Glossary · AI search and AEO
What is generative engine optimisation (GEO)?
Also known as: GEO, generative engine optimization, LLM optimisation
Generative engine optimisation (GEO): Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the work of improving how often and how accurately your brand and content appear in answers written by generative AI systems. In everyday use it overlaps almost entirely with answer engine optimisation.
Why does it matter?
The term came from academic and industry work on how content can be adjusted to be more visible in AI-generated responses, and it is now widely used by agencies and tools. If a client, colleague or vendor says GEO, they almost always mean the same goals as AEO.
Where people draw a distinction, GEO tends to emphasise how your brand is represented across the whole answer, including how it is described and compared, while AEO is sometimes used more narrowly for direct question-and-answer formats.
How do you act on it?
- Don't run separate AEO and GEO projects; agree one set of target questions and one measurement approach.
- Pay attention to how your brand is described in answers, not just whether it is linked. Inaccurate descriptions usually trace back to inconsistent or outdated information online.
- Publish clear, factual pages about what you do, who you serve, where and at what price, so engines have accurate material to draw on.
Frequently asked questions
Is GEO better than AEO?
Neither is better; they are largely two names for the same work. Pick whichever term your team or clients recognise and focus on the practice rather than the label.
Does GEO mean I should stop doing SEO?
No. Many generative engines retrieve live web pages, and the pages they find are usually ones that are well indexed and relevant. SEO remains the foundation GEO sits on.