SEO vs AEO vs GEO: what each one is, and why you need all three.
SEO gets you into the list of results. AEO gets you quoted in the answer. GEO gets you named when an AI assistant makes a recommendation. One set of good pages serves all three.
The short version
- SEO — search engine optimization: rank in the list of links Google shows
- AEO — answer engine optimization: be the answer Google or an assistant reads out
- GEO — generative engine optimization: be named and cited when an AI writes a recommendation
Where they overlap
All three reward the same foundations: pages that answer real questions clearly, a site crawlers can read, honest structured data and consistent facts about your business. A page built well for one usually helps the other two.
How to measure each one
- SEO: positions and clicks, from Google Search Console
- AEO and GEO: ask buyers’ questions to answer engines on a schedule and record whether you are named
- All three: a site audit that checks what search engines and AI crawlers can read
Questions
- Which should a small business start with? Start with the pages your buyers need answered — what you do, where, for whom, at what price. Those pages are the foundation of SEO, AEO and GEO at once.
- Does SEO still matter if people ask AI instead? Yes. AI assistants lean on pages that already rank and get cited. Good SEO makes AEO and GEO easier, not obsolete.
About SearchAgent
SearchAgent, by Agent360, is a team of AI agents that tracks your business on Google and in AI answers from ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI Overviews, then writes, publishes and refreshes the articles that close the gaps, set up and run with our team. Plans start at $97 a month, month to month.
