More searches now end in an AI-generated answer instead of a list of links. That has created new terms: AEO and GEO. Here’s what each one means, and what it means for your clients.
SEO: ranking in search results
Search engine optimization is the work of ranking web pages in search engines like Google. It covers technical health, content, links and, for local businesses, the Google Business Profile.
SEO is still the foundation. AI tools lean heavily on pages that already rank well and sites they trust.
AEO: being the answer
Answer engine optimization focuses on making content easy to quote as a direct answer. It grew from featured snippets and voice search, and now applies to AI answers too.
AEO usually means:
- Clear answers near the top of the page
- Question-led headings that match how people ask
- FAQ sections and short summaries
- Structured data that helps machines understand the content
GEO: being in the AI answer
Generative engine optimization is broader. It’s about how AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews understand, trust and mention a brand.
GEO usually includes:
- Entity clarity: consistent facts about the brand across its website and other sites
- Mentions on trusted sites that AI tools draw from
- Content that covers a topic fully, not just one keyword
- Tracking which prompts mention the brand, and which mention competitors instead
How they fit together
Think of it as layers:
- SEO makes the site rank and be trusted.
- AEO makes the content easy to quote.
- GEO makes the brand easy for AI tools to recommend.
They support each other. A site with weak SEO will struggle to appear in AI answers, however well its content is structured.
What agencies can do now
- Measure first. Check which prompts mention the client today, and which competitors appear instead.
- Fix the basics. Technical SEO, schema and clear pages about each service.
- Restructure key pages so they answer questions clearly.
- Report it. Clients are asking whether they show up in ChatGPT. Show them, every month.
AI answers change often, so no one can promise a mention. But the signals that help are clear, and agencies that start now will be ahead.