How does GEO compare with SEO and AEO?
The boundaries are not exact. Different agencies use the terms in different ways, so ask what work is included rather than judging a proposal by its label.
| Term | Main emphasis | Practical example |
|---|---|---|
| SEO | Being discoverable in search | Giving an important service its own accessible, well-linked page |
| AEO | Answering customer questions clearly | Explaining what a service includes and what affects the price |
| GEO | Visibility in generated answers | Publishing an evidence-backed comparison that could be useful as a source |
Our AEO guide looks more closely at answer quality. GEO adds a reason to think carefully about what someone could learn or verify from your website.
Why would an answer need to refer to your page?
This is a helpful editorial question, not a known formula for any platform’s algorithm.
If your page says exactly what hundreds of other pages say, what does it contribute? Perhaps you can explain a real decision from your work, compare options using clear criteria, or answer a question that most businesses in your field leave vague.
For example, a gym could explain the difference between its membership options, who each suits and which facilities are included. A landscaping company could publish a project breakdown showing how access, ground preparation and material choices affected the work. A therapist could describe how appointments are organised without making unsupported health claims.
These pages have a purpose for customers even if an AI platform never cites them. That makes them a more sensible investment than content written only to attract a machine’s attention.
Publish evidence that someone can check
A useful example should explain its context. If a website redesign generated more enquiries, what period was measured? Were paid ads running? Did the business change its prices or offer at the same time?
You do not need dramatic figures to publish something worthwhile. A clear explanation of a practical problem and how it was solved can be useful on its own.
Where you use external facts, link to the original source. Where you share your own experience, describe it as your experience. Where you offer an illustration, label it as an illustration. Those distinctions make the page more honest and easier to assess.
Make your business information consistent
Check the basics across your own website and the profiles you control: business name, services, contact details, service area and opening hours where relevant.
If you have stopped offering a service, update the old pages and listings. If a price is only a starting figure, explain the conditions. Contradictory information creates uncertainty for a customer, regardless of how they discovered you.
Independent coverage can also help people investigate your business. Seek genuine opportunities to contribute useful expertise or have real work featured. Buying flattering mentions or creating fake comparison sites is not a credible foundation for your reputation.
What GEO cannot promise
No agency can control every generated answer. A platform might use web search for one question and answer another without retrieving your page. A mention in one conversation is not proof of lasting visibility.
Be cautious about packages built around guaranteed recommendations, unexplained visibility scores or large volumes of near-identical content. Ask for the proposed changes, the evidence behind them and how results will be measured.
What should you do first?
Pick the service you most want to grow. Check whether its page gives a useful explanation, includes appropriate proof and leads naturally to an enquiry. Then choose one supporting question worth answering in depth.
Our AI search action plan sets out that process. The Perplexity guide also explores the practical difference between writing a claim and providing a useful source.
For an overview, visit the AI Search Visibility Hub. If you would like help applying this to your business, send us your website and tell us which services you want more enquiries for.
Want your website to be worth citing?
We can review your service pages and tell you which answers, evidence and structure would make the biggest difference — for customers and for the AI tools they use.