AEO (answer engine optimization) and GEO (generative engine optimization) mean making your pages easy for answer boxes and AI assistants to understand and quote. Give a direct answer first, use clear question headings, add accurate structured data, state who you are and what you do, and keep facts consistent across your site and profiles.
What do AEO and GEO mean?
AEO is about earning the short answer a search engine shows at the top of results. GEO is about being used as a source when an AI assistant writes an answer. Both build on normal SEO rather than replacing it.
Nobody can guarantee a citation. What you can do is make your content accurate, clear and easy to extract, which raises the chance of being used.
How should you write a page so it can be quoted?
Lead with the answer. Put a direct two or three sentence answer near the top, then explain. Use a heading that matches how people ask the question, and keep each section focused on one point.
- A short answer first, then detail
- Question-style headings (What is…, How do you…, How much…)
- Real numbers and named sources, never invented statistics
- A short FAQ with plain answers
Which technical signals help?
Structured data (schema) tells machines what a page is: your organization, your services, your articles and your FAQs. Add it accurately and keep it matching the visible text.
Also keep pages fast and crawlable, allow reputable crawlers in robots.txt if you want to be found, and provide a plain-text summary of your business such as an llms.txt file. Support for these files varies by tool, so treat them as helpful extras.
Why do consistency and trust matter?
Assistants lean on sources that agree with each other. Use the same business name, description, services and contact details on your site, your social profiles and any directory listings.
Show real proof: case studies with real numbers, named clients you have permission to mention, and clear authorship. Thin or contradictory pages are less likely to be trusted.
How do you track progress?
Watch impressions and clicks for question-style searches in Search Console, check which pages earn answer boxes, and test a few questions in AI assistants from time to time. Results change, so look at trends over weeks, not single checks.
Frequently asked questions
Is AEO different from SEO?
It builds on SEO. The basics still apply: useful content, a fast crawlable site and trustworthy links. AEO adds direct answers and clear structure.
Can I guarantee that an AI assistant will mention my business?
No. You can make your content clear, accurate and consistent, which improves your chances, but no one controls what an assistant cites.
What is an llms.txt file?
A plain-text summary of your site written for AI tools. It is a helpful extra, though support varies, so it should sit alongside good pages, not stand in for them.