Both are important, but for different reasons and different timelines.

SEO is important right now. The majority of search traffic still flows through Google, and firms with strong rankings capture prospects who search with keywords. If your firm is not ranking for relevant local searches, SEO should be an immediate priority.

GEO is important for the near future. AI-assisted research is growing rapidly among the exact audience most professional service firms want to reach: educated, high-income individuals who are increasingly comfortable asking AI assistants for recommendations before contacting a firm directly. The firms building GEO foundations today will have a significant advantage as AI search grows.

Pop Machine Agency’s position is that professional service firms should not have to choose. An integrated strategy that builds both simultaneously is more efficient and more effective than sequencing them.