For more than 20 years, businesses have worked to improve their visibility on Google through Search Engine Optimization, or SEO.

SEO is still critically important. But the way people search for information is changing.

Instead of simply typing a few words into Google and choosing from a list of websites, consumers are increasingly asking conversational questions of ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and other AI-powered search tools.

That change has created a related discipline: Generative Engine Optimization, commonly called GEO.

The simplest way to understand the difference between SEO and GEO is to think about the difference between using a library card catalog and asking a knowledgeable friend for a book recommendation.

The Short Answer: What Is the Difference Between SEO and GEO?

SEO helps your business get found in search results. GEO helps your business get understood, cited and recommended in AI-generated answers.

They overlap significantly, but they are not identical.

Importantly, GEO does not replace SEO.

Google itself has emphasized that traditional SEO best practices remain foundational to visibility within its generative AI search experiences.

A strong AI search strategy therefore isn’t SEO or GEO.

It is SEO plus GEO.

SEO Is Like Using a Library Card Catalog

Imagine walking into a huge library looking for a book about starting a vegetable garden in Eastern Washington.

In the traditional library model, you might use the card catalog.

You search terms such as:

• Vegetable gardening

• Washington gardening

• Raised-bed gardening

• Dry-climate gardening

The catalog examines how books have been categorized and tells you which books appear relevant.

You receive a list.

You then decide which book you want.

Traditional search engines work in a somewhat similar way.

You might search Google for:

“best landscaping company Spokane”

Google evaluates potentially relevant webpages using hundreds of signals and returns search results it believes will best satisfy your query.

A traditional SEO strategy attempts to make your company one of those highly visible results.

That can involve:

• Technical website optimization

• Keyword research

• On-page optimization

• Helpful content

• Internal linking

• Local SEO

• Google Business Profile optimization

• Backlinks and authority building

• Structured data

• Website performance

• Reviews and reputation signals

SEO helps the search engine find, understand and rank your pages.

But AI search changes the experience.

GEO Is More Like Asking a Knowledgeable Friend

Now imagine that instead of using the library catalog, you ask a friend:

“I’m a beginner gardener in Spokane. I have a fairly small backyard, don’t want to spend a fortune, and I’d really like a book that explains raised beds and what actually grows well in our climate. What would you recommend?”

That’s a very different request.

Your friend doesn’t simply give you every book containing the words gardening and Spokane.

Your friend interprets what you mean.

They may consider:

• Your location

• Your experience level

• Your specific problem

• Which books are considered authoritative

• Which books contain the information you need

• What other gardeners recommend

• Which authors have credible experience

• Which book is the best fit for your situation

Then your friend might answer:

“I’d start with these three books. Here’s why.”

That interaction is much closer to the experience consumers have with AI search.

Someone might ask:

“Who would you recommend for a landscaping project in Spokane if I need both a retaining wall and a paver patio?”

Or:

“Which Spokane window-covering companies specialize in motorized shades and have strong customer reviews?”

The AI system doesn’t necessarily return ten blue links.

Instead, it may form an answer and recommend several businesses.

That distinction is enormously important.

The cost of effective marketing can vary depending on your marketing channel and how sophisticated you want your campaign to be.  Here are some guidelines for U.S.A. based marketing (we don’t use overseas talent).  

How Much Does SEO and AI GEO Cost?   Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and AI Generative Engine Optimization (AI GEO) services are critical for any business serious about being found and recommended online.  Regardless of your business size and location, the fundamentals are the same.  

What DOES change is where your business already ranks in both SEO ranking and AI GEO recommendations.  A business competing for customers in a highly competitive market against competitors who are also employing sound SEO and AI GEO strategies will take more time and effort.

But if you’re looking for a price range for local SEO and AI GEO services, you can count on a range between $800 and $2,000 per month.  The difference in cost will be where your business currently ranks and how much work will be needed for reasonable ranking and recommendation improvements.

How Much Do Websites Cost? Fully custom, mobile optimized websites can be built starting at $1,500 and can exceed $50,000 depending on your needs.  The Marketing Crew has low overhead and wants to retain our clients for the long term.  So, we’re more interested in offering a great website at a fair price and keeping you as a client for years to come than maximizing our profit on each site.  Our entire website design and build team lives and works right here in the U.S.A. and is responsive to your brand and needs both during and AFTER website launch.

How Much Do Professional Videos Cost? Video marketing takes many forms.  Whether your looking for an explainer video for your website or a video ad to place on YouTube, Television or Social Media, we handle everything from start to finish.  Typically, the cost of a video will depend on it’s length and shooting costs.  A five minute explainer video can range from $1,500 to $3,500, while a short 15 or 30 second social media ad with no shooting costs is usually less than $500 to produce. 

How Much Does Managed Social Media Cost?  Effective social media (keeping your feeds warm) is more than just ‘posting’.  It involves timing, optimizing content and tailoring it to your target audience.   Managed social media can range from $400-$950/mo depending on your needs.  

How Much Does Google Search Marketing Cost?  Search Marketing’s cost can be broken into two parts:  Google’s cost Management cost.  Let’s break it down:

Google’s Ad Costs:  Google charges per click, and sells clicks in an auction-style format.  This means that the more competitive your industry, and the more people who are searching for your product or service, the more a campaign can cost.  Typically, effective local Google search marketing will cost at least $1,000 per month.  If your industry is highly competitive, with other businesses vying for the same clients with Google Ads, it can cost more.  Our experience is that if a business is wanting to spend less than $1,000 / mo, there might be more cost-friendly ways to market.  

Management Costs:  The old saying “You get what you pay for” is true.  Effective Google campaign management begins with setting your ads and tracking tools up properly, and understanding your target audience thoroughly. Many smaller agencies (and even larger ones) skip this.  However, setting things up the right way will result in better results and more leads.  Typically, setting up a Google Search campaign the right way can run from $300 – $750, depending on it’s size and complexity.  Depending on how audiences we’re targeting and how complex your campaign is, monthly management will typically cost $300 – $700. For campaigns that are spending more than $5,000 / mo in Google Ads (see ‘Google Ad Costs’ above), Management Costs may be a percentage of the Google Spend.

Other Marketing:  Maybe you’re looking to advertise on Billboards, TV, Radio, Spotify, or through E-Mail campaigns.  We’re here to help give you the best value possible with effective marketing.  Let’s start a conversation to see what that looks like for you. 

Effective SEO will usually begin moving you up the ranks for your targets within 90 days.  However,  going from #100 to Top 3 isn’t a 90 day process.  

Note:  You’ll want to be careful hiring any SEO company that promises Top Search Within ___ Days”.

These kinds of results are usually overpromised, or by using Dark Hat techniques that can flag your website as a bad actor and get you downranked. Why?  Google and AI search engines are skeptical of websites that make too many SEO changes at once.  Consistent, ongoing SEO efforts are key here.  

Is it worth it?  Yes!  Your patience will pay off.  Companies who appear in the top 3 search results grab over 90% of the clicks. 

Effective campaigns can often get immediate results.  However, for some marketing channels such as TV, radio, billboards or even social media, it’s a matter of making frequent, attractive impressions over time. 

Consistency is key.  We recommend at least 90 days for any marketing campaign, regardless of the marketing channel.  

Why at least 90 days?  This gives us time to test, measure and adjust.  If you knock it out of the park in the first 30 days, we may find ways to make your campaign even more effective based on tracking the metrics and calls.  For campaigns such as billboards, TV and radio, it typically takes several weeks before your audience consciously remembers your ad, even if they’ve seen or heard it a dozen times. 

Starting and stopping campaigns in search for immediate home-run results will cost you more and get you less in the long-run.