GEO vs SEO vs AEO: What B2B Startups Need to Know
SEO helps your pages rank in search results. AEO (answer engine optimisation) helps your content be chosen as the direct answer, for example in featured snippets and voice results. GEO (generative engine optimisation) helps AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews mention or cite your brand. They overlap heavily, and good SEO is the foundation for the other two.
What is SEO?
Search engine optimisation is the practice of making your website easy for search engines to crawl, understand and rank for relevant queries. It covers technical health, content that matches what people search for, and authority signals such as links and mentions.
What is AEO?
Answer engine optimisation focuses on providing a direct, concise answer to a question. It targets featured snippets, "people also ask" boxes, voice assistants and the answer summaries that appear at the top of results. The goal is to be the source of the answer, not just one of ten links.
What is GEO?
Generative engine optimisation is about being included and cited in answers produced by generative AI tools. These systems may draw on their training data, on live web search or on both, then summarise the result. GEO aims to make your brand and content easy for them to find, understand and trust.
How do they compare?
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in search results | Be the direct answer | Be mentioned or cited in AI-generated answers |
| Where it shows | Search results pages | Snippets, voice, answer boxes | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Google AI Overviews |
| Key tactics | Technical health, content, links | Question headings, concise answers, structure | Clear entities, citable facts, third-party mentions |
| Success measure | Rankings, clicks | Snippet ownership, impressions | Mentions, citations, referral traffic |
Where they overlap
- Useful, accurate content. All three reward pages that answer real questions well.
- Crawlability. If systems cannot access and read your pages, nothing else matters.
- Authority. Clear authorship, expertise, consistent information and trusted mentions help in each case.
- Structure. Clear headings, short answers, tables and schema markup make content easier to extract.
Where GEO differs
- Third-party mentions matter more. AI tools often reflect what other sites say about you, so reviews, directories, roundups and communities carry weight.
- Brand and entity clarity. A consistent name, description and set of facts across the web helps systems describe you correctly.
- Citable specifics. Concrete numbers, definitions and original data are easier to quote than general claims.
- Results are less predictable. Answers can vary between tools and over time, so measurement is imprecise.
A caution
GEO is a young field, and no one can guarantee citations. Be wary of anyone who promises specific results. Much of what works is strong SEO plus clear positioning and genuine reputation.
Where should a B2B startup start?
- Fix technical foundations. Make sure pages are crawlable and that content is present in the HTML, not only after scripts run.
- Map the questions your buyers ask and answer them directly on dedicated pages.
- Structure for answers: question headings, a short answer first, then detail, plus relevant schema.
- Build third-party presence: reviews, directories, partner pages, podcasts and guest content.
- Measure: track rankings, snippets, AI referral traffic and a monthly set of test prompts.
We walk through the practical steps in how to get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and AI Overviews.
Key takeaways
- SEO ranks pages, AEO provides direct answers and GEO earns mentions in AI-generated answers.
- They share foundations: crawlable pages, useful content, authority and structure.
- GEO leans more on third-party mentions, entity clarity and citable facts.
- Nobody can guarantee AI citations, so focus on fundamentals and measure.
Frequently asked questions
What does GEO stand for?
Generative engine optimisation: improving your chances of being mentioned or cited by generative AI tools.
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. SEO remains the foundation, and many AI answers depend on content found through search. GEO builds on it with a stronger focus on citations, entities and third-party mentions.
What is the difference between AEO and GEO?
AEO targets direct answers in search features such as snippets and voice. GEO targets inclusion in answers generated by AI tools.
Can I measure GEO?
Partly. Track referral traffic from AI tools, run a fixed set of test prompts each month and record whether and how your brand appears. The results are indicative rather than exact.
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