed out something many businesses forget to do: check their own data. What percentage of your customers use AI tools? How many still use Google? Facebook? Instagram?
Because trends on X don’t pay invoices. Customers do.
The TikTok kitchen problem
Let’s go back to that kitchen metaphor.
Imagine your kitchen works perfectly fine. It’s not fancy, but it does the job. Then you see a viral TikTok showing a marble island, gold taps and mood lighting. Suddenly, you’re pricing up a £20k renovation.
Meanwhile:
- The boiler barely turns on
- The roof drips when it rains
- The front door doesn’t lock properly
That’s what chasing GEO too early looks like for many small businesses. They’re obsessing over being mentioned by ChatGPT while:
- Their website barely ranks on Google
- Their service pages don’t convert
- Their internal links are a mess
It’s not that the kitchen trend is bad. It’s just not the priority.
Where is your traffic actually coming from?
For most small businesses, traffic still comes from:
- Google search
- Direct visits
- Social media
- Traditional referrals
AI referrals? They exist, but they’re tiny.
Current data suggests AI tools drive well under 1% of total traffic for the average website. That’s growing, sure. But it’s hardly a reason to overhaul your entire strategy.
If 80–90% of your leads come from Google, spending most of your time optimising for ChatGPT is like opening a shop in an alleyway while ignoring the busy high street.
Is GEO useless then?
Not at all.
AI visibility can help with brand awareness and trust. Being mentioned in an AI answer is a bit like someone recommending you in a group chat, even if they don’t drop your link.
And for certain businesses (research-heavy sites, early adopters, national brands), GEO may already be worth exploring.
But for most small businesses? It’s a bonus, not the foundation.
Here’s the good news: SEO still does the heavy lifting
The funny thing is, good SEO already sets you up for AI visibility.
We’re talking about clear content, helpful answers, solid site structure and internal links (which are like little votes of confidence from one page to another). This is exactly the kind of content AI tools rely on.
So, when you improve your SEO, you’re not choosing between SEO or GEO.
You’re quietly covering both.
Should you optimise for ChatGPT?
Ask yourself three simple questions:
- Are you seeing AI referrals in your analytics?
- Is your audience actually using AI tools to find businesses like yours?
- Are your SEO basics already nailed?
If the answer is “no” to most of those, your time is better spent strengthening your SEO, not rebranding your strategy with a new acronym.
AI isn’t a fad. It’s not going anywhere. But neither is Google.
Don’t rebuild the house because the internet discovered a new buzzword. Fix what’s proven to work, then layer new opportunities on top when the numbers justify it.
Because marketing isn’t about being trendy. It’s about being found.
Ready to focus on what actually drives traffic?
At Wrise, we help small businesses grow with SEO that delivers real results, not just buzzwords.
Our SEO services start from £99/month, with no contracts, no setup fees and a free SEO review to show you where the real opportunities are.
If you’d rather rank on Google than chase the latest shiny object, let’s talk.
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