The search results page has changed shape
For a growing share of searches, the first thing a user sees is an AI-written answer, not a list of links. Google's AI overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and voice assistants all pull from websites to build those answers. If your site is one of the sources, you get cited and often clicked. If it is not, you are invisible for that search even if you rank third.
Quick answer
AEO and GEO are about being the source AI tools cite when they answer a question. Clear structure, direct answers and real expertise get you there, and they are good SEO anyway.
AEO and GEO, defined without the jargon
Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is making your content the best direct answer to a specific question, so tools that answer questions pick it. Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the broader version: making your business the one that AI models trust and reference when they generate a response about your sector, your area or your kind of service.
- AEO: one clear question, one clear answer, high up on the page
- GEO: consistent facts about your business across the web, real authority, structured content
- Both: written for humans first, machines find it easier too
What actually gets cited
Having tested this across client sites, the pattern is consistent. Pages that answer the question in the first paragraph, use headings that match how people phrase the question, include specific facts and figures, and come from a site with obvious real-world expertise get pulled into AI answers. Vague marketing copy does not.
| Gets cited | Gets ignored | |
|---|---|---|
| Direct answer in the opening lines | Three paragraphs of preamble | |
| Headings phrased as questions | Clever headings that say nothing | |
| Named authors, real credentials | Anonymous content | |
| Specific numbers and examples | Generic claims |
What to do to your site this quarter
You do not need a new strategy. Take your top service pages and top guides and check each one: does it answer the core question immediately? Does it have a clear FAQ section? Are your business name, address, services and phone number identical everywhere online? Add author details and structured data. That covers most of it.
The honest summary
Almost everything that works for AEO and GEO is what good SEO has always been: be genuinely useful, be clear, be credible. The tools have changed. The job has not. Businesses that were already doing this properly are finding they get cited without trying; the ones chasing tricks are finding the tricks stopped working.
If you are stuck or want a second pair of eyes on this, give us a shout. We are always up for a chat.
