SEO vs GEO: Key Differences and Shared Principles in Data and Optimization
Generative search has revolutionized the digital marketing industry by introducing a completely new paradigm for measuring online visibility. While most marketing experts now understand what generative search is, the core question remains: what data do you need to optimize for it effectively?
Traditional SEO strategies are obsolete when it comes to generative search. Built around tracking SERP rankings, organic traffic, and backlink profiles, such strategies don’t fully translate to AI-driven search. Another issue is defining the main goals and success metrics of generative search optimization. What are the main KPIs in GEO, and how to track them? How can you evaluate and report the results of optimization efforts?
In this article, we break down the key similarities and differences between SEO and GEO, focusing on three critical processes: visibility tracking, keyword analysis, and setting KPIs. We’ll explore how the data requirements, metrics, and ultimate goals differ between traditional and AI search optimization.
Contents:
Traditional and generative search: shared principles and main distinctions
➤ Main distinctions
➤ Shared principles
The three key process differences: where SEO and GEO diverge
➤ Tracking website visibility in search
➤ Data-driven keyword analysis
➤ Defining ultimate goals and KPIs
Conclusion
Traditional and generative search: shared principles and main distinctions
Traditional and generative search both aim to connect users with relevant information from trusted sources, but they achieve this goal through different mechanisms. Let’s analyze the main distinctions and shared principles of traditional and generative search to better understand the process-level changes that follow.
Main distinctions
1. How results are sourced and displayed. In traditional search, websites are displayed as lists of ranked search engine results. The search engine selects websites from a massive index and ranks them from the most relevant to the user’s query to the least. While forming a list of relevant results, the websites are ranked against numerous factors: from content relevance to domain authority.
In AI-driven search, there is no traditional ranking system. The LLM cites websites and brands directly inside the conversational responses in the form of text mentions or embedded links. Mentions are placed across the response depending on the context and relevance to specific answer points.
The way AI searches for relevant information and selects sources is even more sophisticated. First, the AI may retrieve the information for the answer from its training data (including brand mentions) or conduct a web search to gather external information. When searching the web, AI can use a “query fan-out” technique – breaking down the initial query into multiple related searches to gather comprehensive data. Then, AI analyzes the relevance of the found information and sources, taking into account the context of the conversation, topic coverage, and generates a response. What’s more, LLMs may often pull mentions from popular discussion platforms, like Reddit and Quora, and streaming services, such as YouTube, rather than top-ranking pages.
2. User journey difference. The user’s journey in traditional search is relatively simple: the user types a query, clicks the relevant result, and visits a website (or browses again). In LLM-based searches, the journey can be significantly different: the user asks a question, the LLM generates an answer using information from a website, so the user may not visit a website at all. Such a phenomenon is called a “zero-click search”, where the user receives the answer immediately, without needing to visit a website.
In generative search, “zero-click searches” are more common, as AI provides a comprehensive response that may be sufficient for a user, rather than a list of links to click through. Such searches result in little-to-no direct traffic from LLMs to websites. However, what matters in AI-driven search is visibility. While it may not drive direct traffic, AI visibility shapes brand perception, builds authority, and influences users when they’re ready to take action.
3. Content structure and relevance. Content optimization plays a crucial role in traditional SEO, as it significantly increases the chances of ranking higher in search results. By now, there are countless approaches and guides that cover different aspects of SEO content optimization, from keyword targeting to text structuring. In the case of generative search, content optimization requires some special practices.
This involves making website content relevant and noticeable to AI algorithms by presenting information in a format that AI can easily reference in its responses. Additionally, if your content comprehensively covers the target query, it is more likely to be noticed by the LLM. That means the content must be oriented toward addressing real user questions and pain points, rather than targeting specific traffic-focused keywords.
Shared principles
1. The essential SEO best practices still matter. When generative search appears to be a completely different domain, following SEO fundamentals remains critical for AI visibility. That’s because, when performing a search for external data, LLMs fetch it directly from search engines. So, if your website doesn’t rank or even appear in traditional SERP, you can’t expect it to be seen and quoted by LLMs either. Besides, the poor technical condition of a website and unstructured data can prevent AI crawlers from parsing your content and including it in the responses.
Thus, maintaining good website health, structuring content, and providing trusted, relevant information is a bare minimum for being noticed by LLMs. Only when you’re sure that your website is adequately optimized for traditional search can you start integrating GEO-specific tactics to increase your chances of being cited in AI responses.
2. Access to quality optimization data is paramount. Both SEO and GEO strategies can guarantee success only if backed by real and actionable data. Without access to keyword data, rankings, and visibility insights, all optimization is just guesswork. The data allows you to make evidence-based decisions, identify what drives results, and continuously refine your optimization approach.
