GEO vs. SEO: What apartment marketers need to know

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, a new term has emerged: GEO (generative engine optimization).

Many companies and websites are discussing GEO, often framing it as a significant departure from traditional SEO. But is it really that different?

There’s an old saying in media and news, “If it bleeds, it leads.” The idea being that more shocking, negative and frightening news gets more engagement and reaction.

We think that’s what’s happening when it comes to GEO. The search blogs and other companies want you to click on the link or open the ebook — hey, we want the same things — and they’re using fear to sell. (That’s where we differ.)

Let’s dive into a discussion of what GEO and SEO really are, and what you need to know as an apartment marketer.

Understanding SEO & GEO

Let’s start by defining both strategies.

SEO = search engine optimization

Optimizing your website so that it is ranked more prominently by sophisticated search engine algorithms

GEO = generative engine optimization

Creating content that is ranked more prominently by sophisticated generative AI algorithms (generative search engines)

Don’t those sound awfully similar to each other? To us they do, and the more we look at these ebooks and articles, we think they’re much more alike than they are different.

Debunking the myths

Some agencies and experts present a simplified version of SEO to highlight the differences with GEO. For example, they might say:

• SEO: Ensure the website contains exact match keywords.
• GEO: Go beyond exact match keywords and use structured data.

Do we want to include exact match keywords? Yes, absolutely, but we also want to include keyword variations and robust, locally anchored content around those exact match keywords on all our important pages.

Similarly, structured data has been a key component of SEO for years, helping search engines understand the context of your content.

The role of structured data

Structured data is not a new concept. SEO professionals have long known its importance in helping search engines understand who you are, where you are and what you offer. Schema.org, launched in 2011, was designed to improve structured data as search engines became more sophisticated.

While rich snippets have largely been replaced by AI overviews in Google’s new Search Generative Experience (SGE), structured data remains critical. It helps both generative engines and traditional search engines provide more accurate and relevant answers to user queries.

Personalization & relevance

Another common point about GEO is the emphasis on highly relevant and personalized content based on user interaction.

This also is not a new approach. In the SEO community, we have known for years that search engines, particularly Google, provide highly personalized results based on the individual user’s search history and interactions. Furthermore, we also know that search engines are only likely to rank a website highly if it has content that is highly relevant to the query being searched by the user.

Search engines like Google have been providing personalized results based on individual user search history and interactions for years. Content relevance has always been a key factor in ranking.

GEO algorithm complexity

Last, but not least, some articles suggest that search engine algorithms are simple compared to generative AI algorithms. It’s as if they are representing search engine algorithms as these easily understood and simple algebra formulas. This is misleading.

Search engine algorithms have evolved significantly over the years. Google, for example, switched from lexical search to semantic search, understanding the meaning and context of words. The BERT update in 2019 introduced deep learning and natural language processing. Today, Google’s algorithm includes over 14,000 ranking factors.

The reality is that AI, machine learning and incredibly complex algorithms have been a part of search for years now. It was just running in the background, invisible to the user, and now it’s being brought to the forefront as part of the visible user experience.

Generative engines might have additional layers of complexity, but it’s inaccurate to portray search engine algorithms as simplistic.

The main difference: SERP vs. segmentation

The primary difference between SEO and GEO lies in their approach to presenting information.

Search engines typically provide users with lists and pages of answers, known as the SERP (search engine results page). In contrast, generative engines like Chat GPT often use a question-and-answer format.

This can be viewed as a difference between SERP and segmentation.

To rank highly on the SERP, we want to make sure that a page is well optimized and contains enough robust, natural language content that Google can contextualize the page and understand it.

Whereas, with generative engines, we want to provide content that is specific and segmented to match the engines’ question-and-answer format. Think of it like an FAQ page but reimagined to drive performance for your website.

For apartment marketers, this means adapting your content strategy. Instead of answering basic questions like “when is trash day,” focus on more complex queries like “what is the best neighborhood to rent an apartment in a city.”

You can take your FAQs a step further, especially if your community has a blog. Support performance-driven FAQs with corresponding blog articles that provide richer, segmented content that generative engines (and renters) want to see.

In our view, this is the biggest area of opportunity.

You can find other tips to help your apartment website appear in generative search results in our article on SEO for AI.

Takeaways

Page content, FAQs, blogging, business listings and social media profiles can have a powerful influence on GEO. Does this sound like SEO? You bet it does.

Before you panic about the “new world of GEO,” take a deep breath and remember: If your SEO foundation is solid, you’re probably already well positioned for the next evolution in search.

The only thing you really need to ask yourself is, “Are we providing a good user experience for our customers?” Because, ultimately, that’s what the search engines are trying to do too.  

Happy optimizing!

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