How people find businesses online is changing. A plain-English guide to SEO and GEO, and how Avenue De Saxe can help your website keep up.

For a long time, getting found online meant one thing: showing up in Google. Someone typed in a few words, scrolled a list of links, and clicked through to a website.

That’s still happening, but it’s no longer the whole story. More and more people now ask AI tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Gemini or Perplexity a question and get an answer straight back, often with a short list of recommended businesses. In many cases they never see a list of links at all.

This has happened quickly, and it’s still shifting. The tools change month to month, and the rules for showing up in them are still being worked out. Most business owners we talk to are aware something has changed but aren’t sure what it means for them. That’s completely normal.

Search Engine Optimisation is the work of helping search engines like Google understand your website, trust it, and show it to the right people.

It covers things like how your pages are structured, how quickly your site loads, how clearly you describe what you do, and whether other reputable sites point back to you. Good SEO is mostly about doing the basics well and keeping them up to date.

Generative Engine Optimisation is the newer cousin. It’s about making sure AI tools can find, read and understand your business well enough to mention you when someone asks a relevant question.

AI tools look at your website differently to a traditional search engine. They favour content that is clear, well organised, factual and easy to quote. They also draw on what the rest of the internet says about you: your Google Business Profile, reviews, directories and mentions elsewhere.

The two overlap a lot. A website that does SEO well is usually in a good position for GEO. But there are now some specific things worth checking that simply weren’t on anyone’s radar a couple of years ago.

Whatever your business, your website is often the first impression people get of you, even if they never actually visit it. If an AI tool summarises your business, you want that summary to be accurate. If someone asks for a recommendation in your area or industry, you want a fair chance of being part of the answer.

We look after a large number of websites for businesses across a wide range of industries, and we’ve been watching these changes closely. We’ve developed a straightforward, step-by-step service so you can understand where your website stands and decide what to do next, at your own pace.

Phase 1: Audit
We review your website and your wider online presence through both a search engine and an AI lens. You’ll receive a clear, plain-English report covering what’s working, what’s holding you back, and what we’d recommend, in order of importance.

We look after a large number of websites for businesses across a wide range of industries, and we’ve been watching these changes closely. We’ve developed a straightforward, step-by-step service so you can understand where your website stands and decide what to do next, at your own pace.

Honesty
No one can guarantee a top spot on Google or a mention from an AI tool, and we won’t pretend otherwise. What we can do is make sure your website gives you the best possible chance.

Plain English
We’ll explain what we find without jargon, and we’re happy to walk you through it in person.

If you’d like to know how your website is placed, or you just want to talk it through, we’d be glad to hear from you. Even if you’re not sure it’s needed yet, a short conversation is a good place to start.