We don’t need more acronyms, but as usual, we have some more. And in true Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) fashion, here is the no fluff answer to what you need to know:
Search Engine Optimisation
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a term that has been around for a long time now. It’s basically about getting your website pages/content listed and highly ranked in Google and Bing. There have always been technical things you can do to improve SEO, like improving website speed and making sure the correct files are in place, but the general rule has always been to have good content. The same applies for AEO and GEO.
For most organisations, the goal hasn't changed. Better visibility means more opportunities to attract potential customers, build trust and generate enquiries.
Answer Engine Optimisation
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is creating content that AI tools can confidently use when answering specific questions. If you are already recognised as a trustworthy source online, whether through an established website, industry authority or strong brand presence, then you really just need to keep your content rich in direct, concise, and accurate answers to the questions people may have. Look at this blog article you are reading now for instance, it's basically just definitions for terms rather than lengthy story telling.
Generative Engine Optimisation
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is similar to AEO, but it’s much more general. It’s being a source of good and trustworthy content that AI models regularly paraphrase when constructing responses for users. Rather than being the answer, your aim here is to be a reference, for example a citation in an answer or your company in a list of relevant suppliers. GEO crosses over with SEO in almost every way. Your SEO and GEO would both benefit from original and up to date content, clean semantic HTML, and high authority backlinks.
Good Content
So, there it is, 3 acronyms, but they all boil down to the same idea we've always known, which is to make good, accurate content, and make sure it's easy for whatever's reading it (human or otherwise) to find and trust. SEO gets you ranked, AEO gets you quoted, and GEO gets you referenced without anyone even clicking through.