AEO vs SEO vs GEO — What's the Difference?
SEO optimizes for ranking in a list of search results; AEO optimizes for being the direct answer to a question; GEO optimizes specifically for being cited inside AI-generated responses like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. Most sites now need all three.
What is SEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of ranking a webpage highly in a traditional search engine's list of results, using signals like backlinks, keyword relevance, and page speed.
What is AEO?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the practice of structuring content so it can be extracted as a direct answer — in a Google featured snippet, a voice assistant response, or an AI chatbot's reply. AEO content is typically short, direct, and organized around a specific question.
What is GEO?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the subset of AEO focused specifically on generative AI systems — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Claude. GEO adds requirements SEO and classic AEO don't have: content needs to be crawlable by AI-specific bots, structured with schema markup, and backed by credible, citable claims.
Do I need all three?
Yes, in practice. A page that ranks well in Google (SEO) but buries its key claim in paragraph four rarely gets lifted into an AI answer. A page that's a perfect direct answer (AEO) but has no backlinks or domain authority may never get crawled by a search engine in the first place. Tyfig's approach layers all three rather than treating them as separate disciplines.