AI search, explained

AEO vs SEO vs GEO: what's the difference?

SEO gets your pages ranked in search results. AEO gets your content used as the direct answer. GEO gets your brand mentioned, cited and recommended by generative AI such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. You need all three, and SEO is the foundation the others build on.

At a glance

Comparison table

SEOAEOGEO / AI visibility
GoalRank pagesBe the quoted answerBe named and recommended
WhereGoogle/Bing resultsFeatured answers, AI OverviewsChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI
Main leversTechnical SEO, content, linksAnswer-first content, FAQ schemaEntity clarity, structured data, third-party mentions
Measured byRankings, clicksAnswer inclusionMentions and citations per buyer question
AEO

What AEO means

AEO (answer engine optimization) means structuring content so AI assistants and search features can lift a direct answer from it.

GEO

What GEO means

GEO (generative engine optimization) means improving how generative AI systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews describe, cite and recommend a brand.

SEO

Do you still need SEO?

Yes. Crawlable, fast, well-structured pages that rank in search are part of what AI systems draw on. SupaDesign treats technical SEO as the foundation for AI visibility work.

FAQ

FAQ

SEO focuses on ranking pages in search results. AI visibility (AEO/GEO) looks at whether AI assistants mention, cite and recommend your business when buyers ask questions. Strong SEO is part of the foundation, but AI answers also draw on how clearly your expertise is explained and how your business is described across other sources.

AEO (answer engine optimization) means structuring content so AI assistants and search features can lift a direct answer from it.

GEO (generative engine optimization) means improving how generative AI systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews describe, cite and recommend a brand.

Yes. Crawlable, fast, well-structured pages that rank in search are part of what AI systems draw on. SupaDesign treats technical SEO as the foundation for AI visibility work.

Agree the buyer questions that matter, record a dated baseline, then re-test the same questions on the same platforms each month. Report mentions and citations separately, alongside competitors.

SupaDesign's €750 AI Blind Spot Audit measures all of this for 30 of your buyer questions.

Order the €750 audit See AI visibility pricing →