SEO, AEO and GEO are three layers of being found. SEO (search engine optimisation) gets your pages ranked in Google's results. AEO (answer engine optimisation) gets your content chosen as the answer that is quoted, in featured snippets, Google's AI Overviews and voice assistants. GEO (generative engine optimisation) gets your business named and recommended inside answers that AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini write. Each builds on the one before it, so start with SEO.
A customer in Kozhikode looking for a caterer, a clinic or a web designer might type the question into Google, read Google's AI Overview at the top of the results, or ask ChatGPT for a recommendation and never click a link at all. Each of those is a different way to be found, and each rewards slightly different work. This guide explains the three, how they differ, and what to do first.
SEO vs AEO vs GEO at a glance
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in the list of results | Be the answer that is quoted | Be named in the AI's recommendation |
| Where it shows | Google and Bing results | Featured snippets, AI Overviews, voice answers | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Mode |
| What wins | Relevance, links, a fast and crawlable site | Short direct answers, clear structure, FAQ markup | Mentions across the web, reviews, consistent facts, citable data |
| How you measure it | Rankings and clicks in Search Console | Snippets held, AI Overview citations | Share of AI answers naming you, visits from AI assistants |
What is SEO?
SEO is the work of getting your website ranked in search results for the searches your customers make: fixing technical problems so search engines can read the site, writing pages that answer those searches, and earning links and mentions from other sites.
It still matters, for two reasons. Google is still where most people look for a local business. And AI answers are built on search: Google says that to be eligible to appear as a supporting link in its AI Overviews or AI Mode, a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet. A page Google hasn't indexed can't be quoted in Google's AI answers.
What is AEO (answer engine optimisation)?
AEO is the work of making your content the answer a search engine or assistant quotes. It began with voice assistants and Google's featured snippets, the boxed answer above the results. Today the biggest answer engine is Google's own AI Overview, which writes a short answer and links to the pages it drew from.
Answer engines pick content that answers the question directly, in a form that is easy to lift. In practice:
- Put the question in a heading, and answer it in the first one or two sentences underneath.
- Keep each answer short and self-contained, then add the detail.
- Use lists for steps and tables for comparisons.
- Add an FAQ section for the questions customers really ask, with FAQ markup.
- Keep facts such as prices, timings and locations identical on every page.
What is GEO (generative engine optimisation)?
GEO is the work of getting your business mentioned, recommended and cited in answers that AI tools generate, such as when someone asks ChatGPT "Which company in Kochi can build an online store for my shop?"
The term comes from a 2023 research paper, GEO: Generative Engine Optimization, by researchers from Princeton University and IIT Delhi, published at KDD 2024. They tested ways of changing a page and measured how often AI answers used it. Their best methods, citing sources, adding quotations and adding statistics, made a page 30 to 40% more visible in AI answers.
How do AI tools find sources? ChatGPT's search uses OpenAI's own crawler, OAI-SearchBot; OpenAI says sites that block it will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers. Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode draw on Google's index. Beyond your own site, AI tools lean on what other sites say about you, which is why GEO depends on:
- Mentions on other sites: directories, review sites, news and articles that name your business.
- Reviews: on your Google Business Profile and the review sites in your industry.
- Consistent facts: the same name, address, phone and description everywhere, so the AI is sure who you are.
- Content worth citing: original data, clear explanations and facts with sources.
What we see in AI answers about Kerala businesses
We track 20 questions that Kerala buyers ask AI assistants, in ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI Overviews, every week. In the month to 6 October 2026:
- The 117 answers named 377 different companies and brands: recommendations are spread widely.
- The answers to "Which is the best SEO company in Calicut?" named the same Kozhikode agency in five of six answers: a few businesses are named again and again.
- Directories showed up as sources: GoodFirms in an answer about digital marketing agencies, Justdial and IndiaMART in answers about ranking on Google Maps.
The businesses that get named are the ones the rest of the web talks about, not only the ones with the best website.
SEO, AEO or GEO: which should you do first?
- SEO foundations first. Make sure your important pages are indexed in Google and Bing, load fast on a phone and say clearly what you do and where. Without this, nothing else works.
- AEO next, on the pages you already have. Rewrite openings as direct answers, add question headings and an FAQ section. This is quick to do.
- GEO alongside, because it takes longest. Complete your Google Business Profile, list your business on the directories in your industry, ask happy customers for reviews and earn mentions on other sites. This builds over months.
A checklist for all three
- Your important pages are indexed in Google and Bing.
- Your Google Business Profile is complete and verified.
- Your name, address and phone are identical on your site, your profile and every listing.
- Each important page opens with a direct answer to its main question.
- Headings ask the questions your customers ask.
- FAQ sections carry FAQ markup.
- Facts and figures have a source.
- You publish some original data: your own numbers, surveys or results.
- Your business is listed on the directories and review sites in your industry.
- You ask every happy customer for a review.
- AI search crawlers, such as OAI-SearchBot, are not blocked in robots.txt.
- You track your AI answers and visits from AI assistants, not only Google rankings.
How to measure SEO, AEO and GEO
- SEO: positions, impressions and clicks in Google Search Console, and enquiries from organic search in Google Analytics.
- AEO: whether you hold the featured snippet or are linked in the AI Overview for your main questions; check them by hand or with an SEO tool.
- GEO: ask the same questions in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity every week and count how often you're named. In Google Analytics, visits from chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai and gemini.google.com show up as referrals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between SEO, AEO and GEO?
SEO gets your website ranked in Google's results. AEO gets your content chosen as the quoted answer in featured snippets, Google's AI Overviews and voice assistants. GEO gets your business named and recommended in answers from AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.
What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?
GEO is the work of getting your business mentioned, recommended and cited in answers that AI tools generate. The term comes from a 2023 research paper that found citing sources, adding quotations and adding statistics made a page 30 to 40% more visible in AI answers.
Is AEO the same as GEO?
They overlap but aren't the same. AEO is about being the single quoted answer to a question; GEO is about being one of the names an AI recommends when it writes its own answer, such as which company to hire.
Does GEO replace SEO?
No. AI tools lean on pages search engines already trust, and Google says a page must be indexed and eligible to appear in Google Search to show as a link in its AI Overviews. GEO builds on SEO.
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
Make sure your pages can be found: indexed in search engines, with OpenAI's search crawler not blocked. Answer your customers' questions clearly, keep your facts identical everywhere, and get mentioned and reviewed on other respected sites.
Do small businesses in Kerala need AEO and GEO?
Yes, if their customers ask AI tools for recommendations. The groundwork is the same as good local SEO: clear answers, a complete Google Business Profile, consistent listings and reviews.
Where Wosag Tech comes in
We do this work for businesses across India from HiLITE Business Park, Kozhikode: SEO services for Google, and AI SEO services for ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI answers, with the questions your buyers ask tracked every week. For the local groundwork, see our guides to local SEO and Google Maps and the Google Business Profile checklist.