AI search guide
Every week there’s a new acronym for “getting found in AI answers”. Here’s what AEO and GEO actually mean, how they relate to normal SEO, and what a small business should do about them.
Short answer
SEO (search engine optimisation) gets your pages ranking in Google’s normal results. AEO (answer engine optimisation) gets your content used as the answer, in featured snippets, voice assistants and AI Overviews. GEO (generative engine optimisation) gets your business mentioned and cited by AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Mode. They overlap heavily: all three reward clear, accurate, well-structured content from a business that other trusted sites talk about.
Key takeaways
- SEO is about ranking, AEO about being the answer, GEO about being mentioned by AI
- About 80% of the work is the same for all three
- AI tools search the web and summarise what they find
- Clear answers, structured pages and mentions on trusted sites help all three
- Measure AI visibility separately from rankings
The three terms in one table
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stands for | Search engine optimisation | Answer engine optimisation | Generative engine optimisation |
| The goal | Rank in Google’s results | Be the answer shown or read out | Be mentioned or cited by AI tools |
| Where it shows | Blue links, Google Maps | Featured snippets, voice answers, AI Overviews | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Google AI Mode |
| How you measure it | Rankings, clicks, enquiries | Snippets won, AI Overview appearances | Mentions, citations, AI referral visits |
| Main question | “Can people find my page?” | “Is my answer the clearest?” | “Do AI tools trust and recommend me?” |
You’ll also see LLMO (large language model optimisation), AIO and AI SEO. They all mean roughly the same thing as GEO. Don’t let the labels distract you: the work underneath is largely the same.
SEO: still the foundation
SEO is how Google’s normal results decide which pages to show. It rests on three things:
Technical
Google can reach, read and index your pages quickly, on any device. Technical SEO
Relevance
Your pages match what people are searching for, with the right words, clear answers and one page per topic. Keyword research
Authority
Other trusted websites link to you and mention you, and real customers review you. Link building
AEO and GEO are built on top of this. AI tools mostly find their information by searching the web, so if your pages aren’t findable in search, they’re far less likely to be found by AI either.
AEO: being the answer
Answer engine optimisation started with featured snippets and voice assistants: the single answer Google shows above the results, or the one Alexa reads out. Today it also covers Google’s AI Overviews.
What helps:
- Put the short answer first, in one or two sentences, right under the question
- Use the customer’s own question as a heading (“How much does a house extension cost in Dublin?”)
- Follow with detail: steps, tables, prices, examples
- Add an FAQ section for related questions
- Use schema markup so machines can read your page structure Schema guide
GEO: being mentioned by AI tools
When someone asks ChatGPT or Gemini “Who’s a good accountant in Navan?”, the tool usually runs several web searches behind the scenes, reads the pages it finds, and writes a summary. GEO is about being in those pages, and being described accurately.
Be clear about who you are
Your name, services, areas and prices should be the same on your website, Google Business Profile, directories and social profiles. AI tools trust facts they see repeated.
Get mentioned on other sites
Directories, local news, industry bodies, “best of” lists and review sites. AI tools lean heavily on what others say about you, not just what you say. Citations guide
Publish answers worth citing
Original prices, real data, clear explanations and named experts. AI tools prefer specific, factual content over vague marketing copy.
Let AI crawlers in
Check your robots.txt and security settings don’t block crawlers like OAI-SearchBot (ChatGPT search) or PerplexityBot.
Keep reviews coming
Reviews on Google and other sites are among the signals AI tools use when they recommend local businesses. Reviews guide
How they overlap
What’s the same for all three
- A fast, crawlable website
- One clear page per service and topic
- Short answers first, detail after
- Consistent business details everywhere
- Reviews and mentions on trusted sites
- Schema markup
What’s different for AI
- Mentions matter even without a link
- How AI describes you (accuracy and tone) matters, not just whether it names you
- Results change depending on how the question is worded
- You need to check AI answers regularly, because they change
- Some AI visits show up as “direct” in Google Analytics
How to measure each one
- SEO: Google Search Console (clicks, impressions, positions) and the enquiries those visits bring in.
- AEO: Search Console now has a Generative AI performance report showing impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode. It’s available to all sites since August 2026.
- GEO: Ask the AI tools your customers’ questions every month and record who gets named. Track visits from ChatGPT, Perplexity and others in Google Analytics. How to track AI traffic
What to do this month
01
Fix the basics
Make sure Google can index your service pages and your Google Business Profile is complete.
02
Rewrite one page
Take your most important service page and add the short answer, price range and FAQ.
03
Check your details
Make sure your name, address, phone and services match everywhere online.
04
Ask the AI
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity three questions your customers ask. Note who gets named, and why.
Frequently asked questions
Is SEO dead because of AI?
No. AI tools rely on search results to find information, and Google still sends most website traffic. SEO is now the foundation that AEO and GEO build on.
Do I need a separate AEO or GEO agency?
Usually not. The work overlaps so much that it makes sense for one team to handle it together. Be careful of anyone selling GEO as a magic fix that ignores the basics.
How long does GEO take to work?
AI tools that search the web live can pick up changes within weeks. Getting mentioned on other trusted sites takes longer. Expect to judge progress over a few months, like SEO.
Can I pay to be recommended by ChatGPT?
Some AI tools have started testing clearly labelled ads, but those are separate from the answer itself. You can’t pay to be named in the answer, so be wary of anyone who guarantees it.
Want to know where you stand in AI answers?
We’ll ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI the questions your customers ask, and show you who gets named.