What GEO and AEO actually mean
6 min read · Updated
You may have heard people talk about GEO and AEO, usually while trying to sell you something. The ideas behind them are simple, and useful, once you strip away the jargon.
The short version
- GEO (generative engine optimisation) means making your business easy for AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity to understand and recommend.
- AEO (answer engine optimisation) means structuring your content so tools can pull out a direct answer to a question, whether that’s Google’s AI summaries, a voice assistant or a chatbot.
Both are really about the same thing: when someone asks a machine for an answer, you want to be part of it.
Why this matters now
More people are asking AI tools questions they used to type into Google. “Who’s a good electrician in Geelong?” “What should a bathroom renovation cost in Brisbane?” “Is this rash worth seeing a GP about?” The tool gives an answer, and often names businesses.
If those tools can’t read your website, or can’t work out what you do and where, you won’t be in the answer. You won’t even know you missed out.
How AI tools decide what to say
AI tools build their answers from what they can find and understand. For a local business, that usually means:
- Your website, if they’re allowed to read it and it clearly says what you do and where.
- Your Google Business Profile and other listings, like directories and review sites.
- What others say about you: reviews, news articles, community sites and forums.
They favour information that is clear, consistent and specific. A homepage that says “Excellence in every project” tells an AI nothing. “Licensed electrician serving Geelong and the Surf Coast since 2009” tells it exactly what it needs.
What actually helps
1. Let AI crawlers in
Some websites block AI crawlers in their robots.txt file, often without the owner knowing. A security plugin or a well-meaning web developer might have done it. If they’re blocked, AI tools can’t read your site at all. Unless you have a specific reason, like paid content, let them in. Your free scan checks this.
2. Say what you do and where, plainly
Put your service and area in your main heading and first paragraph. List the suburbs or regions you cover. Use the words your customers use. This is the single most useful thing for AI search, and it helps normal SEO too.
3. Answer real questions
Think about what customers ask you on the phone. “How much does it cost?” “How long does it take?” “Do you work weekends?” Answer those on your website in plain language. Short, direct answers are exactly what AI tools like to quote. An FAQ section is an easy way to do this.
4. Use structured data
Structured data is a behind-the-scenes format that spells out your business details, like name, address, phone, hours, services and reviews, in a way machines can read without guessing. Most SEO plugins can add it for you.
5. Build your reputation
AI tools weigh what others say about you. Keep your Google reviews coming, make sure your listings are accurate everywhere, and show a few reviews on your own site.
6. Consider an llms.txt file
An llms.txt file is a short plain-text summary of your business for AI tools. It’s a new idea and not every tool reads it yet, but it takes ten minutes to write and doesn’t hurt.
What you can ignore
Be wary of anyone selling “guaranteed ChatGPT rankings” or special AI-only content. There’s no such guarantee, and most of what works is the same good practice that helps you in Google: clear information, a fast and accessible website, and a good reputation.
Check your AI search visibility
A free scan checks whether AI crawlers can reach your site, looks for structured business details, and uses an AI model to judge how clearly your homepage explains what you do and where. It takes about a minute. Read more about the AI search audit, or see how Google decides what to show for how this fits with traditional search.
Want the full picture? See what our free AI search audit checks
Common questions
Is GEO different from SEO?
Mostly it's the same work with a different audience. Clear content, accurate business details and a good reputation help you in Google and in AI tools. GEO adds a few specifics, like letting AI crawlers read your site.
Can I pay to be recommended by ChatGPT?
No. AI assistants don't sell recommendation spots in their answers. They recommend businesses based on what they can find and understand about them.
What is llms.txt?
A proposed plain-text file at the root of your website that summarises your business and points AI tools to your key pages. It's new and not every tool uses it yet, but it's cheap to add.