What is the difference between SEO, AEO and GEO?
SEO works to rank your pages in a list of search results. AEO works to make your page the single answer a search engine or voice assistant gives. GEO works to get your business named and cited inside answers that AI tools write from several sources.
All three start from the same base: pages a search engine can crawl, index and trust. Google says its AI features need no special optimization beyond sound SEO.
SEO is measured in rankings and clicks. AEO grew out of featured snippets and voice search and is measured by whether your page supplies the answer shown.
GEO, named in a 2023 research paper, targets AI tools that blend several sources into one written answer. It is measured by whether the answer names you and links to your page.
The methods overlap heavily: answer the question directly, add original numbers and named sources, show a real author and date, and let AI crawlers in. OpenAI, for example, lists the crawlers its search uses so site owners can allow them.
Sovereo Web Works builds for all three at once and reports rankings, AI mentions and AI citations each month.
Sources
- AI features and your website · Google Search Central
- GEO: Generative Engine Optimization · Aggarwal et al., arXiv
- Overview of OpenAI crawlers · OpenAI
Written and reviewed by Todd Allyn, Founder, Sovereo Intelligence Research
Facts checked Oct 8, 2026 · Next review by Jan 8, 2027
How we source answers · Report an error · Plain-text version