When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI for a recommendation in your industry - are you the answer? Or are you invisible? This is AEO and GEO - and it is changing everything.
People used to type keywords and scan 10 blue links. Now they ask AI a question and get one synthesised answer. If your website isn't one of the 3-8 sources cited in that answer, you simply don't exist.
10 blue links. User scrolls, clicks, bounces, tries again.
One answer. Three sources cited. Either you are the answer, or you are invisible.
Two names for the same idea. Both are about making your website the source that AI search engines choose to cite.
The practice of structuring your website content so that AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews select your site as a cited source when someone asks a question.
The broader discipline of optimising content across all generative AI platforms. AEO is the answer-retrieval layer within GEO. In practice, they mean the same thing.
SEO was about ranking on Google's list of links. AEO is about being the answer when someone asks AI a question. There are no links to scroll through - there is one answer, and it cites 3-8 sources. You are either one of those sources, or you are invisible. AEO is how you become the source.
AI search isn't coming. It's here. And the businesses that optimise now will be the ones that get cited for the next decade.
These are the six things AI search engines look at when deciding whether to cite your website. Miss any of them and you are leaving visibility on the table.
Structured data in your website's code that tells AI engines exactly what your business is, what you do, where you are, and what people say about you. Think of it as a machine-readable business card.
Question-and-answer sections that match the real questions your customers are asking AI. "How much does X cost?" or "What is the best X in [location]?" - your website needs to answer these directly.
AI engines pull from the first 30% of your content. Lead with the answer in 40-60 words, then expand. No long intros, no fluff. Direct answers with specific numbers, dates, and facts.
Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust. Awards, credentials, case studies with real numbers, author bios, external validation. AI engines need to trust you before they will cite you.
Your website's robots.txt file controls which AI bots can read your content. If GPTBot, ClaudeBot, or PerplexityBot are blocked, your content will never appear in AI answers. You need to invite them in.
85% of AI citations come from third-party sources. Google reviews, LinkedIn, directories, press mentions - they all matter. Plus, AI engines favour content updated within the last 12 months.
SEO isn't dead. But it's not enough on its own anymore. Here's how the game has shifted.
| Dimension | Traditional SEO | AEO / GEO |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank on Google's results page | Get cited in AI-generated answers |
| What Success Looks Like | Ranking position, organic clicks | Being mentioned and cited by AI platforms |
| Content Style | Comprehensive, keyword-focused pages | Answer-first, fact-dense, extractable sections |
| Key Technical Element | Page titles, meta descriptions, heading tags | Schema markup, structured data (JSON-LD) |
| How People Search | Type keywords: "AI consultant Sunshine Coast" | Ask questions: "Who is the best AI consultant on the Sunshine Coast?" |
| Competition | 10 organic spots on page one | 3-8 cited sources in one AI answer |
| Trust Signal | Backlinks from other websites | E-E-A-T: awards, credentials, case studies, reviews |
Tick what you have. Anything unchecked is costing you visibility in AI search results right now.
We run a quick AEO audit on your website and show you exactly what AI search engines see - and what they are missing. No jargon, just clear actions.