How is GEO different from SEO?
SEO helps people discover useful pages through search. GEO focuses attention on the information an AI answer might use to explain or compare a business. The work overlaps: accurate service descriptions, accessible pages, clear sources and evidence customers can check.
Google says its AI Overviews and AI Mode use the same foundational SEO practices. A supporting page must be indexed and eligible for a search snippet; meeting those conditions does not guarantee selection. That is guidance for Google’s features, not a promise about every AI platform.
Start with a customer question.
A shop, software company, professional service and local studio need different information. Start with a question your team actually receives: what is included, who is the service for, where is it available, or what happens after an enquiry? Choose the existing page that should answer it.
Then check what is missing. A price question may need an explanation of cost drivers and a link to current pricing. A comparison may need scope, limits and an example of the work. Answer with facts the business can verify, rather than adding a paragraph that repeats “AI optimization.”
A worked example: make the next step clear.
Illustrative example, not a client project: imagine a studio renting meeting rooms by appointment. Its page says, “Flexible spaces for every occasion.” Someone asking “Can I book a meeting room for a small team?” still cannot tell what is available or how booking works.
After the owner confirms the facts, a clearer answer could read: “We offer meeting rooms for small teams. Send your preferred date and group size so we can confirm availability and provide a quote. Your room is reserved only after confirmation.”
The page would still need the real location, room capacities, included equipment, approved photos and booking terms. Put those details beside the answer and link to the enquiry route. The improvement is specific, checkable information. This example does not demonstrate a ranking change or an AI citation.
Make the supporting information easy to find.
Give important services a clear home on the website and link to them from relevant pages. Keep business details consistent with the profiles you control. Explain who produced a guide or completed a project, and show evidence you have permission to publish.
Structured data should match the visible page. Google does not require special AI schema or a new AI text file for its search features. If you maintain llms.txt, keep it accurate, but do not treat that file as a substitute for useful pages.
What should a GEO project deliver?
A useful written scope names the pages and questions being addressed. It can include an access and indexing review, a page-by-page content plan, agreed edits, source checks and links between related pages. Identify who approves business facts and how completed changes will be checked.
For the studio example, a scoped first project could review the meeting-room page, identify unanswered booking questions, draft an owner-approved answer and check the enquiry route. The handover would show what changed and what still needs the owner’s input. It would not promise a booking increase.
Separate the initial work from ongoing articles, profile maintenance, reporting and outreach. The quote should state review rounds, account access, outside tools and fees. Publishers and search platforms control whether they mention the business; an agency can commit to agreed work, not their decisions.
How should you measure progress?
Save a dated baseline before changes. Record the relevant pages, queries, impressions, clicks and indexing status available in your search accounts. Keep a change log so a later review can distinguish completed work from outcomes. Compare like periods and note other campaigns or seasonal changes.
Google includes AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search Console’s overall Web reporting. A rise in total clicks alone does not prove a rise from those AI features. Enquiries also need their own records: a visit, a form submission and a paying customer are different events.
If you sample AI answers, record the platform, exact question, date, relevant location context and cited URLs, including answers that do not mention you. Treat the record as an observation of that test, not a universal ranking or proof that your changes caused the result.
Choose one useful first step.
Open the service page a new customer is most likely to need. Can they understand the offer, check the supporting facts and contact the right person? Write down the first unanswered question. Fixing that gap gives the next project a concrete purpose.
Beverly Hills Growth scopes SEO and AI search work around your actual business, existing pages and available evidence. We agree on the work and price before starting a paid project. Rankings, AI recommendations and enquiry volumes are not guaranteed.
Sources and further reading
This guide explains our approach and the cited sources. Search platforms decide their results; no ranking, citation or enquiry volume is guaranteed.