AEO · Answer

What is the difference between AEO and GEO?

Q: What is the difference between AEO and GEO?

AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) targets featured-answer surfaces inside traditional search engines - Google AI Overviews, featured snippets, voice. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) targets standalone generative assistants - ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini app, Claude. AVO (AI Visibility Optimisation) is the umbrella discipline covering both.

Last updated 2026-04-20

Both disciplines share an underlying goal - being named in machine-generated answers - but the channels, signals and measurement differ.

AEO operates inside Google's gravity: classical SEO foundations apply, plus structured data (FAQ, HowTo, Article, Speakable). GEO operates across multiple non-search assistants whose training data and retrieval sources differ wildly. A well-run programme addresses both, sequenced from highest-traffic surface to lowest.

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