Why this question matters now
Search is ending in fewer clicks. In the first four months of 2026, 68% of US Google searches ended without a click, up from about 60% in 2024. AI Overviews now appear on more than a fifth of Google searches, and when they do, click-through drops by nearly 60% (Search Engine Land on SparkToro data, June 2026).
At the same time, more buying research happens inside AI assistants. People describe their situation and ask who to hire. If your business is not part of that answer, you are not part of the shortlist.
AEO and GEO are the two disciplines that deal with this. They overlap, but they are not the same.
What is AEO?
Answer engine optimisation is the work of getting your content chosen as the direct answer to a question. The "answer engines" here are mostly Google surfaces and voice assistants:
- Featured snippets and "People also ask"
- Google AI Overviews and AI Mode
- Voice answers from Google Assistant, Siri and Alexa
AEO focuses on the page. You win by publishing the clearest, best-structured answer to a specific question, with the facts close to the top, marked up so machines can read it.
Typical AEO work:
- Question-led headings and short, direct answers of 40 to 60 words under them
- FAQ sections written from real customer questions
- Structured data: FAQ, HowTo, Service, Organization, Article
- Clean technical SEO, fast pages, clear internal links
- Freshness: visible "last updated" dates and current facts
What is GEO?
Generative engine optimisation is the work of getting your business named, described correctly and cited inside answers from generative AI assistants: ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity, Claude and Copilot.
GEO focuses on the entity, your business as a whole. An assistant builds its picture of you from many sources: your site, directories, reviews, press, partner pages and how consistently all of them describe you. You win by being the business the assistant understands best and trusts most for a given question.
Typical GEO work:
- Consistent entity facts everywhere: name, services, locations, prices, founders
- Proof an assistant can quote: case studies with dates, real numbers, credentials
- Mentions on trusted third-party sites: industry directories, press, partners
- Prompt testing: asking assistants your buyers' real questions each month and tracking whether you are named
- Fixing what assistants get wrong about you, at the source
AEO vs GEO side by side
| AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Be the direct answer | Be named and cited as the recommendation |
| Where it shows | Featured snippets, AI Overviews, AI Mode, voice | ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot |
| Unit you optimise | The page and the answer | The business (entity) across the web |
| Main levers | Structure, schema, direct answers, technical SEO | Consistent facts, third-party mentions, proof, prompt testing |
| How you measure | Snippet and AI Overview presence, impressions, clicks | Share of answers that name you, accuracy of what is said, cited sources |
| Speed | Weeks for well-structured pages | Weeks to months, depends on mentions and consistency |
AEO
- Be the direct answer
- Featured snippets, AI Overviews, AI Mode, voice
- Optimise the page and the answer
- Structure, schema, direct answers, technical SEO
GEO
- Be named and cited as the recommendation
- ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot
- Optimise the business across the web
- Consistent facts, third-party mentions, proof, prompt testing
Where they overlap
The foundation is the same: clear, true, consistent facts about what you do, published in a form machines can read. Good AEO pages feed GEO, because assistants read and cite those pages. Good GEO work, like press mentions and directory listings, strengthens the trust signals Google uses for AEO.
That is why we do not sell them as separate silos. We build one fact base and use it for both.
Which one should you start with?
- If you already rank in Google but lose clicks to AI Overviews: start with AEO. Restructure your best pages with direct answers, FAQs and schema.
- If buyers in your market ask ChatGPT or Perplexity for recommendations: start with GEO. Test the prompts, see who gets named, close the gaps.
- If you sell high-value B2B or professional services: do both. Your buyers research deeply, in search and in assistants, before they ever fill a form.
- If you also want paid reach inside AI answers: add ChatGPT ads on top of the same fact base.
A simple AEO and GEO checklist
- List the 20 questions your buyers ask before they buy.
- Ask those questions in Google, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Note who is named.
- Make sure your site answers each question clearly, near the top of a relevant page.
- Add FAQ and Service schema to those pages.
- Make your business facts identical on your site, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and key directories.
- Publish one piece of real proof per service: a case study with dates and numbers.
- Earn mentions on two or three sites your industry trusts.
- Repeat the prompt test monthly and track the change.
How OUNTERNET helps
Our AEO and GEO service runs as a monthly programme from £2,900 a month, with a one-off AI Visibility Audit from £2,500. Prices exclude VAT. Final price after we analyse your business and scope. You can also run the free AI visibility check first, or apply for a call.
Frequently asked questions
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. GEO builds on SEO. Assistants still read and cite web pages, so a technically sound, well-written site remains the base.
Is AEO the same as optimising for AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are one AEO target. AEO also covers featured snippets, "People also ask" and voice answers.
How long do AEO and GEO take to work?
Well-structured pages can show up in snippets and AI Overviews within weeks. GEO usually takes longer because it depends on how consistently the wider web describes you.
Can I pay to appear in ChatGPT answers?
Not inside the answer. Since July 2026 you can buy labelled sponsored placements below answers. The answer itself still depends on context and trust.
How do I measure GEO?
Track a fixed set of buyer prompts each month across assistants: how often you are named, whether the description is correct and which sources are cited.