Definition
Search engine optimization is the long-running practice of improving a site so it ranks higher in traditional results. In the AI era it is widening into a discipline that also covers visibility inside AI-generated answers.
On this page
At a glance
- Categories Core Concept
- Abbreviation SEO
- Related fields GEO
- Difficulty Beginner
How Search Engine Optimization Works
SEO covers the technical health, content quality, and authority signals that help a page rank in a list of links. None of that vanished with AI search. The same foundations now also feed how AI engines judge and cite sources, with newer practices layered on top.
Why Search Engine Optimization Matters
Strong SEO is still a major input to AI search performance. Treating SEO and GEO as rivals misses the point. The credibility, structure, and technical health that win in classic search usually carry straight over to getting cited in answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is SEO dead?
No. It is evolving. Its core signals still support visibility in both link-based and AI-generated results.
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Should I drop SEO for GEO?
No. They reinforce each other, and good SEO often feeds good GEO.