GEO vs SEO: Do Old Tactics Survive When AI Picks the Results?

AI search has officially entered the chat.

In 2025, something wild happened for the first time in nearly twenty years: AI-powered search engines started competing head-to-head with traditional search engines. In the US alone, around 13 million people now rely on generative platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini for answers. Predictions suggest that by 2027, that number could jump to 90 million—with Gen Z leading the trust shift.

This brings us to the question every business is whispering:

Are traditional SEO practices obsolete?

Here’s the honest answer: don’t panic. SEO isn’t dead. In fact, AI search platforms still rely heavily on content that already ranks well in conventional search results. If you disappear from Google, AI engines lose their source material.

But yes, the game has changed.

The New Reality for Digital Marketing Firms Near Me: SEO Alone Won’t Cut It

The days when keyword stuffing, metadata tweaks and endless backlinks could guarantee visibility are long gone. The new landscape blends:

1.) SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

2.) AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)

3.) GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)

If you want visibility on both search engines and AI platforms, you need all three working together.

This matters whether you’re a growing business looking for digital marketing services in Bhubaneswar, or companies searching for internet marketing solutions near me to stay relevant online.

Why GEO Is Suddenly a Big Deal

Traditional search engines give you links.

AI assistants don’t.

Instead of showing a list of websites, generative platforms now:

• Summarise information
• Provide instant answers
• Pull citations directly from trusted sources
• Guide decisions without requiring a click

This rise of zero-click search means:

Ranking #1 doesn’t guarantee traffic anymore.

When AI becomes the middleman, the goal shifts from “get the highest ranking” to:

“get cited in AI-generated answers.”

How a Digital Marketing Agency in Bhubaneswar Approaches GEO vs SEO in 2025

Here’s the simplified breakdown:

• SEO helps you rank on Google
• AEO helps you appear in featured snippets and voice answers
• GEO helps AI engines understand, summarise and reference your content

Businesses working with digital marketing firms near me or a digital marketing agency in Bhubaneswar are now being told the same thing:

If your content isn’t structured for AI extraction, you’ll be invisible (even if you rank well).

Content AI Loves: The Advantage for Digital Marketing Services in Bhubaneswar

GEO and AEO thrive on:

• Clean formatting
• Clear structure
• Bullet points
• Listicles
• FAQ-style answers
• Trustworthy sources

If your content reads like a brick wall of text, AI engines will skip it.

Think of it this way:

SEO helps people find you. GEO helps AI choose you. AEO helps users understand you fast.

Do Old SEO Tactics Still Matter for Digital Marketing Firms?

Absolutely.

SEO remains the backbone. AI platforms still pull their base information from:

• High-ranking articles
• Credible websites
• Authoritative content

Without SEO, GEO has nothing to build from.

The shift isn’t “SEO vs GEO.” It’s SEO + GEO + AEO, working together.

The Winning Hybrid Strategy for Digital Marketing Agencies in Bhubaneswar

If you want visibility across both traditional search and AI-driven platforms, your strategy now needs to:

i) Maintain strong SEO foundations

ii) Structure content for AI summaries

iii) Answer questions clearly

iv) Provide depth and credibility

Businesses relying on internet marketing services near me or seeking an ecommerce PPC agency in Bhubaneswar now need partners who understand this hybrid model & not just old-school SEO checklists.

The Bottom Line for Digital Marketing Services in Bhubaneswar and Beyond

Old tactics still matter. They just aren’t enough.

The brands winning today are the ones that combine:

Ranking power, answer clarity & AI-friendly formatting

Search hasn’t died – it has evolved.

Need Help Navigating This Shift?

If you want to stay visible in both Google search results and AI-generated answers, Elevate Digital Services can help you adopt modern strategies that actually work in the coming years.