However, in this context, one major issue emerges – the nature of the data and its accessibility. Accessing and analyzing SEO data is relatively straightforward, as most of it you can fetch directly from the source – search engines. For example, Google keyword data is available through the Google Ads API, and SERP data can also be retrieved efficiently using powerful API solutions. Moreover, you can easily interpret SEO data into understandable and trackable metrics that can precisely reflect the results of optimization.
The generative search data is way more complicated. First, popular LLMs don’t provide open access to structured response data, keyword popularity insights, and other relevant information. Second, due to the fluid and conversational nature of the LLM response, data collection and results tracking require more complex approaches, which are substantially different from traditional SEO.
This data challenge, along with the distinctions we explored earlier, means that familiar SEO workflows require a fundamental rethinking for GEO.
The three key process differences: where SEO and GEO diverge
Visibility tracking is essential both for SEO and GEO. When your website is visible on the web or in LLM responses, it generates brand awareness, attracts potential customers, and builds credibility for your business. So, tracking rankings and visibility helps you understand your market position, how you perform against competitors, and identify areas for improvement to increase your popularity in search.
1Tracking website visibility in search
SEO visibility tracking
In SEO, visibility monitoring is relatively straightforward. In particular, it includes:
- Tracking the position of your website and its pages in SERPs for specific keywords (top 10 or top 100 results);
- Analyzing whether your business appears in the extra SERP features (people also ask questions, knowledge graphs, image galleries);
- Estimating potential traffic volume to a website;
- Tracking and analyzing the historical ranking changes over time.
For rank tracking in traditional SEO, you need to rely on actual and historical SERP data. This data includes structured result snippets with website title, description, position, and URL of your and your competitors’ websites, estimated traffic volume, and extra SERP features. With these insights, you can evaluate your overall search performance, analyze the competitive landscape, and spot opportunities for improvement.
The SERP data can be scraped directly from the search engine, but doing it manually is time-consuming and resource-intensive. You’ll need to go through dozens of SERPs with extra features to get helpful information. Fortunately, in DataForSEO, we have an advanced API toolkit for retrieving all possible SERP data in a structured format:
- Organic SERP API: fetches real-time SERP pages with structured results and data from available extra features. It supports all major search engines and is perfect for retrieving actual updates on website rankings.
- Historical Rank Overview endpoint of DataForSEO Labs API: provides detailed historical ranking data, which you can use to assess website ranking fluctuations over time and calculate average position value.
- Historical Bulk Traffic Estimation endpoint: allows you to analyze the changes in estimated historical traffic to multiple domains in SERPs over time.
With these core endpoints, you can get all the necessary data for successful rank tracking.
What’s more, you can use these endpoints for SERP analysis without writing a single line of code. You can do that by connecting our official DataForSEO MCP server to one of the popular LLMs, like Claude. The MCP server connects LLM to DataForSEO API endpoints, transforming it into a data-driven AI SEO assistant. Additionally, the connection process can be completed in just a few minutes – see how in our Help Center guide.
Here’s an example of how you can access DataForSEO insights with the MCP server on the example prompt below:
“Use the serp_organic_live_advanced API to fetch the top 10 results and SERP features for the keyword “ai seo” in English for two locations with two separate API requests: the United States, then in the United Kingdom. Display a unified table of the top 10 results for both locations side-by-side, with columns: Rank, Domain, Title, Snippet (shorten), URL, and Element Type (e.g., Organic, Knowledge Graph, Featured Snippet, etc.).”
Here is the result. As you can see, Claude made two requests to the Google Organic endpoint and fetched actual SERP data according to the prompt. After that, the LLM generated a side-by-side SERP comparison for two locations with all the necessary data.
GEO visibility tracking
In GEO, visibility tracking is substantially different. As we mentioned before, there is no established ranking system in generative search. Websites and brands appear in LLM responses as text mentions or source citations, and their placement depends on the context and structure of the responses. Then, how to assess visibility in generative search?
To gain an understanding of AI search visibility, experts must track how frequently and prominently websites and brands appear in AI responses, compared to their industry competitors. More specifically, this includes:
- Tracking website mentions across AI responses by industry keywords;
- Assessing in which context a website is quoted as a source in the response;
- Which of your and your competitors’ pages are mentioned by LLM;
- How your AI visibility changes over time.
Performing such an analysis requires very specific data from AI models. In particular, you should gain access to the following:
- Structured snippets of AI responses, relevant to your target queries, that include response text and links to all cited sources;
- LLM mentions data that displays how frequently your website is mentioned in LLM responses.
- Data on competitors’ performance in LLM searches.
With our new comprehensive AI Optimization API suite, you can access the critical data for AI search optimization. For visibility tracking, you can rely on the two solutions: LLM Responses API and LLM Mentions API.
