SEO, AEO and GEO explained for business owners

Customers now find businesses in three overlapping ways: traditional search results, direct answers shown in search and voice, and AI assistants that summarise options. Each has picked up its own acronym.

SEO — search engine optimization

SEO helps search engines crawl, understand and rank your pages. It covers technical health (speed, indexing, structure), content that matches what people search for, and authority earned from credible references.

AEO — answer engine optimization

AEO structures content so it can be used as a direct answer — for example in featured snippets or 'People also ask'. In practice that means stating clear answers early, using descriptive headings, and keeping facts about your business consistent.

GEO — generative engine optimization

GEO focuses on how AI assistants and AI-powered search describe your business and category. These systems draw on information from across the web, so clear entity information, original expertise and a genuine reputation all matter.

What to ignore

• Anyone guaranteeing #1 rankings or placement in AI answers.
• Publishing hundreds of thin AI-generated pages — it tends to damage trust.
• Treating files like llms.txt as a Google ranking factor. They may help some AI tools read your site, but they don't replace SEO fundamentals.

A practical checklist

1. Make sure every important page is fast, indexable and has a clear purpose.
2. Write down the twenty questions customers ask most — and answer them on your site.
3. Keep your business name, services and locations consistent everywhere.
4. Show who wrote expert content and when it was last updated.
5. Measure enquiries from organic search, not just traffic.