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Optimising for AI search engines (GEO): an explanation and tips
Written by Eva Hento
Corporate Marketing Lead
You’re bombarded with terms like GEO, AIO and AEO. They all relate to visibility in AI-generated results such as Google’s AI Overviews, where the searcher often gets their answer without having to click through. Sometimes you can’t see the wood for the trees. In this blog, we’ll break down the jargon, show what it means in practice and give tips on how to make your content discoverable by AI. The key takeaway is this: at the end of the day, it’s simply good SEO.
GEO, AIO and AEO: what do they mean?
The abbreviations are often used interchangeably. Broadly speaking, it boils down to this:
• SEO (search engine optimisation): ensuring you are easily found on search engines
• GEO (generative engine optimisation): focused on visibility in AI-generated responses
• AEO (answer engine optimisation): focused on direct answers in answer engines
• AIO: refers to AI Overviews, the AI summaries displayed above the search results
The definitions overlap, and that is precisely the point. All these concepts point towards the same goal.
SEO is constantly evolving, even before the rise of AI. Consider developments such as the YMYL update, E-E-A-T signals and the Helpful Content Update. At present, visibility via AI systems, such as LLMs (large language models), is a key topic.
New terms are constantly emerging, which can sometimes be confusing, but they all revolve around the same principle: providing the user with the best possible and most relevant answer. Whether it’s called AIO, GEO or SEO, the core remains the same. It’s all SEO. The tips below are therefore simply part of good SEO.
Structure your content so that AI can take over
AI systems prefer to use content that is easy to parse. A few structural choices make an immediate difference:
• For each section, pose a specific question as the heading and immediately provide a brief, direct answer of a few sentences below it
• Use FAQs, numbered steps and clear lists, as how-to guides, definitions and comparisons are frequently cited
• Keep paragraphs short and write in manageable chunks that can be understood on their own
This makes it easy to use your text as a source block in a template.
Our Head of SEO on SEO in the AI era
“SEO, AIO, GEO: ultimately, all these terms revolve around the same principle: providing the user with the best possible and most relevant answer. The core remains unchanged; it’s all SEO.”
Utilise structured data
Structured data helps search engines and AI models understand what’s on your page. Schema markup, such as FAQs and How-To guides, provides machine-readable answer blocks that an AI can pick up on straight away. It’s not a magic bullet, but it increases the likelihood that your content will be correctly recognised and utilised. Combine this with a logical heading structure, and your page will be clear to both people and machines.
Build demonstrable authority
AI search engines rely heavily on trust. Content featuring original data, concrete examples and a clear, recognisable stance is cited more often than generic texts that can be found everywhere. Therefore, credit an author with demonstrable expertise in your article, back up claims with sources, and ensure others are talking about your topic, as mentions on external and reliable sites increase your chances of being cited. This is, in fact, E-E-A-T, adapted for the AI era.
Boost your visibility in AI
Your traditional SEO metrics remain important, but supplement them with AI-specific signals. Consider how often you’re mentioned in AI responses, whether your brand appears in relevant queries, and how much referral traffic you’re generating from AI sources. Search Console also shows how you’re performing in AI search environments, which makes measuring this a lot more concrete. If you only measure rankings, you’re missing half the story.
Need help with AI optimisation?
There’s no guarantee that you’ll appear in every AI-generated result, but with a strong SEO foundation, you’ll significantly increase your chances. Start with your best-performing pages: refine the structure, provide clear answers and back them up with your own data. Would you like help with this or a plan tailored to your situation? Get in touch with us; we’d be happy to help you find the right solution.
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