The LLM Responses API is useful for fetching structured responses directly from popular LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude. In a nutshell, this API works as follows: you select an endpoint for your preferred AI model, specify a request with user prompt and AI behavior parameters, send the request, and receive a response, structured in JSON.
With wide request customization options, you can set different scenarios for LLM behavior and receive tailored responses that reflect how the LLM sources information for specific queries.
Here is an example of a custom request with the query “What are the most popular rank tracking tools?” and the relevant API response:
Request example:
[
{
"system_message": "communicate as if we are in a business meeting",
"message_chain": [
{
"role": "user",
"message": "Hello, what's up?"
},
{
"role": "ai",
"message": "Hello! I’m doing well, thank you. How can I assist you today? Are there any specific topics or projects you’d like to discuss in our meeting?"
}
],
"web_search_country_iso_code": "US",
"web_search_city": "Washington",
"model_name": "gpt-5",
"web_search": true,
"user_prompt": "What are the most popular rank tracking tools?"
}
]
Response example:
{
"version": "0.1.20251023",
"status_code": 20000,
"status_message": "Ok.",
"time": "31.8026 sec.",
"cost": 0.04454625,
"tasks_count": 1,
"tasks_error": 0,
"tasks": [
{
"id": "11051327-1535-0612-0000-215bcf10bddd",
"status_code": 20000,
"status_message": "Ok.",
"time": "31.7415 sec.",
"cost": 0.04454625,
"result_count": 1,
"path": [
"v3",
"ai_optimization",
"chat_gpt",
"llm_responses",
"live"
],
"data": {
"api": "ai_optimization",
"function": "llm_responses",
"se": "chat_gpt",
"system_message": "communicate as if we are in a business meeting",
"message_chain": [
{
"role": "user",
"message": "Hello, what's up?"
},
{
"role": "ai",
"message": "Hello! I’m doing well, thank you. How can I assist you today? Are there any specific topics or projects you’d like to discuss in our meeting?"
}
],
"web_search_country_iso_code": "US",
"web_search_city": "Washington",
"model_name": "gpt-5",
"web_search": true,
"user_prompt": "What are the most popular rank tracking tools?"
},
"result": [
{
"model_name": "gpt-5-2025-08-07",
"input_tokens": 8941,
"output_tokens": 1277,
"web_search": true,
"money_spent": 0.04394625,
"datetime": "2025-11-05 13:27:50 +00:00",
"items": [
{
"type": "message",
"sections": [
{
"type": "text",
"text": "Here’s a concise view of rank trackers that teams most often shortlist in 2025, grouped by type:\n\nAll‑in‑one SEO suites with strong rank tracking\n- Ahrefs Rank Tracker — robust geo targeting (down to ZIP), desktop/mobile tracking, SERP‑feature visibility, competitor benchmarking. Recent “Rank Tracker 2.0” performance revamp. ([ahrefs.com](https://ahrefs.com/rank-tracker?utm_source=openai))\n- Semrush Position Tracking\n- Moz Pro Rank Tracker and STAT Search Analytics (enterprise scale)\n\nDedicated rank‑tracking platforms\n- AccuRanker — fast updates, unlimited users/domains, strong integrations and reporting. ([accuranker.com](https://www.accuranker.com/?utm_source=openai))\n- Advanced Web Ranking (AWR)\n- ProRankTracker\n- Wincher\n- Nightwatch\n- SE Ranking\n- Mangools SERPWatcher\n- Rank Ranger (Similarweb)\n\nIf helpful, I can pull a side‑by‑side based on your needs—e.g., daily vs on‑demand refresh, number of keywords, local pack/AI Overviews tracking, API/connectors (Looker Studio, BigQuery), seats, and budget. For context, could you share:\n- Target markets and tracking granularity (country, city, ZIP)\n- Update frequency required (daily, on‑demand)\n- Keyword volume and number of projects\n- Reporting destinations (GSC, GA4, BI tools)\n- Preference for suite vs point solution",
"annotations": [
{
"title": "Rank Tracker by Ahrefs: Track Keyword Rankings Globally",
"url": "https://ahrefs.com/rank-tracker?utm_source=openai"
},
{
"title": "AccuRanker — The Best Rank Tracker for SEOs",
"url": "https://www.accuranker.com/?utm_source=openai"
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
In the sections array of the result, you can find the text field with the generated text of the response and the annotations array, which contains links to websites, quoted by the LLM. With this endpoint, you can quickly assess whether your (and your competitor’s) website appears in LLMs in different scenarios. Learn more about this endpoint in the dedicated Help Center article.
The LLM Mentions API can help you assess how frequently and in which context your business is mentioned in LLMs. It is powered by a vast database with over 10 million records of user queries, based on “People Also Ask” questions and the respective AI responses.
