The Edit / AI Visibility
AEO vs GEO vs SEO: What Changed and What Didn't
By Kate Bakker · October 2026 · 6 min read
The short answer
SEO earns your website a ranking in a list of links. AEO earns your business a place in a direct answer from AI. GEO earns mentions and citations inside AI-generated answers. They overlap heavily: strong SEO still helps, but ranking alone no longer guarantees AI names you.
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization is the work of helping your web pages rank in search results. You earn a position on a page of links, and the searcher decides which one to click.
What is AEO?
Answer engine optimization is the work of helping AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews understand your business well enough to recommend it directly. The searcher doesn't choose from a list. The AI chooses for them. Our full guide to AEO covers how it works.
What is GEO?
Generative engine optimization focuses on earning mentions and citations inside AI-generated answers. In practice, it describes the same work as AEO from a slightly different angle. We treat the two as one discipline.
How do they compare?
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The goal | Rank a page | Be the answer | Be cited in the answer |
| Where you show up | A list of links | A direct recommendation | A mention or source link |
| What it rewards | Relevant, well-built pages | Facts AI can verify | Content worth quoting |
| How you measure it | Rankings and traffic | How often AI names you | How often AI cites you |
What changed?
- The output. People get an answer, not a list. There are fewer winners.
- The question. Searches read like conversations: "who does natural-looking lip filler near Laguna Niguel?"
- The proof. AI checks what the whole web says about you, not just your website. Your listings, reviews and outside mentions matter as much as your pages.
What didn't change?
Being genuinely good still matters. So do clear pages, honest reviews, accurate listings and a fast, helpful website. The fundamentals of good SEO are still the foundation AI reads from. What changed is that the foundation alone isn't enough anymore.
Which one should a medspa, dental practice or studio focus on?
All three, as one plan. Start with the foundations that serve every engine: matching listings, one page per service, structured data and reviews with detail. Then measure what matters now, which is how often AI recommends you when clients ask.
Questions about AEO, GEO and SEO
Do I still need SEO?
Yes. AI tools often read the same pages search engines rank, so a well-built site supports both. You just can't stop at rankings.
Is GEO just a new buzzword?
Partly. The term is new, and it overlaps almost entirely with AEO. What matters isn't the label but whether AI recommends your business when your clients ask.
Which AI tools should a local business care about?
ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. They each check slightly different sources, so the safest plan is to be consistent everywhere.
Kate Bakker is the founder and creative director of KBhaus, a brand strategy and AI visibility consultancy in Laguna Niguel, California.