For years, we’ve helped businesses climb the rankings on Google. That’s still a huge part of what we do, but the search landscape has shifted under our feet. These days, people aren’t only typing questions into Google. They’re asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, and getting answers straight from Google’s AI Overviews without ever clicking a link.
That shift has brought two new acronyms into our world: AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation). They sound like cousins of SEO, and in a way, they are. But each one plays a distinct role in helping your business stay visible, whether someone’s scrolling through search results or chatting with an AI assistant.
In this post, we’ll unpack GEO vs SEO vs AEO, show you where they overlap, and explain why we think the smartest businesses treat them as a team rather than picking a favourite.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimisation is the practice we’ve built our name on: optimising your website so it ranks well in traditional search engines like Google and Bing. It’s about the fundamentals, keyword targeting, technical health, quality backlinks, and a genuinely good user experience.
Say a plumber wants to be found for “SEO company Auckland” or a bathroom retailer wants to rank for “bathroom renovations Auckland.” That’s SEO doing its job, driving qualified organic traffic to a website that’s built to convert. It’s the foundation everything else sits on, and honestly, it’s not going anywhere.
What is AEO?
Answer Engine Optimisation is about earning a spot as the direct answer, not just a ranked link. Think featured snippets, the “People Also Ask” box, Google’s AI Overviews, and voice search results from tools like Siri or Alexa.
Where AEO vs SEO really parts ways is the goal. You’re not just chasing a click; you’re aiming to be the source that gets quoted or read aloud. Clear headings, tight FAQs, concise and well-structured answers, and solid schema markup all help here.
Here’s the bit that surprises people: your content can win in AEO even if the searcher never visits your site. It may seem counterproductive, but showing up as the trusted answer builds brand recognition and trust, which pays off down the track when that same person is ready to buy.
What is GEO?
Generative Engine Optimisation is the newest kid on the block, and it’s specifically about how your content gets picked up, understood, and referenced by AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity, plus Google’s AI Mode.
Unlike traditional keyword matching, generative engines are looking for signals of genuine expertise and authority. They want depth, not just density. Factors that matter here include:
- Brand authority and reputation across the web
- Topical depth rather than shallow, one-off content
- Original insights and data, not rehashed opinions
- Citations and mentions from other trusted websites
- Consistent business information (name, address, services) everywhere you appear
- Strong EEAT signals: experience, expertise, authority and trust
If SEO is about ranking and AEO is about answering, GEO is about being trusted enough to be recommended by an AI that’s essentially vouching for you.
GEO vs SEO vs AEO: what’s the difference?
| Feature | SEO | AEO | GEO |
| Primary goal | Rank in search results | Be selected as a direct answer | Be cited or referenced by AI assistants |
| Main platforms | Google, Bing | Google AI Overviews, featured snippets, voice search | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, AI Mode |
| Focus | Rankings and website traffic | Concise, structured answers | Trusted, comprehensive, authoritative content |
| Success metric | Clicks and rankings | Answer visibility | AI mentions and brand visibility |
How AI search is changing SEO
We won’t sugarcoat it: informational searches are sending fewer clicks to websites than they used to. More people are getting their answer served up directly, whether that’s in an AI Overview or a chatbot response. Topical authority is carrying more weight than a handful of isolated keywords ever could.
None of this means SEO is dead, though. What’s actually happened is that the bar has moved higher. Keyword stuffing and thin, quickly churned-out pages never really worked, but now they’re punished even harder. AI-first search rewards content built for the reader first, with keywords woven in naturally rather than forced.
Why does your business need all three?
We like to keep this simple for our clients:
- SEO gets you found.
- AEO gets you answered.
- GEO gets you recommended.
Relying on just one leaves gaps. Strong SEO without AEO means you might rank on page one but still lose the click to a featured snippet above you. Great AEO without GEO means AI assistants might skip right past your brand when they’re compiling their answer from more “trusted” sources. And GEO without SEO has nothing to stand on in the first place, since AI engines still lean heavily on well-established, well-optimised sites.
How to optimise for SEO, AEO and GEO together?
