GEO vs. SEO: Ross Simmonds on Owning Channels, Diversifying Traffic, and Shaping LLM Results

Ross Simmonds breaks down how AI overviews and LLMs are changing search—and what small businesses can do to keep winning. 

We dig into why brand and owned channels matter more than ever, how to diversify beyond Google, which third-party domains LLMs love to cite, and a simple focus formula for content distribution. 

Key Takeaways

• The SERP is shifting to answers and transactions; fewer clicks to your site means brand + owned channels are mission-critical. 
• Now is the time to publish unique, story-driven content that LLMs can cite later. Create assets your “future you” will be grateful for. 
• Diversify discovery: show up where buyers research (TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, Etsy), not just on Google. 
• Search behavior has shifted—people use Instagram/YouTube/TikTok for ideas and how-tos; optimize for those journeys. 
• To influence LLM answers, seed multiple authoritative domains (LinkedIn, Reddit, Medium, Quora) with your message. 
• “Be excellent on one channel” first; syndicate elsewhere even if it’s not perfect—then expand. 
• Optimize your life too: sleep and calendars drive better marketing than nonstop grind. 

Listener Action Items

1. Pick your “home” channel and get excellent at it for 90 days; syndicate the same posts to 2 other platforms with light edits. 
2. Publish 3–5 unique, story-rich assets this month that your future self wants LLMs to cite. 
3. Seed third-party domains (LinkedIn article, Reddit thread, Medium post, Quora answer) with your core message to boost LLM citation odds. 
4. Audit discovery: can buyers find you on Pinterest/Instagram/TikTok/Etsy for your “money” searches? If not, claim and optimize profiles. 
5. Protect your energy: schedule sleep, workouts, and we

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

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 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Chapters

• 0:00 if I'm in your shoes, I'm thinking, where are people thinking about
• 1:21 Adapting to AI and Search Engine Changes
• 2:25 Future of Content and AI Integration
• 3:28 Introduction to E-commerce Challenges
• 4:02 Traffic Quality and Revenue
• 4:35 Diversification Strategies
• 5:22 Changing Search Behaviors
• 7:03 Omnichannel Marketing Success
• 9:01 Content Distribution and LLMs
• 11:44 Focus on Excellence
• 13:04 Rapid Fire Questions
• 14:20 Optimizing Personal Life
• 17:23 Conclusion and Contact Information