Maintain strong SEO foundations
Indexing, website structure, internal links and technical accessibility.
AEO vs GEO vs SEO: How to optimise your content for AI
SEO, AEO, GEO… the arrival of answer engines and generative AI has introduced new acronyms. Yet the goal remains largely the same: to enable your content to be found, understood and considered relevant enough to meet a user’s need. SEO therefore remains fundamental. Google confirms that features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode continue to rely on its existing search and ranking systems.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) traditionally aims to improve a website’s visibility in search engine results.
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) places greater emphasis on a piece of content’s ability to provide a clear answer to a question in order to rank well in answer engines such as Google AI Overviews.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) refers more specifically to practices designed to improve the presence of a brand or content in answers generated by systems such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Perplexity.
The boundaries remain unclear, however: Google, for example, treats AEO and GEO as terms used to describe optimisations that it sees as an evolution of SEO.
What is changing most is how users search for information. A search is no longer limited to a few keywords: it may take the form of a detailed question followed by several requests for clarification. Generative systems can themselves break that question down into multiple searches before constructing an answer. Your content should therefore cover your customers’ real intentions, questions, comparisons and situations, rather than simply repeating a keyword.
There is no magic formula for being cited by AI systems. A sound technical structure, accessible content, accurate and up-to-date information and, above all, genuine added value remain the foundations. Google recommends prioritising original, non-generic content over AEO/GEO “hacks” or files created specifically for AI.
Priorities for optimising your content
Identify the questions your customers actually ask
Not just the keywords they use.
Provide direct, precise answers
Then expand on the explanation where useful.
Create original content
Expertise, examples, data, case studies, comparisons or first-hand experience.
Clarify who you are and what you offer
So AI systems can associate your business with the right topics.
Measure your visibility
In search engines as well as in answers generated by the main AI systems.
SEO is not disappearing. It is evolving into a broader approach where the goal is no longer simply to rank well, but also to be part of the answer.
Is your business visible enough in AI-generated answers?
Discover our AI Visibility Audit