If you've been marketing your therapy practice online, you've heard of SEO — Search Engine Optimization. It's been the foundation of online visibility for two decades. But there's a new acronym you need to know: GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization.
Both help families find your practice. But they work differently, target different platforms, and require different strategies. Here's a clear breakdown.
SEO: The Foundation
SEO is about ranking in traditional search engine results. When a parent searches "pediatric occupational therapy in Milwaukee," SEO determines whether your practice appears on page one or page five of Google.
SEO focuses on keywords — making sure your website mentions the terms parents search for. It focuses on technical performance — fast load times, mobile-friendly design, proper meta tags. And it focuses on authority — backlinks from other websites, positive reviews, and consistent business listings.
SEO has been the standard playbook for years, and it still works. Google isn't going anywhere. Traditional search results still drive the majority of website traffic for most therapy practices.
GEO: The New Frontier
GEO is about showing up in AI-generated responses. When a parent asks ChatGPT "What are the best ABA therapy providers near me?" or when Google's AI Overview summarizes therapy options, GEO determines whether your practice is mentioned.
GEO focuses on content structure — making your information easy for AI systems to parse and understand. It focuses on consistency — ensuring your practice name, services, and details are identical everywhere online. And it focuses on authority signals — detailed, expert content that AI systems trust enough to recommend.
The key difference: SEO gets you ranked in a list. GEO gets you recommended in a conversation.
Where They Overlap
The good news is that SEO and GEO share a lot of common ground. High-quality content helps both. Fast, well-structured websites help both. Consistent business information helps both. Strong reviews and reputation help both.
If you're already doing SEO well, you have a head start on GEO. Many of the fundamentals transfer directly.
Where They Diverge
The differences matter. SEO rewards keyword density and backlink profiles. GEO rewards information depth and structured data. SEO targets specific search queries. GEO targets the broader questions and conversations parents have about therapy options.
For example, an SEO strategy might focus on ranking for "ABA therapy Chicago." A GEO strategy would also ensure your practice has detailed content about your ABA methodology, your therapists' training, your success metrics, and your intake process — because that's the kind of comprehensive information AI systems look for when making recommendations.
Why You Need Both
Ignoring either one leaves money on the table. Parents who search traditionally need to find you through SEO. Parents who ask AI assistants for help need to find you through GEO. The practices that invest in both capture the full spectrum of how families discover care providers in 2026.
The shift toward AI-powered search is accelerating. Practices that start building their GEO strategy now will have a significant advantage over those that wait. The best time to start was last year. The second-best time is today.