AEO and GEO overlap. Answer engine optimization shapes content so a system can give it as one direct answer. Generative engine optimization works on how AI answers from ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity mention, describe and cite you. Google says optimizing for generative AI search is still SEO, so one plan with clear answers and accurate facts serves both.
- AEO shapes content so a system can give it as one direct answer: featured answers, voice search, AI assistants.
- GEO works on how generative AI answers mention, describe and cite your business.
- Google says optimizing for generative AI search is still SEO, and that no special markup or llms.txt file is needed.
- Most of the work is shared. Measure each with dated answers to a fixed set of buyer questions.
AEO and GEO, defined
AEO, answer engine optimization, is making content easy to use as a direct answer to a question. The term covers featured answers in search, voice assistants and AI assistants. See the AEO glossary entry.
GEO, generative engine optimization, is improving how often and how accurately generative AI answers name, describe and cite your business. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews all write such answers. See the GEO glossary entry.
Both names describe the same goal from two angles: AEO from the answer, GEO from the engine that writes it.
A third name, LLM SEO, points the same work at the large language models behind those assistants.
AEO vs GEO compared
| Question | AEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|
| What you aim for | Your text given as the answer | Your business named, described correctly or cited |
| Where it shows | Featured answers, voice assistants, AI assistants | ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode |
| Where the name comes from | Search marketing practice, no single paper | A research paper from November 2023 |
| Main levers | A direct answer first, headings that match questions, facts in visible text | The same, plus accurate business facts across the web and evidence other sites reference |
| How to measure | Which of your target questions your page answers | Dated answers to a fixed set of buyer questions, per assistant |
| What can go wrong | A short answer that drops the conditions that make it true | A mention with the wrong price, area or service |
The rows that differ are about where you look. The page work is the same for both.
What Google says about AEO and GEO
Google's guide to optimizing for AI features names both terms and answers them in one line: "optimizing for generative AI search is optimizing for the search experience, and thus still SEO."
The same guide removes two common to-dos:
| Claim you may hear | What Google says |
|---|---|
| You need an llms.txt file | Not needed for Google Search |
| You need special AI markup | "Structured data isn't required for generative AI search, and there's no special schema.org markup you need to add." |
That covers Google. ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity run their own crawlers and write their own answers, which is why GEO adds checks per assistant. The GEO vs SEO guide covers how each one picks its sources.
Where the term GEO comes from
GEO comes from a research paper first posted in November 2023 and published at the KDD 2024 conference. Its authors rewrote source pages in nine ways and measured how much of each generated answer drew on them.
AEO has no single origin paper. The term is used for featured answers, voice search and AI assistants alike, so a report labelled AEO should say which system it measured.
Want to know where your business stands? The free checker shows whether ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok name it.
Which one should you work on first?
| Your situation | Start with |
|---|---|
| Customers search with full questions | AEO: answer each question on a page, answer first |
| Customers ask assistants for a supplier | GEO: check which assistants name you and who they name instead |
| A local business with a Google Business Profile | Both, starting with accurate business facts |
| You are not sure yet | A free check of what the assistants say today |
One plan that covers both
- Write down 20 questions your buyers ask before they choose a supplier.
- Ask them in the assistants your customers use and save the dated answers.
- Answer each question on your site: the answer first, then the conditions and the next step.
- Fix wrong or missing facts on your Google Business Profile and the directories assistants read.
- Ask the same questions again each month, with the same settings, and compare.
For a first reading of step 2, the free GEO audit puts five buyer questions about your trade and area to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok, and shows who gets named instead of you. If you want the whole plan done for you, AIGROW's AI SEO agency service fixes the profile, citations, structured data and pages, without promising a ranking.
Sources
- Google Search Central, Optimizing for AI features in Google Search
- GEO: Generative Engine Optimization, KDD 2024 paper
For the longer playbooks, read the AEO strategy guide and how to get cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Check your own business in AI answers
Free GEO audit: see if ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok name your business, who gets named instead, and what your listings show.
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