Market Movers
Traditional SEO gets your website to show up when someone searches Google. GEO, short for Generative Engine Optimization, gets AI answers from Google, ChatGPT and Perplexity to name your business. Contractors need both, because they are mostly the same work: clear pages, a complete Google profile and real reviews. SEO is the foundation, and GEO is what you add so AI answers can name you.
I am Andrii Kawaii. I own Green Restoration, a restoration company in Connecticut, and I built its marketing myself. Many owners tell me they pay for SEO and cannot tell if it works. I ask one question back: have you searched for your own company in ChatGPT? Most have not. That is why I wrote this. If you want help with both, see SEO and AI Search ›.
What Is Traditional SEO?
It is the work of getting your website to show up when someone types a search into Google. For a contractor that means a fast website, a page for each service and town, a complete Google Business Profile and real reviews. When a homeowner searches "water damage restoration near me," you want to be in that list and on the map.
It still works and it still drives calls. I am not telling you to stop.
What Is GEO, and Why Does It Matter?
When a homeowner asks ChatGPT "who is the best restoration company in Fairfield County?", it does not show ten blue links. It writes one answer that names a few companies. Google AI Overviews and AI Mode do the same at the top of the search page. GEO is the work of making sure your company is one of the names.
The big platforms have noticed. Angi built an app inside ChatGPT, which I cover in Angi in ChatGPT. Homeowners are being sent to a short list from inside the answer.
How Are GEO and SEO Different?
SEO competes for a ranking. GEO competes to be named. Here is how I see the difference:
- Goal: SEO aims to rank on the results page. GEO aims to be named in the written answer.
- Space: a results page has many listings. An AI answer names only a few businesses.
- What you build: SEO leans on fast pages, a page per service and town, and your Google profile. GEO leans on plain answers to real questions, clear markup, and a business that looks the same everywhere.
- Where it shows: SEO shows in a list and on the map. GEO shows in one written answer.
The details of how often AI answers appear and what they do to clicks are in AI Overviews and home services and AI search in 2026.
What Happens If You Only Do SEO?
You may rank well and still be missing when a homeowner reads an AI answer instead of scrolling. If the answer names your competitor, that is where the call goes. As more people ask an assistant first, a rank on its own will matter less.
What Happens If You Only Do GEO?
You skip the base. AI answers draw on pages that already do well and on what Google knows about your business. If your site and Google profile are weak, there is little for an assistant to name. GEO without SEO is a sign on a building with no foundation.
What Should Contractors Do This Week?
- Search your services and towns in ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Perplexity. Write down who is named and save a dated screenshot.
- Check your markup. Ask your web person whether your pages have LocalBusiness, Service and FAQ schema.
- Read your pages honestly. Do they answer the questions homeowners ask, or just list keywords?
- Check your business details on Google, Bing, Yelp and your trade directories. Name, address, phone and services should match.
- Ask your agency or web person how they handle AI answers. If they cannot explain, have that talk now.
What I Do for My Own Company
I do not run SEO and GEO as two projects. For Green Restoration I build a page for each service and town, keep the Google profile complete, and ask for reviews after jobs. In October 2026, Google's AI Mode named Green Restoration first for "best mold remediation company in Westport CT". I also saved the real answer for Mamaroneck, NY from October 26, 2026. Both are on my SEO and AI Search page, where you can run the search yourself.
That does not guarantee anything for another company, and I will not promise a mention. It is the same method I build for restoration, HVAC, roofing and general contractors: SEO as the base, with plain answers on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GEO?
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. It is the work of getting AI answers, such as Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity, to name your business when a homeowner asks who to hire.
Is SEO dead?
No. AI answers pull from pages that already rank and from what Google knows about your business, so strong SEO is the base. What changes is that a good answer, not only a good ranking, now wins the job.
Do I need both SEO and GEO?
Yes, and they are mostly the same work. A fast site, a page for each service and town, a complete Google Business Profile and real reviews help in both places.
How do I know if AI names my company?
Ask ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Perplexity the questions a homeowner would ask in your towns. Write down who is named, save dated screenshots, and repeat every month.
Can anyone guarantee that AI will recommend my business?
No. Nobody controls who an AI assistant names. You can give it clear pages, a complete Google profile and real reviews to read, and I will not promise a mention.
How long does GEO take?
Technical fixes can land in the first weeks. Google rankings build over a few months, and AI answers follow the same pages. Nobody honest can promise a date.
This is the work I do for contractors: how Google and AI answers find you, with pages for restoration, HVAC, roofing and general contractors.