AI search visibility
AEO and GEO explained: be the answer, not just a search result
A customer used to type "best dentist near me" into Google and scan ten blue links. Today they might ask the same question to Google's AI answer, or to ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity, and get one short reply that names two or three businesses. If you are not in that reply, you are not in the race.
That is the shift behind AEO and GEO. This post explains both in plain words and gives you a first checklist you can act on this month.
What is AEO?
AEO, or answer engine optimization, is the practice of structuring your content so that search engines and assistants can lift a direct answer from it.
Think of the short boxes at the top of a search page, the "people also ask" lists and the spoken answers from a phone assistant. They all pull a clear, self-contained answer from a page. AEO is writing and marking up pages so yours is the one they pull.
What is GEO?
GEO, or generative engine optimization, is the practice of making your business easy for AI assistants to understand, trust and mention in the answers they write.
Assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity build answers from many sources. They tend to favour pages that are clear, specific, well organised and consistent with what the rest of the web says about you.
SEO, AEO and GEO compared
They overlap, but each has a different goal.
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank your pages in search results | Be the direct answer on the results page | Be named in AI-written answers |
| Where it shows | Google and other search engines | Answer boxes, voice answers | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and similar |
| Main levers | Page quality, speed, links, local profile | Question-led content, short direct answers | Clear facts, consistent details, trusted sources |
| How you check | Search rankings and visits | Whether your text is quoted | Asking assistants about your business and seeing what they say |
Nobody can promise a position in any of these. What you can do is remove the reasons you would be skipped.
A first checklist you can do this month
Start with the basics, in this order:
- Write down the ten questions your customers ask. Use calls, WhatsApp chats and walk-ins. These are your page topics.
- Answer each one in the first two sentences of a page. Then add detail below. A reader and a machine both get the answer fast.
- Say who you are in the same words everywhere. Use one business name, one address and one phone number across your website, Google Business Profile and social pages.
- Set up your Google Business Profile properly. Add hours, services, photos and a correct phone number. Google explains how in its Business Profile help.
- Make your site fast on a phone. Most of your customers will see it there.
- Add structured data where it fits. It tells machines what a page is about. Google's structured data introduction is a good place to start.
- Publish regularly, and update old pages. Add a visible date and keep facts current.
What not to do
Shortcuts tend to backfire. Avoid these:
- Writing pages only to rank, with no real answer in them.
- Stuffing the same phrase into a page again and again.
- Inventing reviews, awards or numbers. Assistants and search engines both care about trust.
- Copying text from other sites.
Google's own guidance is to write content for people first. Its page on helpful, people-first content is worth reading once.
How to see where you stand
You can test GEO with no tools. Open ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity and ask the questions your customers would ask: "best clinic in my area", "who can build a website for a small shop". Note whether your business is named, whether the details are right and which sources they cite. Repeat monthly.
If your business is missing or wrong, the fixes above are your to-do list. For help, see our SEO and AI visibility service, or read how this fits with how much a website should cost. You can also ask us for a quick look.
The short version
AEO gets your answer quoted by search engines. GEO gets your business named by AI assistants. Both rest on good SEO: clear answers to real questions, consistent facts and a site that works well on a phone.
Frequently asked questions
What does AEO stand for?
AEO stands for answer engine optimization. It means writing and marking up your pages so search engines and assistants can quote a clear, direct answer from them.
What does GEO stand for?
GEO stands for generative engine optimization. It means making your business easy for AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to understand, trust and mention in their answers.
Is SEO still important if I want AI assistants to mention me?
Yes. SEO is the base. A fast, clear, well-organised site with a complete Google Business Profile helps in search, in answer boxes and in AI assistants alike.
Can anyone promise that ChatGPT will recommend my business?
No. Nobody controls what an assistant says. You can make your business clear, consistent and credible, which raises the chance of being named, but you cannot buy a result.
How long do AEO and GEO take to work?
It varies. Technical fixes can be done in days, but search engines and assistants need time to notice changes. Treat it as steady work over months, and check your progress monthly.
Next step
Be the answer people find
Be found on Google and in AI answers such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, with Google Business Profile set up properly.