The LLM Mentions encompasses various endpoints for fetching mentions data, but for this use case, the Search Mentions endpoint fits best. It will fetch structured mentions data for your target domains and keywords.
Here is an example of a request and response for the Search Mentions endpoint.
Request example:
[
{
"language_name": "English",
"location_code": 2840,
"target": [
{
"domain": "dataforseo.com",
"search_filter": "include"
},
{
"keyword": "dataforseo",
"search_scope": [
"answer"
]
}
],
"platform": "google",
"filters": [
[
"ai_search_volume",
">",
10
]
],
"order_by" : ["ai_search_volume,desc"],
"offset": 0,
"limit": 2
}
]
Response example:
{
"version": "0.1.20251117",
"status_code": 20000,
"status_message": "Ok.",
"time": "0.1449 sec.",
"cost": 0.102,
"tasks_count": 1,
"tasks_error": 0,
"tasks": [
{
"id": "11181541-1535-0634-0000-c1f68a3c2228",
"status_code": 20000,
"status_message": "Ok.",
"time": "0.0860 sec.",
"cost": 0.102,
"result_count": 1,
"path": [
"v3",
"ai_optimization",
"llm_mentions",
"search",
"live"
],
"data": {
"api": "ai_optimization",
"function": "search",
"language_name": "English",
"location_code": 2840,
"target": [
{
"domain": "dataforseo.com",
"search_filter": "include"
},
{
"keyword": "dataforseo",
"search_scope": [
"answer"
]
}
],
"platform": "google",
"filters": [
[
"ai_search_volume",
">",
10
]
],
"order_by": [
"ai_search_volume,desc"
],
"offset": 0,
"limit": 2
},
"result": [
{
"total_count": 21,
"current_offset": 0,
"search_after_token": "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",
"items_count": 2,
"items": [
{
"platform": "google",
"location_code": 2840,
"language_code": "en",
"question": "all internet sites",
"answer": "`There isn't a single, comprehensive list of \"all\" websites because the number is vast and constantly changing` , but you can find lists of popular or top-ranked websites on sites like [DataForSEO](https://dataforseo.com/free-seo-stats/top-1000-websites) and by using Google Search.Websites are commonly organized by categories, such as social media (Facebook, Instagram), search engines (Google, Bing), e-commerce (Amazon, Temu), and information (Wikipedia).[[1]](https://www.scrapingbee.com/blog/how-to-find-all-urls-on-a-domains-website-multiple-methods/)[[2]](https://dataforseo.com/free-seo-stats/top-1000-websites)\n\nHow to Find Lists of Websites\n\n- **Use Search Engines:** Search engines like [Google](https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95589?hl=en-GB&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop) and [DuckDuckGo](https://duckduckgo.com/) can provide information on popular or trending websites.[[1]](https://duckduckgo.com/#:~:text=DuckDuckGo%20is%20an%20independent%20Google%20alternative%20that,your%20searches%20or%20browsing%20history%2C%20and%20our)[[2]](https://wpshout.com/search-engine-market-share/#:~:text=Search%20Engine%20Market%20Share:%20History%20&%20Trends,to%20quickly%20find%20the%20information%20they%20need.)\n- **Check Top Website Rankings:** Websites like DataForSEO offer updated lists of top-ranked websites by country or globally.\n- **Look for Specific Categories:** You can often find lists organized by website type, such as \"top news websites\" or \"best e-commerce sites\".\n\nExamples of Popular Websites\n\n- **Search Engines:** [Google.com](http://google.com/) , Bing, DuckDuckGo\n- **Social Media:** [Facebook.com](https://www.facebook.com/), [Instagram.com](https://www.instagram.com/), [X.com](https://x.com/) , Reddit.com, [TikTok.com](https://www.tiktok.com/) , Pinterest.com\n- **E-commerce:** [Amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/) , Temu\n- **Information & Entertainment:** [Wikipedia.org](https://www.wikipedia.org/), [YouTube.com](https://www.youtube.com/), [Twitch.com](https://www.twitch.tv/) \n- **News & Weather:** Yahoo!, Weather.com, BBC News",
"sources": [
{
"snippet": "Mar 11, 2025 — How to find all webpages on a website? * Google Search. One of the simplest methods is to use Google Search. ... * Si...",
"source_name": "ScrapingBee",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 1,
"title": "How to find all URLs on a domain's website (multiple methods)",
"domain": "www.scrapingbee.com",
"url": "https://www.scrapingbee.com/blog/how-to-find-all-urls-on-a-domains-website-multiple-methods/",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": null,
"source_name": "DataForSEO",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 2,
"title": "Top 1000 Websites By Ranking Keywords – DataForSEO",
"domain": "dataforseo.com",
"url": "https://dataforseo.com/free-seo-stats/top-1000-websites",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "DuckDuckGo is an independent Google alternative that also lets you search and browse the web, but we don't track your searches or ...",
"source_name": "DuckDuckGo",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 3,
"title": "DuckDuckGo - Protection. Privacy. Peace of mind.",
"domain": "duckduckgo.com",
"url": "https://duckduckgo.com/#:~:text=DuckDuckGo%20is%20an%20independent%20Google%20alternative%20that,your%20searches%20or%20browsing%20history%2C%20and%20our",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "Apr 21, 2025 — NOTE: The list is organized by site type. You can use the table of contents above to find different types and to jump ...",
