King of AI SEOThe short version
| Classic SEO | AI SEO (AEO, GEO) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where customers look | Google results and the map | Answers from ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity |
| What they see | Ten links and three map spots | Two or three names, written into an answer |
| The goal | Rank high on the page | Be one of the names the answer gives |
| How you measure it | Rankings, clicks, calls | How often you are named and cited, week to week |
| The foundations | A clear website, a strong Google Business Profile, consistent listings, real reviews, mentions on other sites | |
What the names mean
SEO (search engine optimization) is the work of ranking in search engines like Google. AEO (answer engine optimization) was coined for getting into direct answers: featured snippets, voice assistants and now AI chat. GEO (generative engine optimization) comes from research on getting cited by AI that writes its own answers. AI SEO is the plain-English name most business owners use for the same thing.
What actually changes
The foundations do not change. What changes is that there is no page two. In an AI answer a business is named or it is not, so the work shifts toward being described clearly and consistently across many sources, because the assistant summarizes what the web says about you rather than ranking your page alone.
Which one do you need?
Both, and they are mostly the same work. A business that is strong in classic local SEO has a head start in AI answers. The extra work is making sure the sources the assistants read describe you, and checking the answers every week.
Questions
What is the difference between AI SEO and SEO?
SEO aims to rank a page in search results. AI SEO aims to have a business named in answers written by AI assistants. The foundations are the same; the prize is a place in the answer instead of a position on a page.
What is AEO?
Answer engine optimization: the work of getting a business into direct answers, from featured snippets and voice assistants to AI chat.
What is GEO?
Generative engine optimization: the work of getting a business cited in answers that AI writes itself. In practice it is the same work as AI SEO.