SEO vs AEO vs GEO: Are We Overcomplicating Search Marketing?

Search marketing has an acronym problem. SEO has been joined by AEO, GEO, AIO, LLMO and whatever gets coined at the next conference. Every new term seems to come with a new service package.

If you’re a business owner trying to work out what you actually need, it’s confusing. So let’s cut through it. Here’s what each term means, where they overlap, where they’re genuinely different, and what I’d actually spend money on.

What each term means

SEO: search engine optimisation

The original. SEO is everything you do to rank in search engines like Google and Bing: technical fixes, content, links, local listings and user experience. The goal is to appear high in the results and win the click.

AEO: answer engine optimisation

AEO focuses on being the answer rather than just a result. It started with featured snippets and voice assistants, where one answer gets shown in a box or read out loud. Now it covers AI answers too. The core skill is structuring content so a machine can lift a clear, correct answer from it.

GEO: generative engine optimisation

GEO is about getting your brand mentioned and cited in answers written by generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews. The term comes from a 2023 academic paper that tested how different content changes affected which sources AI answers cited.

Where they overlap

Here’s the bit the acronym-sellers don’t lead with. Most of the work is shared.

• Crawlable, fast, well-built websites. If a search engine can’t read your site, neither can an AI tool.
• Content that answers real questions. All three reward clear, accurate, helpful pages.
• Authority and trust. Links, reviews, mentions and real expertise help you rank, get picked as the answer and get cited.
• A clear brand identity. Consistent business details help search engines and AI tools understand who you are.

AI Overviews are a good example. They tend to draw heavily on pages that already rank well in Google. So solid SEO is still the foundation for AI visibility.

Where they genuinely differ

There are real differences. They’re just smaller than the marketing suggests.

How you measure success

SEO is measured in rankings, clicks and conversions. GEO is measured in mentions, citations and how you’re described, which often happens without a click. You need different tracking for each.

How much off-site signals matter

AI tools lean heavily on what other sites say about you: reviews, forums, comparison articles and news. Traditional SEO cares about this too, but GEO puts it closer to the centre.

How questions are asked

People type short keywords into Google but ask AI tools long, detailed questions. Content that covers specific situations, like “for a small retailer in Perth”, has a better chance of matching.

Which platforms matter

SEO mostly means Google. GEO means Google plus ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot. Some AI tools draw on Bing’s index, so Bing Webmaster Tools deserves more attention than it used to get.

Are we overcomplicating it?

Yes. New acronyms help agencies sell new packages. That doesn’t mean the underlying changes aren’t real, but it does mean you should be sceptical.

Watch out for these warning signs:

• A “GEO package” sold separately from SEO, with no work on the fundamentals.
• Guarantees that you’ll “rank number one in ChatGPT”. Nobody controls AI answers, and they change from one question to the next.
• Silver-bullet fixes, like a single file or tag that will supposedly get you into AI answers. There’s little evidence any one tweak moves the needle on its own.
• Reports full of new metrics with no link to enquiries or sales.

A simpler way to think about it

Forget the acronyms. Think about search visibility: being found, chosen and trusted wherever your customers look.

One strategy, one team, one set of numbers tied to revenue.

What to actually do

1. Fix the foundations. Technical health, page speed, site structure and indexing.
2. Answer the real questions. Map what buyers ask at each stage and answer each one clearly, answer first.
3. Build proof. Case studies, reviews, named experts and original data.
4. Get talked about. Earn mentions on industry sites, directories, podcasts and local media.
5. Track both worlds. Keep your SEO reporting, and add AI mentions, citations and AI referral traffic.

If you’d like this run as one joined-up program, that’s how we handle SEO and AI search optimisation at Anahaw Media, a Perth digital marketing agency.

The bottom line

SEO, AEO and GEO aren’t three different jobs. They’re three angles on the same job: making your business the obvious choice when someone searches, however they search. Spend your money on the fundamentals first. The acronyms will keep changing. The fundamentals won’t.

FAQs

Do I need a separate GEO agency?

Usually not. Most GEO work overlaps with good SEO. It makes more sense to have one team handle both so the strategy, content and reporting line up. That’s how we run our AEO services across Australia.

Is AEO the same as GEO?

They’re close. AEO is about being the answer, which covers snippets and voice as well as AI. GEO is specifically about generative AI tools. In practice, most people use the terms almost interchangeably.

Does schema markup help with AI search?

It helps search engines understand your content and business, and many AI tools draw on search engines. It’s worth doing properly, but it’s not a shortcut on its own.