"source_name": "MemberPress",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 4,
"title": "100+ Membership Sites that’ll Inspire You to Start Your Own",
"domain": "memberpress.com",
"url": "https://memberpress.com/blog/memberpress-website-examples/#:~:text=NOTE:%20The%20list%20is%20organized%20by%20site,types%20and%20to%20jump%20around%20between%20sections.",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "Jul 29, 2025 — Temu is an e-commerce platform that has seen rapid growth since its launch in 2022. The business operates through a we...",
"source_name": "NordVPN",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 5,
"title": "Is Temu safe or a scam? What you should know - NordVPN",
"domain": "nordvpn.com",
"url": "https://nordvpn.com/blog/is-temu-safe/#:~:text=Temu%20is%20an%20e-commerce%20platform%20that%20has,and%20an%20app%20and%20functions%20in%20the",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "Aug 20, 2002 — (TWC), is the world's leading source of weather on the Web. Consistently, weather.com ranks among the top 20 of all We...",
"source_name": "Microsoft Source",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 6,
"title": "MSNBC.com and MSN Sign Agreement With Weather.com to Provide Expanded Weather Coverage - Source",
"domain": "news.microsoft.com",
"url": "https://news.microsoft.com/source/2002/08/20/msnbc-com-and-msn-sign-agreement-with-weather-com-to-provide-expanded-weather-coverage/#:~:text=(TWC)%2C%20is%20the%20world's%20leading%20source%20of,number%203%20cable%20television-related%20Web%20sites%20(Nielsen//NetRatings).",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "Feb 5, 2024 — Search Engine Market Share: History & Trends For over 5 billion internet users, search engines like Google, Bing, and D...",
"source_name": "WPShout",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 7,
"title": "Search Engine Market Share: History & Trends",
"domain": "wpshout.com",
"url": "https://wpshout.com/search-engine-market-share/#:~:text=Search%20Engine%20Market%20Share:%20History%20&%20Trends,to%20quickly%20find%20the%20information%20they%20need.",
"publication_date": null
}
],
"search_results": null,
"ai_search_volume": 1600,
"monthly_searches": [
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 8,
"search_volume": 1000
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 7,
"search_volume": 1300
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 6,
"search_volume": 1900
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 5,
"search_volume": 2400
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 4,
"search_volume": 2900
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 3,
"search_volume": 2400
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 2,
"search_volume": 1900
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 1,
"search_volume": 1600
},
{
"year": 2024,
"month": 12,
"search_volume": 1300
},
{
"year": 2024,
"month": 11,
"search_volume": 1300
},
{
"year": 2024,
"month": 10,
"search_volume": 1300
},
{
"year": 2024,
"month": 9,
"search_volume": 1300
}
]
},
{
"platform": "google",
"location_code": 2840,
"language_code": "en",
"question": "various websites list",
"answer": "`There isn't a single, comprehensive list of \"all\" websites because the number is vast and constantly changing` , but you can find lists of popular or top-ranked websites on sites like [DataForSEO](https://dataforseo.com/free-seo-stats/top-1000-websites) and by using Google Search.Websites are commonly organized by categories, such as social media (Facebook, Instagram), search engines (Google, Bing), e-commerce (Amazon, Temu), and information (Wikipedia).[[1]](https://www.scrapingbee.com/blog/how-to-find-all-urls-on-a-domains-website-multiple-methods/)[[2]](https://dataforseo.com/free-seo-stats/top-1000-websites)\n\nHow to Find Lists of Websites\n\n- **Use Search Engines:** Search engines like [Google](https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95589?hl=en-GB&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop) and [DuckDuckGo](https://duckduckgo.com/) can provide information on popular or trending websites.[[1]](https://duckduckgo.com/#:~:text=DuckDuckGo%20is%20an%20independent%20Google%20alternative%20that,your%20searches%20or%20browsing%20history%2C%20and%20our)[[2]](https://wpshout.com/search-engine-market-share/#:~:text=Search%20Engine%20Market%20Share:%20History%20&%20Trends,to%20quickly%20find%20the%20information%20they%20need.)\n- **Check Top Website Rankings:** Websites like DataForSEO offer updated lists of top-ranked websites by country or globally.\n- **Look for Specific Categories:** You can often find lists organized by website type, such as \"top news websites\" or \"best e-commerce sites\".\n\nExamples of Popular Websites\n\n- **Search Engines:** [Google.com](http://google.com/) , Bing, DuckDuckGo\n- **Social Media:** [Facebook.com](https://www.facebook.com/), [Instagram.com](https://www.instagram.com/), [X.com](https://x.com/) , Reddit.com, [TikTok.com](https://www.tiktok.com/) , Pinterest.com\n- **E-commerce:** [Amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/) , Temu\n- **Information & Entertainment:** [Wikipedia.org](https://www.wikipedia.org/), [YouTube.com](https://www.youtube.com/), [Twitch.com](https://www.twitch.tv/) \n- **News & Weather:** Yahoo!, Weather.com, BBC News",
