GEO / AEO
Informal terms for visibility in generative or AI answer experiences.
What GEO and AEO are
GEO (generative engine optimisation) and AEO (answer engine optimisation) are informal labels for trying to appear in AI-generated answers, such as Google's AI Overviews, AI Mode or chatbot search tools. Google's AI optimisation guide says that from its point of view, optimising for generative AI search is still SEO.
What it looks like
A small accountancy firm is offered a "GEO package" to rewrite its site in question-and-answer chunks and add an llms.txt file. It asks what the package does beyond normal SEO and gets no clear answer. Instead, it spends the time adding real case examples and named adviser profiles to its key pages.
What it means for your clicks
New labels attract new sales pitches. Google's guide specifically says you don't need special AI text files, Markdown versions of pages or "chunked" content to appear in its AI features, and that rewriting content just for AI isn't necessary. The fundamentals still decide visibility: crawlable pages, useful original content and a trustworthy business.
It's also worth remembering that AI answers draw on the same web Google indexes. Pages that are accurate, specific and clearly from a real business are the ones most likely to be cited.
How to see where you appear
Ask any provider selling GEO or AEO exactly what they'll change and how that differs from normal SEO. Compare their claims with Google's published guidance. For your own site, check that important pages are indexed, answer real questions clearly and show who's behind the business. That's the work that counts.
Wrong assumptions
- Paying extra for "AI optimisation" that's ordinary SEO renamed, or less.
- Fragmenting good pages into tiny pieces.
- Chasing inauthentic mentions across forums and review sites.
- Ignoring classic search, which still drives most visits.
Related search results terms
- AI Overview: Google's AI-generated summary unit on some queries.
- llms.txt: A proposed file for AI tools. Google Search ignores it, so it doesn't affect rankings.
- Helpful content: Content created for people first, aligned with Google's helpful content guidance.
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