SEO vs. GEO: What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?

 Posted on September 18,2025 in Legal Marketing

For years, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has been the backbone of digital marketing for law firms. By carefully building websites, content, and backlinks, attorneys could ensure their pages ranked high in Google search results. But the way people search for information online is changing fast.

With the rise of AI-driven tools like Google’s AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, and ChatGPT, search is no longer just about keywords and links. People now ask questions in natural language, and generative engines provide direct answers. This shift has given rise to a new marketing frontier: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

At OVC Lawyer Marketing, we are a full-scope digital marketing firm that has guided attorneys through every major shift in online marketing, from Google algorithm updates to the dominance of mobile search. Now, we are helping firms understand the difference between SEO and GEO and why they need both to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

What Is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving your website so it ranks higher in search results. SEO focuses on:

• Creating high-quality, keyword-rich content

• Building a strong, fast, and mobile-friendly website

• Developing authority through backlinks and citations

• Structuring pages so Google can easily crawl and index them

The goal of SEO is to bring organic traffic directly from search engines to your website. If someone types "Chicago divorce lawyer" into Google, for example, SEO helps ensure your firm’s site appears near the top.

What Is GEO?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is different. Instead of focusing only on search engines, GEO is about making sure your firm’s information shows up in the answers given by AI-powered generative tools.

When someone asks ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, or Google’s AI Overview, "How do I file for divorce in Illinois?" the generative engine may not send them to a website. Instead, it creates an answer, pulling from multiple sources. Strong GEO ensures that your firm’s content is structured, detailed, and authoritative enough to be included in some of those answers.

In other words, SEO gets you clicks from Google search results. GEO gets you mentions and visibility inside AI-generated answers.

Why the Difference Between SEO and GEO Matters for Lawyers

Law firms cannot afford to ignore GEO. More and more people are turning to AI engines to ask legal questions, and those tools are replacing traditional clicks with direct responses. If your firm’s information is not optimized for generative engines, you risk being invisible in the new way people search.

But this does not mean SEO is dead. Google and other search engines still drive huge volumes of traffic, and local map listings remain essential for showing clients who and where you are. Instead, the future of legal marketing lies in combining SEO and GEO strategies.

How OVC Lawyer Marketing Combines SEO and GEO

At OVC Lawyer Marketing, we know attorneys need more than one tactic to stay competitive. Our full-scope approach covers:

• SEO: Websites, blogs, and practice area pages built to rank high in search results

• GEO: Content crafted in a way that answers common legal questions directly, is structured for AI engines to pull from, and positions your firm as a trusted authority

• PPC & Google Ads: Paid ad campaigns to capture leads immediately

• Local visibility: GEO and SEO strategies tied into maps, directories, and reviews so your firm appears across platforms

• Content & design: Custom blogs, practice pages, and professional websites that both humans and AI-driven engines can understand and trust

Because we focus exclusively on attorneys, we understand the compliance issues, tone, and level of authority your content must meet. Our goal is not just to keep you visible today, but to keep you competitive as generative engines reshape tomorrow.

Get Noticed with Customized SEO and GEO from OVC Lawyer Marketing

SEO brought law firms to the front page of Google. GEO is what will bring them into the answers provided by AI-powered search tools. Both are critical to a complete digital strategy.

At OVC Lawyer Marketing, we stay ahead of these changes. From SEO to GEO, from blogs to websites, from Google Ads to PPC campaigns, we provide the full scope of digital marketing services attorneys need. Contact us today at 630-635-8000 to learn how your firm can take advantage of the next wave of online visibility.