AEO vs SEO vs GEO: what's the difference?
SEO ranks links, AEO wins the answer, and GEO is the umbrella for influencing generative AI output. Here's how they relate, and overlap.
By Faraaz Khan
SEO optimizes to rank in a list of links. AEO (answer engine optimization) optimizes to *be* the answer an AI gives. GEO (generative engine optimization) is the umbrella term for influencing any generative AI output. They share technical foundations but differ in goal: a blue link, a cited answer, or a generated recommendation.
Three goals, one foundation
- SEO → win a position on a ranked results page. Metric: rank and clicks.
- AEO → be the source an answer engine reads and cites. Metric: inclusion in the answer. See what is AEO.
- GEO → shape what generative models say about you anywhere. Metric: presence and accuracy in generated text. See what is GEO.
What they share
All three depend on the same basics: a crawlable, fast page; content in the raw HTML; clean structured data; and real trust signals. Good SEO hygiene is a prerequisite for AEO and GEO, but it isn't sufficient on its own.
Where they diverge
AEO adds answer-shaped content: a direct lead answer, question-style headings, FAQ schema, and explicit facts and citations a model can lift. GEO adds reputation management across the wider web, since generative models draw on far more than your own pages.
Do SEO so you can be found. Do AEO so you can be quoted. Do GEO so you're described correctly everywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Is AEO replacing SEO?
- No, it's extending it. Classic search isn't disappearing overnight, and the technical foundations of SEO (crawlability, speed, structured data) are exactly what AEO builds on. Most sites should do both.
What's the difference between AEO and GEO?
- AEO focuses specifically on being the cited answer in AI answer engines. GEO (generative engine optimization) is the broader practice of influencing any generative AI output about you, including reputation across the wider web.