GEO vs AEO
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) both target AI surfaces, but they optimize for different outcomes: being cited across answers versus winning the single direct answer.
GEO
- ✓Wins citations across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity
- ✓Optimizes for being the source behind synthesized answers
- ✓Focuses on entity authority and information density
AEO
- ✓Wins the single direct answer in snippets and voice
- ✓Optimizes for extraction via FAQ, Speakable, and QAPage schema
- ✓Focuses on concise, quotable answer blocks
Verdict
Use both. GEO makes you the source models cite broadly; AEO makes you the exact answer engines quote. They reinforce each other.