SEO gets your pages to rank in Google. AEO writes pages so a search engine or voice assistant can lift a direct answer from them. GEO makes your business easy for AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI answers to understand and name. They share the same foundation, so you don't buy three separate things.
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization is the work of getting your website to show in Google's results, including the map pack for local searches. For a contractor that means a page for each service and town, a complete Google Business Profile, reviews, fast mobile pages and consistent business details across the web.
What is AEO?
Answer engine optimization is about being the direct answer. When someone asks "how much does a water heater replacement cost?" Google may show a short answer at the top of the page, and voice assistants read one answer aloud. AEO means writing a clear answer in the first sentences under a question heading, then backing it up.
What is GEO?
Generative engine optimization targets AI tools that write their own answer, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI Overviews. These tools read many pages and then name a few businesses. They tend to favor sources that state facts plainly, are easy to crawl, name who wrote them and are mentioned elsewhere on the web. Nobody controls the answer, and no one can guarantee a mention.
How they differ
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you show up | Google results and the map pack | Featured answers, People Also Ask, voice | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews |
| What the searcher gets | A list of links | One short answer | A written answer naming a few businesses |
| What you work on | Pages, profile, reviews, speed | Question headings with direct answers | Clear facts, structured data, crawl access, mentions |
Where should a contractor start?
- Fix the basics. Crawlable site, a page for each service and town, Google Business Profile, reviews. This is SEO and it feeds the other two.
- Write answer-first. Put the answer to each customer question in the opening lines. This is AEO.
- Make the facts readable. Add structured data, keep your name, address and phone identical everywhere, and let AI crawlers in. Our guide on AI crawlers and robots.txt shows how to check. This is GEO.
Common questions
Is GEO replacing SEO?
GEO is not replacing SEO. AI tools draw on the same web pages that search engines index, so the basics of SEO still feed GEO. GEO adds clarity of facts and wider mentions on top.
Do I need to pay for GEO separately?
You don't necessarily need to pay for GEO separately. Most of the work (clear pages, structured data, reviews, consistent details) overlaps. A good plan covers all three together.
Can anyone guarantee I'll be named by ChatGPT?
Nobody can guarantee you'll be named by ChatGPT, because the answers change and nobody controls them. You can improve the signals that make a mention more likely and then check by asking the tools real customer questions.
See your SEO, GEO and AEO scores
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