AEO vs GEO: what marketing managers actually need to know

AI-driven search has arrived and it’s already shaping how content is surfaced in results. If you’ve been on Google lately or used a generative AI (GenAI) tool likeChatGPT or Claude, you’ll have seen the new reality facing marketing teams.

A recent Forrester report found that 95% of B2B buyers are planning to use generative AI in at least one area of future purchasing.

With impressions rising, click-throughs falling and traditional rankings no longer telling the whole story, it’s easy to feel like you’re being left behind.

Getting up to speed matters. But can you approach AEO and GEO without rewriting everything you know about SEO? The short answer is yes, and our experts are here to help you break it down.

What is AEO?

Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) means structuring content in a way that makes it easy for search engines to extract, summarise and cite in AI-generated search results (Google’s AI mode and AI overview predominantly). Users receive more direct answers to their questions, and having your brand or content referenced will do wonders for visibility and awareness.

It’s not just about being top in the recommended ‘blue links’ in search engine results pages (SERPs) anymore. It’s also important to get your content cited in AI overviews, referenced by generative AI engines – we’ll come to that shortly – or used as a direct answer to someone’s search query (jackpot!).

That’s what AEO helps businesses achieve.

One of the nuances to be aware of when writing for AEO vs traditional SEO is the emphasis on short, summarising answers that AI can parse or crawl easily. Here’s an example of a direct question and answer that should do well in AI search: ‍

AEO vs GEO – what’s the difference?  

‍Answer engine optimisation (AEO) means maximising the potential of your content to be featured in AI search results and snippets – Google’s AI overview and AI Mode, for example. GEO is the agreed-upon term for making content more visible in generative AI applications – when you ask engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude a question. Many argue they’re an extension of search engine optimisation (SEO) rather than a new discipline.

What is GEO and how is it different?

If SEO is about ranking in search results generally, and AEO is about AI content extraction in search engines specifically, GEO is about getting your content included in the wider gamut of GenAI tools. So how does that work? By considering how large language models (LLMs) interpret authority, structure and clarity, and using that to increase the likelihood of your brand being mentioned.

Does traditional SEO even count anymore?

The three core principles of SEO absolutely still stand: technical performance, authority and content relevance are still hugely valuable. The issue is with how this information is now presented: rather than leading with organic listings, AI overviews now summarise the results. This means that, for many users, answers are provided without the need to click through to your website. It’s prompting behaviour change that demands a more nuanced approach.

What does that change look like on paper? You might see a bump in organic impressions and a corresponding dive in click-through rates. It can also be harder to get to the bottom of which keywords prompted an LLM to return your site in a search.

The BIG debate: is AEO just good SEO?

Any LinkedIn user is more than likely aware of this hot-button topic and in essence what it boils down to is this question: is AEO just a supercharged SEO strategy OR is it a whole new discipline?

The truest answer: it’s a bit of both. It’s important to have an AEO strategy and to invest in making your content as AI-friendly as possible. But the best way to do that will be no surprise to those with a good understanding of SEO and Google’s EEAT principles for creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.

This explanation from AhREFs sums it up nicely:

“To earn mentions and citations in AI-generated answers, marketers will need to adapt familiar tactics—not invent entirely new ones.”

At Proctor + Stevenson, we’re similarly pragmatic about our approach, and would suggest that you probably don’t need to invest in expensive tools and subscriptions to get started with AEO.

You can build a strong foundation for your content with excellent technical SEO, clear EEAT signalling, thoughtful content strategy plus a bit of clever positioning. We also recommend maximising UX and conversion opportunities so visitors to your site translate into sales, leads and enquiries. There’s a chance traffic that comes from AI overview is more likely to convert, as top results are often a more accurate match for the user’s search intent.

Brands that invest in AEO and best-practice content SEO are seeing the biggest performance benefits. Here’s an example of how an integrated approach can seriously boost your search performance.

Case study: taking a client from position 23 to position 1 in just three months

Our client, TTP, wanted to rank for a high-value commercial search term in the US market. We applied our structured framework, addressing technical performance, embedding EEAT signals and improving page clarity with AI crawlers in mind.

We made sure the content was laser-focused on the query’s commercial search intent and that the content was rich, useful, and written and structured for AI visibility and, importantly, the user’s informational needs.  

After three months, performance hadn’t shifted so we reviewed and realised that although the content quality was strong, the page wasn’t indexing.

We requested re-crawling in Google and within days:

• The page rose 22 positions to reach position 1 in US organic results
• It achieved position 4 in the UK
• It was cited within Google’s AI overview
• The brand was listed among the top providers for its target service, among the key competitors who previously outperformed our client.

What we proved is that AEO works best when it combines specific market and competitor analysis with best-practice content optimisation, layered atop strong technical foundations. Shortcuts just won’t cut it.

…you can build a strong foundation for your content with excellent technical SEO, clear EEAT signalling, thoughtful content strategy plus a bit of clever positioning…

What about GEO? Does that require a different approach?

Because LLMs are trained on broad, aggregated internet data rather than search engine rankings, GEO requires wider visibility across diverse sources. Brands that are consistently mentioned in reviews, comparisons, and discussions are more likely to appear in model outputs. Traditional SEO signals like backlinks and domain authority still matter– but mainly because they increase a brand’s overall visibility, not because LLMs use them directly.

Again, there’s nothing fundamentally new here. It’s still just good content strategy. The difference is in the pace of impact. GEO is as lower burn driven by PR, brand reputation, and sustained authority-building over time – not quick fixes. That makes it a longer-term play. AEO, on the other hand, can deliver relatively quick wins through focused on-page optimisation. That’s why many teams – ours included – are prioritising opportunities like Google’s AI overviews first.

What’s the next step for marketing managers?

You’re not starting from scratch so take a deep breath: everything you’ve learned about SEO fundamentals (technical health, authority and strategic content) is still enormously important. All the work you’ve been doing to build your site’s authority, create valuable content, and drive traffic to key pages, is a great foundation to build on.

You just need to layer in AI search optimisation for a holistic approach and consider search intent more carefully than ever. AI is already influencing visibility, attribution (who gets the credit for answers) and competitive positioning. But if you tick off the following, you can start to increase momentum, take back control, and regain some of the lost and declining positions you may have seen over the past six to 12 months.

• Technical SEO and thoughtful indexing
• Keyword focus aligned with search intent
• Authority building and EEAT reinforcement
• Structured content design (including schema markup)
• AI visibility monitoring
• Conversion optimisation

Get an AI-driven jump on the competition

Not quite sure where to start, or fancy some expert advice on applying a targeted yet scalable AEO/GEO approach for your sector? Drop us a line: marketing@proctorsgroup.com.