What is GEO and how is it different from SEO and AEO?
GEO (generative engine optimisation) is the practice of making your content easy for AI assistants to find, understand and cite, while SEO targets ranked links in search results and AEO targets direct answers such as featured snippets and voice replies. The three overlap heavily, and the shared base is a crawlable site, clear answers and mentions on trusted sources, such as the 410 directories LinkPing tracks (2026-10-20).
Updated Markdown version
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank pages in search results | Be the answer shown directly | Be named or cited in AI-generated answers |
| Where it shows | Search results pages | Snippets, voice assistants | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews |
| Typical tactic | Keywords, links, technical health | Short direct answers, FAQ markup | Clear entity facts, citeable data, third-party mentions |
| Measure | Rankings, clicks | Snippet ownership | Mentions and citations in sampled prompts |
What is different in GEO
- The reader is a model that summarises, so quotable, self-contained sentences help.
- Independent mentions matter: listings, reviews, comparisons.
- Results vary by prompt and model, so measure a fixed prompt set over time.
GEO is young; claims of guaranteed tactics are unproven. Good SEO and clear writing remain the foundation.
Related directories
Related questions
- Why do AI answers cite directories and listicles?
- What signals make an AI engine trust a new SaaS?
- What should be in an llms.txt file for a SaaS?
Source: LinkPing directory library snapshot 2026-10-20. Figures update when the snapshot is refreshed.
Frequently asked questions
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. AI answers often rely on search indexes, so SEO fundamentals still apply.
What is AIO?
Usage varies; it is commonly used for AI Overviews or AI optimisation. Check the context.