"sources": [
{
"snippet": "Mar 11, 2025 — How to find all webpages on a website? * Google Search. One of the simplest methods is to use Google Search. ... * Si...",
"source_name": "ScrapingBee",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 1,
"title": "How to find all URLs on a domain's website (multiple methods)",
"domain": "www.scrapingbee.com",
"url": "https://www.scrapingbee.com/blog/how-to-find-all-urls-on-a-domains-website-multiple-methods/",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": null,
"source_name": "DataForSEO",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 2,
"title": "Top 1000 Websites By Ranking Keywords – DataForSEO",
"domain": "dataforseo.com",
"url": "https://dataforseo.com/free-seo-stats/top-1000-websites",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "DuckDuckGo is an independent Google alternative that also lets you search and browse the web, but we don't track your searches or ...",
"source_name": "DuckDuckGo",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 3,
"title": "DuckDuckGo - Protection. Privacy. Peace of mind.",
"domain": "duckduckgo.com",
"url": "https://duckduckgo.com/#:~:text=DuckDuckGo%20is%20an%20independent%20Google%20alternative%20that,your%20searches%20or%20browsing%20history%2C%20and%20our",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "Apr 21, 2025 — NOTE: The list is organized by site type. You can use the table of contents above to find different types and to jump ...",
"source_name": "MemberPress",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 4,
"title": "100+ Membership Sites that’ll Inspire You to Start Your Own",
"domain": "memberpress.com",
"url": "https://memberpress.com/blog/memberpress-website-examples/#:~:text=NOTE:%20The%20list%20is%20organized%20by%20site,types%20and%20to%20jump%20around%20between%20sections.",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "Jul 29, 2025 — Temu is an e-commerce platform that has seen rapid growth since its launch in 2022. The business operates through a we...",
"source_name": "NordVPN",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 5,
"title": "Is Temu safe or a scam? What you should know - NordVPN",
"domain": "nordvpn.com",
"url": "https://nordvpn.com/blog/is-temu-safe/#:~:text=Temu%20is%20an%20e-commerce%20platform%20that%20has,and%20an%20app%20and%20functions%20in%20the",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "Aug 20, 2002 — (TWC), is the world's leading source of weather on the Web. Consistently, weather.com ranks among the top 20 of all We...",
"source_name": "Microsoft Source",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 6,
"title": "MSNBC.com and MSN Sign Agreement With Weather.com to Provide Expanded Weather Coverage - Source",
"domain": "news.microsoft.com",
"url": "https://news.microsoft.com/source/2002/08/20/msnbc-com-and-msn-sign-agreement-with-weather-com-to-provide-expanded-weather-coverage/#:~:text=(TWC)%2C%20is%20the%20world's%20leading%20source%20of,number%203%20cable%20television-related%20Web%20sites%20(Nielsen//NetRatings).",
"publication_date": null
},
{
"snippet": "Feb 5, 2024 — Search Engine Market Share: History & Trends For over 5 billion internet users, search engines like Google, Bing, and D...",
"source_name": "WPShout",
"thumbnail": null,
"markdown": null,
"position": 7,
"title": "Search Engine Market Share: History & Trends",
"domain": "wpshout.com",
"url": "https://wpshout.com/search-engine-market-share/#:~:text=Search%20Engine%20Market%20Share:%20History%20&%20Trends,to%20quickly%20find%20the%20information%20they%20need.",
"publication_date": null
}
],
"search_results": null,
"ai_search_volume": 1300,
"monthly_searches": [
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 8,
"search_volume": 590
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 7,
"search_volume": 880
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 6,
"search_volume": 1300
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 5,
"search_volume": 1900
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 4,
"search_volume": 1900
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 3,
"search_volume": 1600
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 2,
"search_volume": 1600
},
{
"year": 2025,
"month": 1,
"search_volume": 1300
},
{
"year": 2024,
"month": 12,
"search_volume": 1000
},
{
"year": 2024,
"month": 11,
"search_volume": 1300
},
{
"year": 2024,
"month": 10,
"search_volume": 1300
},
{
"year": 2024,
"month": 9,
"search_volume": 880
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
The response contains all necessary data for precise and consistent mentions tracking: from the total quantity of mentions to response examples, where your targets are quoted. With access to this data, you can develop systems to track changes in AI visibility over time, similar to ones we explain in the dedicated blog post.
