SEO vs AEO vs GEO
SEO optimizes for classic search rankings, AEO (answer engine optimization) optimizes for featured snippets and voice answers, and GEO (generative engine optimization) optimizes to be cited by LLMs like ChatGPT and AI Overviews - three surfaces that require one coordinated strategy.
SEO: ranking in classic search
Search engine optimization is the original surface: earning position in Google's blue-link results through relevance, authority, and technical health. It still drives the majority of trackable organic clicks.
AEO: winning the answer
Answer engine optimization targets featured snippets, People Also Ask, and voice assistants. It rewards content structured as clear questions and extractable answers, backed by FAQ schema.
GEO: getting cited by LLMs
Generative engine optimization is the newest surface: being named and quoted by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. LLMs favor well-structured, factual, quotable content with clear definitions.
Why you optimize for all three
Buyers no longer only type into Google - they ask assistants and prompt LLMs. Optimizing one surface leaves two-thirds of the opportunity on the table. The winning approach engineers every page for all three at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is GEO just SEO with a new name?
No. They overlap but reward different things: SEO rewards authority and links, GEO rewards clean, factual, quotable structure that LLMs can lift and attribute.
Which surface matters most in 2026?
All three. Classic search still has the most volume, but AEO and GEO are where competitive advantage is currently cheapest to win.
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