SEO: found
A person types a search. The page should be a clear, accurate match for that search, and technically able to be read. That is SEO.
How SEO, AEO and GEO fit together
In short
SEO is the work of making a page a clear match for a search, so it can be found. AEO is the work of making that page a clear source for a direct answer, so it can be quoted. GEO is the same standard applied to generative answers, so a model has a fair chance to name or cite the business. They are three layers of one job, not three competing products.
Last updated
What is the difference between SEO, AEO and GEO?
None of the three is a promise of a result. Search engines and answer engines choose for themselves.
AEO: quoted
A person asks a question and is given a direct answer. The page should state the fact in plain words, close to the question, so it can be used as a source. That is AEO.
GEO: named or cited
A person asks a generative tool which business to use, or what a service involves. The public pages should be consistent and checkable, so the tool has a fair source to name or cite. That is GEO.
Why do the three belong on the same pages?
A page that ranks but never states the answer is a weak source. A beautifully structured answer on a page that cannot be found is a weak source too. A generative tool that retrieves conflicting descriptions of the same business will have to guess. The cheapest way to do the work is to do it once, on the public pages that already exist.
What should be measured?
For SEO: whether the important pages can be found, and whether they match the searches they are meant to match. For AEO and GEO: what public answer tools already say when asked real questions, which sources they cite, and whether the public pages could be clearer. Clearly Seen uses AI tools for research and for that monitoring, and looks at how ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI choose what to cite. A change in those public answers, if it comes, is observed. It is not something we can promise.
Which should a business do first?
Start with the public pages. If they are inaccurate, inconsistent, or hard to find, fix that before adding new ones. Then check the public answers, and close the gaps those answers reveal. That order is a judgment, not a rule for every business.
Questions
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. People still search, and findable pages remain the base for a lot of what answer tools retrieve.
Do I need three agencies?
Not if the work is done on the same pages, to the same standard. Clearly Seen treats the three as one practice.
Can you promise we will appear in ChatGPT?
No. We do not promise an appearance in ChatGPT. No one can promise that.
Where can I read more?
There are separate short guides on what AEO is and what GEO is, and a page on how the work runs at Clearly Seen.
Keep reading
Write to us when you want the public pages checked.
Tell us the business and the sites. We will write back, and we will not ask for personal details about your customers, patients or clients.
Write to [email protected]