GuideGEO vs AEO: two names, one goal
GEO (generative engine optimization) and AEO (answer engine optimization) get used almost interchangeably — and the overlap is real. Both are about getting your business surfaced by AI instead of buried under blue links. But the emphasis differs, and knowing which lever to pull first saves you months.
FAQ
Are GEO and AEO the same thing?Nearly. AEO emphasizes being the cited source inside a direct answer (Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT search). GEO emphasizes being recommended by generative models broadly, including when they answer from memory. Same three signals drive both: entity clarity, citation density, and quotable content.
Which should a business focus on first?Whichever your buyers use. If they ask 'best X near me' inside Perplexity or Google's AI answers, lead with AEO-style citations and quotable pages. If they ask ChatGPT or Gemini open-ended 'who should I hire?', lead with GEO-style entity and recommendation signals. In practice you build both at once.
How do I measure either one?Baseline across engines. A free Cited scan scores whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude name or cite you today, shows who's named instead, and hands you the highest-impact fix first.
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Most businesses score under 40/100 and have no idea. Find your score in 15 seconds, then fix it.
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