GEO and SEO: Smart Ways to Spend Your Time and Budget

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is getting lots of attention lately, but SEO is still super important. Let’s talk about how to use your time and money wisely to focus on what matters right now while getting ready for what’s coming next.

What’s All This GEO Talk About?

Everyone’s buzzing about Generative Engine Optimization – it’s the new thing everyone wants to understand. SEO pros and business owners keep asking: “How much should I invest in this new stuff when my boss is already questioning every dollar we spend on marketing?”

It’s 2025, and with all these AI tools around us, that’s actually a pretty tough question to answer. At Aone Web Expert, we help businesses navigate exactly these kinds of decisions every day.

How AI Tools Actually Work Behind the Scenes

Here’s something most people don’t know: AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini have a big problem – they can’t stay up to date on their own.

Think of it this way – these AI systems learned everything they know from data that stops at a certain date. For example, GPT-5 only knows stuff up to September 30, 2024. After that date? It’s clueless about what happened in the world.

Updating this training data costs a fortune and creates all sorts of legal headaches with copyright issues. So what do these AI companies do instead?

They cheat a little. When you ask ChatGPT something current, it actually searches the web (using Bing) to find fresh information. Google’s Gemini does the same thing with Google search results.

What does this mean for your business? Simple – you still need to focus on regular SEO first. Here’s why:

• Out of 80 million ChatGPT questions studied, about 46% made the AI search the web for answers
• Nearly 90% of the sources ChatGPT mentions come from the top 20 search results on Bing

The bottom line? If your website doesn’t show up in regular search results, it probably won’t show up in AI-generated answers either.

Planning for the Future (Without Going Crazy)

Smart business owners need to think ahead. We’re probably heading toward a world where AI-powered search becomes the main way people find information and make purchases.

When that happens, your website might work more like a data source that feeds information to AI systems rather than a place people visit directly.

This means two things become super important:

1. Making sure search engines really understand what your business does
2. Building a strong, recognizable brand that gets mentioned across the web

Companies like Aone Web Expert are already helping businesses prepare for this shift by strengthening both their technical setup and brand presence.

These changes take time and usually require different departments to work together (which isn’t always easy). So start planning now, but don’t panic.

The Technical Stuff You Need to Handle

Schema Markup (The Code That Explains Your Website)

Now, this gets a bit controversial. AI systems don’t directly read schema markup when they’re learning, but it still matters.

Think of schema markup as a way to help Google and Bing really understand:

• What your website is about
• How different pages connect to each other
• What products or services you offer

This helps build recognition for your brand, which should help you show up more in search results.

Write Clear, Technical Descriptions

On important pages like product categories or service listings, write clear, direct descriptions that spell out exactly what you offer.

Instead of saying “We offer various stationery items,” try: “Our stationery includes 5 A5 dotted journals, 2 blank notebooks, 25 animal stickers, 4 funny phrase stickers (all waterproof vinyl), and 1 custom lapel pin.”

See how specific that is? AI systems love this kind of clear, detailed information.

Clean Up Your XML Sitemaps

This is like spring cleaning for your website. Your XML sitemap should be perfect:

• No broken links (404 errors)
• No redirects (301s)
• Maximum 5,000 URLs per sitemap
• All the recommended information filled in

This is one of the most direct ways for search engines and AI systems to understand the full scope of your website.

Fix JavaScript Issues

Here’s something technical but important: AI systems usually only read the basic HTML of your website. They don’t run JavaScript code.

Make sure your website works properly even without JavaScript. This has always been good practice, but it’s becoming more important for AI visibility.

Deal with Technical Debt

Every website accumulates “technical debt” over time – old code, unused files, outdated scripts. Now’s a good time to clean house:

• Remove old, unused code
• Update outdated scripts
• Fix performance issues
• Make sure everything loads quickly

Fast, clean websites perform better in search results and work better for AI systems too.

Building Your Brand for the AI Age

Brand building is becoming more important than ever. Here’s what you should focus on:

Create Consistent Brand Descriptions

Write a clear description of what your company does and use it everywhere – your website, social media, business directories, everywhere.

Beef Up Your About Page

Your About page should tell the complete story:

• When your company started and why
• Who’s in charge and their backgrounds
• What makes you different from competitors
• Any awards or recognition you’ve received
• Customer testimonials
• How to contact you

Get Press Mentions

Work on getting your company mentioned in news articles, industry publications, and other websites. These mentions help AI systems understand that you’re a legitimate, important business in your field.

At Aone Web Expert, we’ve seen how consistent press outreach and brand building efforts pay off in both traditional search results and AI-generated responses.

Claim Your Online Profiles

• Set up and optimize your Google Business Profile if you’re a local business
• Monitor for a Google Knowledge Panel and claim it when available
• Consider working toward getting a Wikipedia page (once you’re notable enough)

How to Split Your Time and Budget

Here’s the key takeaway: keep spending most of your time and money on traditional SEO, while dedicating a smaller chunk (maybe 20%) to preparing for the AI future.

Focus on those small improvements you’ve been putting off:

• Fix your website’s heading structure to make sense
• Clean up internal links so they go directly to pages instead of through redirects
• Organize your XML sitemap properly
• Remove old, unused files that slow down your site

Think of this as spring cleaning that helps both regular search engines and AI systems understand your website better.

Start Small and Build Up

Don’t try to revolutionize everything at once. Instead:

1. Start with conversations – talk to your team about these changes
2. Try small test projects to see what works
3. Gradually implement bigger changes as you learn

This approach won’t hurt your current performance and builds support for bigger optimizations later.

The Smart Move for 2025

Going all-in on AI optimization isn’t the best use of your resources right now. Instead, treat it as bonus work that makes your technical foundation stronger while getting you ready for an AI-dominated future.

The businesses that win will be those that master the basics of SEO while gradually preparing for what’s next. Companies like Aone Web Expert can help you create this balanced approach, ensuring you don’t fall behind in regular search while building for the future.

Remember: AI is evolving fast, but the fundamentals of good SEO – clear content, fast websites, strong brands – remain just as important as ever. Master those first, then layer on the AI preparation work.