In summary, visibility tracking in SEO and GEO differs substantially in the process and data requirements levels. SEO focuses on ranking positions and traffic metrics derived from structured SERP data, while GEO tracks mention frequency and citation context across generative AI responses. The overall focus shifts from measuring “where you rank” to “how often you’re cited.”
2Data-driven keyword analysis
Keyword research is an integral part of any type of search optimization. Finding and analyzing search queries allows you to understand what your target audience is searching for, which topics generate the most interest, and how competitive different queries are. Ultimately, high-potential keywords are the cornerstone of content optimization, enabling you to enhance the visibility of your content and attract high-quality traffic.
SEO keyword analysis
In SEO, to conduct a quality keyword analysis, you must assess a variety of important metrics of target keywords and define the most high-potential ones to include in your strategy. These metrics include search volume, competition, cost-per-click, monthly searches, keyword difficulty, and more. The variety of keyword metrics makes analysis more complex but ensures reliable targeting outcomes.
The data for keyword analysis in SEO can be retrieved directly from the source. For instance, most of the SEO keyword research tools and solutions rely on data from the Google Ads API. More granular keyword insights can be obtained by utilizing clickstream data – records of real user actions, such as clicks, across the web. However, you need a developer token to access Google Ads API data, and using traditional keyword tools as an alternative may be pricey.
Luckily, DataForSEO has probably the biggest set of cost-effective APIs for keyword analysis on the market. From verified Google Ads API metrics to precise clickstream search volume, our APIs can fetch the quality keyword insights for a fraction of the cost.
Besides, similar to SERP API endpoints, most keyword research-related endpoints can be used in no-code solutions that streamline day-to-day SEO tasks. For example, by using DataForSEO integration with the Make automation platform, you can build automated keyword analysis workflows, like the one below.
This simple, yet effective automation is built using the Google Ads API Search Volume endpoint. The workflow pulls actual Google Ads metrics for your target keywords straight to Google Sheets. What’s more, you don’t need to build it from scratch – just use the pre-made workflow template directly in Make.
GEO keyword analysis
In GEO, opportunities for keyword analysis are more limited, but not nonexistent. The limitations stem from the same problem: there is no publicly available data from LLM platforms on the popularity of queries people use in AI searches. Besides, while browsing the web, people tend to use shorter keywords, whereas in LLMs, users engage in conversation and often ask complex questions. This makes estimation of search volume and query popularity significantly more complex than in traditional search.
Nevertheless, conducting keyword analysis is still vital for GEO. However, it takes a different form – identifying queries users are more likely to use in LLMs rather than traditional search. By exploring these queries and assessing their popularity in AI searches, you can create more relevant, comprehensive content that thoroughly covers popular topics. When your content is thorough, it becomes naturally more appealing to AI algorithms as a trusted source of information.
But how do you get data to analyze keyword popularity in AI searches? Traditional search volume doesn’t accurately reflect the popularity of AI search queries. At DataForSEO, we have invested considerable time in addressing this data gap and introduced AI search volume, our proprietary metric for AI keyword analysis.
The AI search volume reflects estimated usage of search queries in AI tools and is calculated using our proprietary algorithm. The algorithm considers multiple signals, including questions from the “People Also Ask” section, that AI models usually pay attention to. You can learn more about AI search volume in this Help Center article.
You can get AI search volume by using the Keyword Search Volume endpoint of the AI Keyword Data API. This endpoint is also available through our MCP server, allowing you to generate search volume reports directly within the AI assistants. Here is an example:
“Fetch AI search volume values for keywords “iphone”, “seo”, and “smartphones with the best camera” Use the AI optimization keyword search volume endpoint.”
As you can see, Claude generated a search volume overview for specified queries using Keyword Search Volume. It included the current AI search volume and highlighted historical peaks of popularity for each query. By using this data, you can assess which queries currently have considerable popularity in AI searches and track how their popularity levels have fluctuated in the past.
In a nutshell, keyword analysis remains critical in SEO and GEO, but follows different principles. SEO keyword analysis focuses on traditional metrics, such as search volume and competition, while GEO requires developing new metrics and collecting data that can reflect the popularity of conversational queries.
