Google Search Advocate John Mueller has shared his views on the growing debate about whether traditional SEO is still enough or if businesses need a separate approach focused on AI driven discovery. Some people refer to this newer approach as GEO, which is used for visibility on AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.
Mueller responded to a question on Reddit about whether SEO alone can work in a world where AI tools are starting to send referral traffic. He said the name of the practice is not very important. What matters more is understanding how AI tools contribute to a business’s traffic and overall online visibility.
He explained that if a business depends on referral traffic to make money, it should look at the full picture and decide priorities based on real data. Mueller also made it clear that the growth of AI features does not replace the need for traditional search visibility.
Mueller did not support the term GEO. Instead, he described the issue as a business decision about where to spend time and resources. He said AI tools are not going away, but businesses should check their analytics to see where their visitors are coming from.
He added that companies should not assume people will always discover them through AI systems. They should compare how much traffic comes from AI tools and how much comes from other platforms like Facebook. Based on this comparison, businesses can decide whether they need to change their strategy.
Mueller’s comments highlight the uncertainty in the industry about how to combine new AI discovery channels with established SEO practices. While some professionals see GEO as a separate discipline, his view suggests that core SEO fundamentals are still key.
Industry experts also point out that AI referral traffic is growing but remains a small part of total web traffic for most websites. For now, a balanced approach that focuses on strong SEO while keeping an eye on AI driven opportunities appears to be the most practical path forward.
