Google's Mueller Advises Looking at Data Before Prioritizing SEO vs GEO

Google Search Advocate John Mueller has urged businesses to consider actual usage metrics when deciding whether to focus on traditional SEO or newer GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) strategies. Speaking in a recent Reddit thread, Mueller emphasized that companies relying on referral traffic should examine their analytics before reallocating resources.

Mueller suggests taking a practical, data-driven approach to the emerging SEO versus GEO debate rather than getting caught up in terminology discussions. His comments come as the digital marketing industry grapples with how to optimize content for both traditional search engines and AI-powered answer engines.

Understanding the SEO-GEO relationship

Mueller didn't explicitly endorse or reject the GEO terminology that has gained popularity in recent months. Instead, he reframed the conversation around business priorities and resource allocation.

"What you call it doesn't matter, but 'AI' is not going away, but thinking about how your site's value works in a world where 'AI' is available is worth the time," Mueller wrote on Reddit.

His perspective aligns with previous Google statements that AI features share infrastructure with traditional search. This suggests that rather than treating GEO as an entirely separate discipline, marketers should understand how these systems work together.

Mueller particularly emphasized checking actual usage metrics: "Be realistic and look at actual usage metrics and understand your audience (what % is using 'AI'? what % is using Facebook? what does it mean for where you spend your time?)."

Current data indicates that AI assistants like ChatGPT drive less than 1% of traffic for most publishers, with ChatGPT referrals averaging around 0.19% for typical websites. While these numbers are growing, they may not yet justify major strategic shifts for many businesses.

Balancing resources in a changing landscape

The discussion comes at a pivotal moment for digital marketers. As AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity continue to evolve, businesses must decide how much attention to give these emerging platforms while maintaining their traditional search visibility.

"If you have an online business that makes money from referred traffic, it's definitely a good idea to consider the full picture, and prioritize accordingly," Mueller advised.

This balanced approach represents a departure from Mueller's typical "it depends" responses. By focusing on actual data rather than industry buzzwords, he's providing practical guidance for businesses navigating the shifting search landscape.

The conversation around GEO has intensified over the past year as citation studies, traffic analyses, and research comparing Google rankings to Large Language Model (LLM) citations have shown AI engines beginning to drive measurable referral traffic to websites.

What's been unclear, however, is whether businesses need separate strategies for traditional search and AI engines, or if core optimization principles remain similar across platforms. When considering this question, businesses should also examine how Google's algorithm updates affect ranking factors to better understand the evolving landscape.

Integrating SEO and GEO effectively

For businesses looking to balance traditional SEO with emerging GEO practices, understanding the fundamental components of digital marketing remains essential. These core principles often apply across both traditional and AI-powered search environments.

The most effective approach may involve:

• Maintaining strong technical SEO fundamentals
• Creating comprehensive, authoritative content that answers user questions thoroughly
• Ensuring content is structured logically with clear headings and organization
• Building credibility through proper citations and references
• Monitoring both traditional search analytics and emerging AI referral patterns

Practical applications for marketers

For digital marketers, Mueller's comments suggest several practical steps:

• Examine your analytics to determine if AI referrals are already showing up in your traffic sources
• Calculate what percentage of your audience is using AI tools versus traditional search or social channels
• Allocate resources based on where your actual traffic comes from, not just industry trends
• Consider how your content provides value in both traditional search and AI-assisted information retrieval

This data-driven approach could help businesses avoid overcommitting to strategies that may not yet deliver significant returns. At the same time, staying informed about how AI engines surface and cite content remains important for future-proofing digital marketing efforts.

The terminology debate—whether to call it GEO, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), or simply evolved SEO—will likely continue regardless of Google's official stance. What matters more, according to Mueller, is understanding your audience's actual behavior.

Performance measurement and strategic planning

To effectively navigate this changing landscape, businesses should implement robust website traffic analysis strategies that capture both traditional search performance and emerging AI-driven visits. This comprehensive approach to measurement ensures you're making decisions based on complete data rather than assumptions.

Additionally, exploring Google's essential marketing tools can provide deeper insights into how your content performs across different search environments and help identify opportunities for optimization in both traditional and generative contexts.

How to use this information

Mueller's practical advice offers several takeaways for businesses and marketers:

1. Check your analytics for AI referral sources and track their growth over time to make informed decisions

2. Understand that optimizing for value delivery remains important regardless of whether users find you through traditional search or AI assistants

3. Avoid reallocating resources based solely on industry buzz—let your audience's actual behavior guide your strategy

As we navigate this transition period where traditional search coexists with emerging AI answer engines, Mueller's emphasis on data over terminology provides a solid framework for decision-making. Like the shift from desktop to mobile search a decade ago, the rise of AI assistants represents an evolution of search behavior rather than its complete replacement.

The key is to stay flexible, monitor your own metrics, and focus on creating content that delivers value regardless of how users discover it—a strategy that has always been at the core of successful digital marketing, even as the technological landscape continues to evolve.