SEO, AEO and GEO Explained
Can your website be found in Google and AI search?
In simple terms: SEO helps search engines understand your website, AEO makes information easier to use in direct answers, and GEO considers how AI tools find and reference website content.
These approaches overlap. Understanding the differences can help you work out what matters for your website and where to focus your efforts.
What are SEO, AEO and GEO?
Each term describes a different emphasis in how websites can be discovered and used online.
SEO
Search Engine OptimisationSEO is about helping your website appear in relevant search results. It covers your content, page structure, technical setup and how well the site meets visitors' needs.
AEO
Answer Engine OptimisationAEO focuses on answering questions clearly. The aim is to make useful information easy for people and answer-based search systems to understand.
GEO
Generative Engine OptimisationGEO looks at how AI tools find and use information from websites when generating responses, including when those tools reference an online source.
AEO and GEO are evolving industry terms rather than separate official Google ranking systems. Much of the practical work involved is already familiar from good SEO.
How do they work together?
Consider a local gardening website. The same information might help somebody find a service, answer a gardening question or understand advice provided by an AI tool.
SEO
"Lawn mowing Blacktown"Someone searches for a local service and explores relevant websites.
AEO
"How often should I mow?"Someone asks a question and looks for a clear explanation.
GEO
"How do I choose a gardener?"An AI tool puts together advice using information from relevant sources.
What makes a website easier to find?
Rather than treating SEO, AEO and GEO as three separate projects, start with the things that make your website useful and understandable.
Clear, specific content
Explain what you offer, who it's for and where you operate. Use straightforward language instead of vague marketing claims.
Answers people need
Cover common questions about your products, services, costs or processes. Be direct and include enough detail to be genuinely helpful.
Logical page structure
Use descriptive headings, sensible navigation and internal links that guide visitors to related information.
Technical accessibility
Make important pages accessible to visitors and search engines, with appropriate indexing settings and a usable mobile layout.
Accurate business details
Keep contact information, service areas and opening hours current. For local businesses, this includes relevant business listings such as Google Business Profile.
Appropriate structured data
Structured data, often called schema, provides information about a page in a format search engines can process. Use supported types that match the visible content.
Google's own guidance says its AI search features build on established SEO principles. You don't need a separate set of special AI-only website files or markup.
Source: Google Search Central: Optimising for generative AI features .
How can you measure search visibility?
Google and Bing provide tools that show different aspects of how websites appear in search and AI-generated responses.
Google Search Console
Search Console helps you understand your website's Google search performance. Its Generative AI reports also provide information about appearances in supported AI features.
- Search impressions
- How often a page appears in eligible Google search results.
- Search clicks
- How often people click through to your website from Google Search.
- Generative AI impressions
- How often pages appear in supported Google AI search features.
- Indexing
- Which pages Google has included in its search index and any reported issues.
Bing Webmaster Tools
Bing's AI Performance report shows when website content is cited in supported Microsoft AI experiences, including Copilot and AI-generated Bing summaries.
- AI citations
- How often your content is shown as a source in supported AI answers.
- Cited pages
- Which pages from your website are being referenced.
- Grounding queries
- Grouped phrases associated with the information AI systems retrieved. They aren't the exact questions people asked.
These measurements tell different parts of the story. A search impression or AI citation isn't necessarily a website visit, enquiry or sale.
Further reading: Google's Generative AI performance reporting and Bing AI Performance documentation.
Is your website ready for modern search?
Try these questions as a quick starting point.
- Can a new visitor understand what you do within a few seconds?
- Can people easily find your main services and contact details?
- Does your website answer the questions customers commonly ask?
- Can you access your website comfortably on a mobile phone?
- Are your important pages appearing in search engine indexes?
- Have you checked your content and business details recently?
If you're unsure where to begin, you can see what's included in my WordPress Website Audit.
Improving your existing website
Understanding SEO and AI search is useful, but the next step depends on the condition of your website. Sometimes a technical fix or clearer content is more useful than starting again.
WordPress Website Audit
A $149 review of your WordPress website's health, usability, performance and basic SEO, with a written report and practical recommendations.
View audit details →WordPress Support
Help with technical problems, updates, fixes and agreed improvements to an existing WordPress website.
Explore support →WordPress Website Design
New websites with clear content, practical navigation and a structure that makes sense for visitors.
View website design →Common questions about SEO and AI search
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. SEO remains the foundation. Google's AI search features rely on established search systems, so the fundamentals of useful content and technical accessibility still matter.
Can ChatGPT and other AI tools find my website?
AI tools with web search capabilities can retrieve information from publicly accessible websites. Different systems use different methods and sources, so visibility varies between tools and questions.
Can SEO, AEO or GEO guarantee results?
No. Nobody can guarantee a particular Google ranking, inclusion in AI-generated answers or citations from AI tools. What we can do is improve a website's content, structure and technical foundations to give it a better opportunity to be discovered.
Do I need special schema or AI files?
No. Google doesn't require special AI-specific files or structured data for its AI search features. Use ordinary SEO best practices and relevant, supported schema where appropriate.
Does the $149 Website Audit include SEO or GEO optimisation?
The WordPress Website Audit includes basic SEO checks alongside website health, security, usability and performance. It isn't a specialist SEO campaign, detailed keyword research service or dedicated AI visibility audit.
Start with the website you have
If you're unsure what needs attention, tell me a little about your WordPress website. I'll explain what I can help with. You can contact me here.
