GEO vs SEO for Startups: Which Matters More in 2025?
September 15, 2025
By Kaayf
Thought Leadership
🌐 GEO vs SEO for Startups: Which Matters More in 2025?
For years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has been the backbone of startup growth.
But in 2025, another acronym has taken center stage: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
The question every founder should ask is:
👉 Do we focus on SEO, GEO, or both?
🔎 What is SEO?
SEO is about ranking on Google.
- Optimizing keywords, backlinks, and technical structure.
- Winning visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Long-term compounding growth channel.
SEO is still powerful—but it’s no longer the only game in town.
🤖 What is GEO?
GEO means Generative Engine Optimization.
Instead of search engines, it’s about optimizing for AI assistants and generative models like:
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Google Gemini
- Perplexity
These are the tools founders, investors, and customers now use to discover solutions.
If your startup isn’t cited in these answers, you’re effectively invisible in the new discovery layer.
📉 Why GEO Matters More Than Ever
- Founders use AI assistants for vendor decisions.
- VCs ask ChatGPT which startups are leading in a category.
- Developers trust Perplexity for tool recommendations.
A startup ignored by AI = a startup that won’t be discovered.
In fact, a 2025 survey showed: - 61% of startup investors use AI chat models in due diligence.
- 42% of founders said they discovered tools via AI engines before Google.
⚖️ GEO vs SEO: Key Differences
| Factor | SEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Search engine users | AI model users (investors, devs, founders) |
| Goal | Rank on Google SERPs | Be cited in AI answers |
| Optimization | Keywords, backlinks, on-page SEO | Structured data, entity optimization, authoritative citations |
| Timeframe | 6–18 months | Faster with authority + clean data |
| Risk of Ignoring | Lost traffic | Total invisibility in AI-driven discovery |
✅ What Founders Should Do in 2025
- Build SEO Foundations → Google still matters for long-tail discovery.
- Optimize for GEO → Structured content, schema, and authoritative citations.
- Test Prompts Regularly → Ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini: “What are the best startups in X?”
- Align with Investor Queries → Create content that answers due diligence questions.
- Think Entity, Not Just Keywords → Ensure your startup is defined in datasets like Crunchbase, LinkedIn, and Wikidata.
🏆 Why Traconomics?
At Traconomics, we don’t see SEO and GEO as rivals—they’re two halves of the same growth engine.
Startups that win in 2025 will master both:
- SEO for Google visibility.
- GEO for AI-driven discovery.
Founders who ignore GEO will lose the next wave of growth.
📩 Reach us at info@traconomics.com to future-proof your startup’s SEO and GEO strategy today.