3Defining ultimate goals and KPIs
The crucial part of every optimization strategy is to define key performance indicators and the ultimate goals you want to achieve. Clear KPIs and goals allow you to organize the optimization process effectively, track progress against objective metrics, and make adjustments to your strategy if necessary. Moreover, knowing your ultimate goal and ways to achieve it helps you to understand what outcomes you can expect and what you can’t. So, which ultimate goals and KPIs should you define for SEO and which for GEO?
SEO goals and KPIs
As we mentioned earlier, the user journey in traditional search follows a specific pattern: the user searches for something, sees your website, clicks on it, and performs an action (such as reading content or making a purchase). Thus, the ultimate goal of SEO is to bring qualified traffic to your website.
The following processes contribute to the achievement of that ultimate goal:
- Rank high in search results to be seen by users and attract their attention;
- Maintain domain authority to strengthen overall ranking potential;
- Build quality backlinks to signal trustworthiness to search engine;
- Target relevant keywords to attract users who actively search for your product.
Based on these processes and the ultimate goal, it is possible to define key performance indicators that are necessary for assessing the SEO success:
- Average position in SERP;
- Number of ranked SERPs (where website in top 3, top 10);
- Organic traffic volume;
- Domain authority score;
- Backlinks quantity and quality.
You can track all these KPIs by using traditional SEO tools, but most of them have expensive subscriptions and a lot of unnecessary features. Instead, you can create tracking workflows with DataForSEO APIs and no-code integrations, and monitor KPIs for a fraction of the cost.
GEO goals and KPIs
For GEO, the ultimate goal and success metrics differ due to various reasons. First, in generative search, users are highly likely to end their journey with a “zero-click search” – one that does not involve visiting your website. That doesn’t mean traffic volume doesn’t matter, but it’s no longer the primary metric to track. Second, without traditional rankings, success is measured by how AI platforms represent your brand in their responses. Thus, the ultimate goal of GEO is to ensure that your website and brand are frequently, prominently, and accurately mentioned by AI across relevant queries.
Taking into account this ultimate goal and the working principles of generative search, you can define the following KPIs for assessing GEO success:
- Brand mention frequency – how often your brand appears in AI responses for target queries;
- Share of voice in AI search – your visibility compared to competitors across relevant topics;
- Brand mention context and sentiment – whether LLM presents your brand positively and in the right context;
- Citation accuracy – whether AI describes your products, services, and value proposition correctly;
To set up and track these KPIs, you need to retrieve the relevant data from AI responses in a structured format. With the DataForSEO LLM mentions API, you can effectively meet this data need. In particular, you should consider the following endpoints:
- Search Mentions – retrieves structured LLM responses with detailed mentions data. This endpoint is perfect for assessing brand mentions’ context, sentiment, and how accurately AI describes your brand.
- Cross Aggregated Metrics – provides consolidated mentions data for multiple target domains or keywords. This API is what you need for tracking brand mention frequency and comparing your AI share of voice with that of your competitors.
In summary, ultimate goals and KPIs diverge significantly between SEO and GEO. SEO aims to drive website traffic through boosting website rankings and authority. GEO focuses more on establishing brand visibility in AI responses through increasing mention frequency, prominence, and AI share of voice.
Conclusion
SEO and GEO represent two distinct optimization paradigms, each with unique data requirements, tracking methodologies, and success metrics. While SEO relies on established ranking systems and traffic-focused KPIs, GEO is based on entirely new approaches, from tracking mention frequency to analyzing conversational query patterns. Such fundamental differences have a significant impact on the optimization processes as a whole, presenting unprecedented and complex challenges for digital experts.
| SEO | GEO | |
| Visibility Tracking | Tracking positions in SERPs (top 10, top 100) and presence in SERP features using actual and historical SERP data. | Tracking brand mention frequency and citation context across AI responses. Visibility is measured by how often you’re cited, not rankings. |
| Keyword Analysis | Analyzing search volume, competition, CPC, and keyword difficulty using Google Ads data and clickstream insights. | Identifying conversational queries popular in AI searches using proprietary AI search volume. |
| KPIs | SERP positions, organic traffic, domain authority, backlinks, keyword rankings (top 3, top 10). | Brand mention frequency, AI share of voice, citation context, and sentiment, citation accuracy. |
The DataForSEO bridges this complexity gap, providing structured data solutions for both optimization domains. With our new AI Optimization API, you can transform conversational AI responses into structured insights, making them suitable for data-driven optimization and performance tracking. At the same time, with our other API solutions, you can maintain seamless access to traditional SEO data, from structured SERPs to granular keyword metrics.
Whether it’s SEO or GEO, access to quality data is the main prerequisite for success. Register at DataForSEO today, and equip yourself with the complete data infrastructure needed to excel in both traditional and generative search optimization.
