AEO vs GEO: What Is AEO and GEO?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) both aim to be the answer, not just a link — but they target different engines. Here is AEO and GEO compared.
What is AEO and GEO?
AEO optimises for answer engines — featured snippets, voice assistants and AI answer boxes. GEO optimises for generative engines — ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews that synthesise and cite sources.
AEO vs GEO: the difference
- AEO — be the concise extracted answer (snippet/voice).
- GEO — be a cited source inside an AI-generated answer.
"AEO GEO", "GEO AEO" and "AEO and GEO" all describe this combined AI-search discipline.
Why you need both
The signals overlap heavily, so optimising for one helps the other. Run the AEO Checker and the GEO Checker on the same page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between AEO and GEO?
AEO targets answer engines (snippets, voice); GEO targets generative AI engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews).
What is AEO and GEO?
Two AI-search disciplines: Answer Engine Optimization and Generative Engine Optimization. Both aim to be the answer rather than just a ranked link.
Should I do AEO or GEO?
Both. Their signals overlap, so a single well-structured, well-sourced page can win on both.