Pillar 4 · Chapter
SEO, AEO, and GEO: What They Mean and Which You Need
Three overlapping acronyms, one question that matters: what each one does, how they differ, and which your business actually needs.
What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?
AEO is the practice of structuring your content so answer engines (AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity) can extract it and present it as the answer. It competes to be the answer, where SEO competed for a spot on the list.
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?
GEO is the practice of making your content one of the sources AI engines draw on and cite when they generate answers. The term comes from academic research that measured which tactics actually move visibility.
Is SEO dead, or still worth it in the AI era?
SEO isn't dead. The version that chased rankings and clicks is expiring, and the part that makes your site readable to machines got promoted: it's now the foundation AI visibility runs on. Keep the foundation, redirect the spend.