SEO vs AEO vs GEO: how to get your business mentioned by ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews

A growing share of buyers no longer start with ten blue links. They ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot or Google's AI Overviews a question such as “which software company in Riyadh builds hospital systems?” and get an answer that names a few businesses. If yours is not one of them, you are invisible to that buyer. This guide explains the three disciplines involved and what to do about it.

SEO, AEO and GEO in one line each

• SEO (search engine optimization): helps your pages rank in Google's and Bing's normal results.
• AEO (answer engine optimization): shapes your content so it is chosen as the direct answer in featured snippets, voice search and AI answers.
• GEO (generative engine optimization), also called LLM SEO: aims to have AI models mention and cite your brand when they generate an answer.

They are not rivals. AI assistants that search the web lean heavily on pages that already rank and are easy to understand, so AEO and GEO sit on top of good SEO rather than replacing it.

How AI tools decide who to mention

Large language models answer from two sources: what they learned during training, and pages they retrieve when the question is asked. To be mentioned, a business needs to be easy to find in both: widely and consistently described across the web, and clearly explained on its own pages.

A practical AEO and GEO checklist

• Answer the question first. Start each service page and FAQ with a one or two sentence answer, then add the detail.
• Say who you are, where you are and what you do in plain words, the same way on every page and profile.
• Add structured data: Organization and LocalBusiness schema with your address, phone and sameAs links to your profiles, plus FAQPage, Service and Article markup where relevant.
• Keep your Google Business Profile, LinkedIn page and directory listings (Clutch, GoodFirms and local directories) complete and consistent.
• Publish facts AI tools can repeat: services, locations served, industries, and prices or price ranges if you can share them.
• Earn mentions on websites people trust: industry publications, partner pages, interviews and genuine client reviews.
• Let AI crawlers in. Check that robots.txt does not block the bots used by AI search tools, and consider adding an llms.txt file.
• Measure it. Ask the same buyer questions across AI tools every month and note whether you are mentioned and cited.

AI assistants recommend businesses they can describe with confidence. Your job is to make that description easy and consistent.

What not to do

• Do not stuff pages with question keywords. Assistants quote clear, useful answers, not repetition.
• Do not publish invented reviews or statistics. They damage trust with people and with search systems.
• Do not drop SEO for AI. Most AI citations still come from pages that rank well.

Where to start

Begin with an AI visibility check: list ten questions your buyers ask, put them to ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google, and record who is named. The gaps between that list and your own business are your AEO and GEO plan.