Let’s talk about SEO, AEO and GEO: What they are, why they matter and how to level them up.
It seems like everyone is using AI these days, regardless of industry or job title.
In a recent interview, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said he uses GPT-5 through Microsoft Copilot on a daily basis to generate meeting summaries, project updates and complete many other tasks.
But not everyone is using AI to its full potential, or even correctly, for that matter. I’m thinking of two similar incidents that happened this summer, where the Chicago Sun-Times and Philadelphia Inquirer published their summer reading lists. There’s nothing unusual about a newspaper publishing a list of great titles to read on the beach. However, it is a bit beyond the pale when two papers of renown use AI to generate their lists and end up recommending books that do not exist. Whoops!
It’s impossible to underestimate the influence AI has had on the marketing world, for both consumers and marketers. Particularly, AI is changing how people discover and evaluate brands. This is due to several reasons, the most significant of which is that many users prefer AI-generated search results than those found in your more traditional search engines, like Google or Bing.
For organizations, this means the days of depending solely on search engine optimization to help the world find your brand are over. To show up in search results (and get chosen), you need to take advantage of three complementary optimization tactics all working together: Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
And, for my money, the best band from the ‘80s was Speedwagon (REO). Sorry, I had to. Let’s proceed with defining each of these in plain English.
Defining SEO, AEO and GEO
SEO
This is the optimization tactic you already know and love (or mildly tolerate). This is the process of optimizing your content to get better search rankings in search engines. By optimizing content, I mean using keywords strategically in your copy, getting backlinks placed, fixing technical website issues like page load speed, etc.
AEO
Answer Engine Optimization is all about optimizing your content so that when a user submits a question in a search, AI and answer engines can quickly find, understand and present your content as a direct answer to that question. These types of searches are known as “zero-click,” and having solid AEO ensures that when a user is searching for something relevant to your brand, they will be served your content instead of the option to click to a website that isn’t yours.
GEO
GEO describes the process of streamlining and enhancing your content so that it’s easily cited and summarized by AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, etc. When asked a question, our AI pals don’t just make up stuff off the top of their heads (not yet, anyway). Rather, they scour the internet for information to present back to the user. Generative engine optimization is basically controlling the information about your brand that is passed on to consumers. In other words, it’s putting your best digital foot forward.
With me so far? Good. Let’s talk about how you can leverage all three at the same time.
Three Simple Engine Optimization Playbooks
SEO: Rank for valuable intent.
- Map 10–20 high-intent topics to dedicated pages.
- Stick to on-page basics: Keywords in your H1/H2 headers, unique metadata, descriptive alt text.
- Build internal links around a few hub pages and use descriptive anchor text.
- Earn credible mentions/backlinks (e.g., associations, partners, local press).
- Maintain technical hygiene: Good load speeds, crawlability, baseline schema.
Metrics to track: target-page traffic, keyword rankings, organic leads.
AEO: Win the snippet!
- Place a 40–60 word direct answer near the top of each priority page on your site.
- Mirror “People Also Ask” questions in H2/H3 subheads.
- Use lists/tables for steps, comparisons and pros/cons.
- Add FAQ Page/How To schema where relevant.
- Refresh answers on a semi-regular basis, as snippet relevancy may change over time.
Metrics to track: number of featured snippets and People Also Ask placements, clickthrough rate on those queries.
GEO: Become citation-ready for AI.
- Always use clear headings and write “quotable” bits.
- Cite primary sources, use bylines, credentials, author bios, etc.
- Use entity-rich language (people/brands/places) and standard definitions.
- Publish on/earn mentions from AI-trusted, credible domains.
Metrics to track: AI citations/mentions, any AI-referral clicks, assisted conversions.
Your Monthly Engine Optimization Mini-Plan
OK, so that was a lot. I get it, this is a lot of technical information to take in, and it can feel overwhelming. Trust me, you’re not failing if you don’t have the bandwidth to pull all of this off right away. So, let me leave you with a simple monthly mini-plan. Here are two manageable tactics from each optimization area, along with quick how-tos. Run these six moves consistently, and you should start seeing noticeable improvements in visibility, clicks and conversions.
SEO
- Optimize your headers
How: Pick a page on your website that could use some more traffic. Make sure your headers and subheaders are easily understandable and are using H1/H2 header tags. For example, this header Your Monthly Engine Optimization Mini-Plan is set to H2 and is a short, complete sentence with a high performing keyword phrase (monthly engine optimization). - Strengthen internal links to one hub
How: Choose a priority hub page, like for a popular product or service. Then, from a few related posts, add contextual links to the hub page with descriptive anchors (e.g., “vendor risk assessment guide,” not “click here”). You can also add a short “Related resources” section to each post pointing back to the hub.
AEO
- Add a 40–60-word, snippet-ready answer
How: On one high-value page, place a bold, plain-English paragraph right after the intro that directly answers the core query. For example, if your organization sells volleyballs, write a clear, concise answer for one of your product pages that explains what makes your ball more popular among players. - Check your answers semi-regularly
How: Once you have enough snippets in place on your website, you’ll want to make sure those answers are relevant and timely. Google Search Console can tell you the specific queries people are using to find your website. Check out the terms people are using to find your site and make sure your snippets are hitting those terms.
GEO
- Publish a TL;DR with citations
How: Create an explainer page built for AI citation. Add several summarizing bullets (TL;DR) at the top. In the body, cite three to five primary sources (original studies, official docs) with clear links and dates. Make definitions and steps easy for AI (and humans) to lift verbatim. - Show real expertise on the page
How: Take a blog post and add an author byline with credentials, a two-line bio, headshot if possible, and a last-updated date. If relevant, include a short “methodology” note or a statement of hands-on experience.
Ready to Tackle Engine Optimization?
There are a lot of moving pieces when it comes to engine optimization, and you don’t have to manage them all alone. Give us a call, and our friendly crew will meet you where you are, pick the highest-impact SEO, AEO and GEO actions, and help you execute clean, measurable improvements. We’re ready when you are!
Kedran Brush, Brand825’s Co-Founder and CEO, has more than 28 years of marketing leadership experience at the SVP and CMO levels, including revenue growth, customer satisfaction, brand awareness, etc. When she’s not helping brands be their best, Kedran can be found relaxing on the lake, at Tennessee Titans games and trying to stop her dog from chasing the elusive neighborhood squirrel.
