Three acronyms. Three disciplines. One goal: visibility. If you're confused about what's actually different between SEO, AEO, and GEO — you're not alone.
Traditional SEO: The Foundation
Search Engine Optimisation is the original discipline, built around optimising for link-based search results — primarily Google. The goal of SEO is to rank highly in Google's search results pages (SERPs) for relevant queries.
AEO: Optimising for AI Answers
Answer Engine Optimisation focuses specifically on conversational AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. The goal of AEO is to ensure your brand is cited or recommended when users ask these systems questions directly.
GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation
Generative Engine Optimisation is a broader term that encompasses optimisation for all generative AI systems, including AI-powered search features embedded in traditional search engines (like Google's AI Overviews).
Practical Priorities for 2025
- Foundation: Solidify your technical SEO. Site speed, crawlability, and mobility matter for everything.
- Diagnostic: Conduct an AEO audit to understand your current AI visibility gaps.
- Communication: Create and maintain an llms.txt file to guide AI crawlers.
- Restructure: Review your most important pages for answer-first formatting.
- Monitor: Track your appearances in Google AI Overviews (GEO).
The businesses building integrated search strategies today will have compounding advantages as AI-powered search continues to evolve. The signals that drive AI citation reinforce the signals that drive traditional rankings.
Unlock your integrated strategy today.
Our AEO Audit maps out your visibility across all three search modalities.
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