Here’s where we’d point our own clients:
- Build topical authority with connected content, not isolated one-off blog posts
- Answer the real questions your customers are actually asking
- Add clear, genuinely useful FAQ sections to key pages
- Use logical, scannable heading structures
- Implement structured data (schema) where it makes sense
- Publish original research, case studies, and expert opinions your competitors can’t copy
- Keep your business details consistent everywhere you’re listed online
- Earn genuine mentions and backlinks from reputable New Zealand websites
- Refresh and update your content regularly so it stays current
Most of this comes down to having strong foundations in place, well-optimised SEO, targeted Google Ads where it makes sense, and a website that’s fast, structured, and easy for both humans and AI crawlers to understand. Get those right, and AEO and GEO become a lot easier to build
Common misconceptions
A few myths keep doing the rounds, so it’s worth setting the record straight.
People still say SEO is dead every couple of years, and it’s yet to come true. If anything, it’s more important than ever, since it’s the foundation AEO and GEO both lean on.
Then there’s the idea that GEO makes SEO redundant. In reality, an AI engine has little reason to trust or cite a site that hasn’t already built credibility the old-fashioned way.
Voice search also tends to get all the credit for AEO, when it’s really just one piece of a bigger picture. Featured snippets and AI-generated overviews rely on the same structured, answer-first content that voice assistants do.
Which strategy should your business focus on first?
For newer businesses especially, we tend to recommend building this up in layers rather than trying to tackle everything at once. Start by getting the SEO basics right: your technical health, your content, and a healthy backlink profile. Once that foundation is solid and your authority starts growing, that’s usually the right time to bring AEO into the mix, tightening up your answers and FAQs so you’re in the running for snippets and AI Overviews. GEO tends to follow naturally after that, built through original, in-depth resources and a brand presence that AI engines have good reason to trust.
There’s no need to rush it. Getting the foundation right first tends to make everything that follows a lot easier.
Where does this leave your business?
The future of search isn’t about picking a side between GEO, SEO or AEO. Businesses that lean into all three are far better placed to stay visible, whether that’s a traditional Google search, an AI Overview, or a ChatGPT conversation. Content that’s genuinely authoritative, well-structured and useful is what gets you found, answered, and recommended, wherever your customers happen to be searching.
If you’d like to talk through where your business currently stands, you’re welcome to get in touch with our team any time.
FAQs
How do I know if my business is already showing up in AI search results?
Try asking ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity a question your customers would realistically ask, and see whether your business gets a mention. It’s a rough test, but a useful starting point before digging into more formal tracking.
How long does it take to see results from AEO or GEO work?
There’s no fixed timeline, since it depends on how established your site already is. Sites with a solid SEO foundation tend to see AEO gains faster, while GEO, being newer and reputation-driven, usually takes longer to show up.
Do I need a completely new content strategy, or can I adapt what I already have?
Most businesses can build on what they’ve already got rather than starting again. It’s more about restructuring and deepening existing content than throwing it out and beginning from scratch.
Does my Google Business Profile affect how AI assistants describe my business?
Yes, it can. Consistent, accurate business information across your profile and website helps AI tools build a clearer, more trustworthy picture of who you are and what you do.
Do backlinks still matter as much in a GEO-focused world?
They do, though the emphasis has shifted somewhat. It’s less about volume and more about earning links and mentions from genuinely credible, relevant sources.
Do small NZ businesses need to worry about GEO, or is this only relevant for big brands?
GEO isn’t reserved for big players. A well-established local business with strong reviews, consistent listings and genuinely useful content has just as much of a shot at being referenced by AI tools.
Does GEO affect local search results, or only broader informational queries?
Both, to some extent. Local businesses with strong, consistent information and a solid reputation across the web are more likely to be surfaced when someone asks an AI assistant for a recommendation nearby.
How do you actually measure success in AEO or GEO, since there’s no click to track?
It’s a different kind of tracking. Rather than clicks, we look at things like brand mentions across AI platforms, direct or branded search traffic, and overall visibility in AI-generated answers.
Can I check whether ChatGPT or AI Overviews are already mentioning my business?
To an extent, yes, through manual testing with relevant prompts, though tools built specifically for AI visibility tracking are starting to make this easier and more consistent.
What does a GEO-friendly page actually look like compared to a normal one?
It tends to go deeper on a single topic, back up claims with real detail or data, and be structured clearly enough that an AI tool can easily pull out the key points.
Does schema markup make a real difference, or is it optional?
It’s not strictly required, but it helps considerably. Structured data gives search engines and AI tools a clearer, more reliable way to understand exactly what your content covers.
