What do we call this brave new world of AI-powered search? The industry can’t agree—but your strategy needs to account for all of it.

If you’ve been following digital marketing discussions lately, you’ve probably noticed something: the industry is having an identity crisis. We can’t even agree on what to call the thing we’re all scrambling to figure out.

SEO we know. But now there’s GEO, AEO, AIO, AIEO—and depending on who you ask, they’re either completely different disciplines or just new labels for the same thing. Andreessen Horowitz drops a thesis declaring GEO the future. Someone else insists AEO is the only term that makes sense. A consultant claims they “invented” AIEO. Meanwhile, you just want to know why your traffic is down and what you can do about it.

Here’s the thing: the terminology wars matter less than understanding what’s actually happening to search—and what your business needs to do about it.

For a quick comparison of the three most common terms, see our guide to SEO vs. GEO vs. AEO. This article goes deeper into the full alphabet soup—including the newer AIO and AIEO terms—and provides a comprehensive action plan.

The Core Problem: Search Has Fragmented

Before we untangle the acronyms, let’s acknowledge the underlying shift. For two decades, “search optimization” meant one thing: getting your website to rank in Google’s results so people would click through to your site.

That world is disappearing.

Today, people search in multiple places that work in fundamentally different ways:

• Traditional search engines (Google, Bing) that return ranked lists of links
• AI Overviews (Google’s SGE) that synthesize answers at the top of search results
• AI-native platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini) that generate conversational responses
• Voice assistants (Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant) that speak answers directly
• Vertical AI tools (specialized assistants for shopping, travel, research)

Each of these platforms retrieves, processes, and presents information differently. And that’s why we’ve ended up with an alphabet soup of optimization strategies—each trying to address a different piece of this fragmented landscape.

The data backs this up: research shows up to 60% of Google searches now end without a click, and AI Overviews are crushing click-through rates even further. A recent Pew study documented that users click through to websites only 8% of the time when AI summaries are present—nearly half the rate of traditional search results.

The Glossary: What Each Term Actually Means

Let’s define each acronym based on how the industry is actually using them, not how any single vendor wants to brand them.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

What it is: The original discipline of optimizing websites to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Primary targets: Google, Bing traditional organic results

Core tactics: Keywords, backlinks, technical optimization, site speed, content quality, on-page factors

Success metric: Rankings, organic traffic, click-through rates

Current status: Still essential, but no longer sufficient on its own. This is why your business needs both SEO and AI search optimization to succeed in 2026.

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

What it is: Optimizing content to appear in direct answer formats—featured snippets, knowledge panels, “People Also Ask” boxes, and voice search results.

Primary targets: Google Featured Snippets, Voice assistants (Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant), Knowledge panels

Core tactics: Question-based content structure, FAQ formatting, concise answer-first writing, schema markup, clear formatting with lists and tables

Success metric: Featured snippet wins, voice search visibility, “position zero” appearances

Historical context: AEO emerged around 2015 when Google began displaying direct answers and voice assistants became mainstream. It’s the practice of being “the answer” rather than just “a result.”

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

What it is: Optimizing content to be cited, referenced, or synthesized in AI-generated responses across generative platforms.

Primary targets: ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews (SGE), Claude, Gemini, Bing Copilot

Core tactics: Comprehensive topic coverage, E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), entity optimization, structured data, authoritative citations, brand building

Success metric: AI citations, brand mentions in AI responses, inclusion in synthesized answers

Key difference from AEO: GEO focuses on content being synthesized and blended from multiple sources into AI-generated responses, not just extracted verbatim into a snippet.

Understanding how these AI systems actually work under the hood is critical. Krishna Madhavan’s revelations about Microsoft’s AI pipeline at Tech SEO Connect showed exactly how content gets selected for AI responses—and it’s not what most marketers expect.

AIO (AI Optimization / Artificial Intelligence Optimization)

What it is: A broader umbrella term for optimizing across all AI-powered platforms and using AI tools to enhance optimization workflows.

Primary targets: All AI-driven search and recommendation systems

Core tactics: Making content machine-readable, semantic structure, schema markup, AI tool integration in content workflows

Success metric: Visibility across AI-powered discovery channels

Note: AIO is sometimes used to describe using AI as a tool for optimization, not just optimizing for AI platforms. This dual meaning creates some confusion.

AIEO (AI Engine Optimization / Artificial Intelligence Engine Optimization)

What it is: Essentially GEO with a more descriptive name—optimizing specifically for AI-powered search engines and LLM-based platforms.

Primary targets: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, AI search interfaces

Core tactics: Largely overlaps with GEO: authority building, structured content, comprehensive coverage, entity clarity

Success metric: Same as GEO—inclusion and citation in AI responses

Industry note: Some claim to have coined this term specifically. Multiple companies use it. The term exists because “GEO” collides with geography, geology, and geo-targeting in search conversations—try searching “GEO optimization” and see what happens.

The Comparison Matrix

Factor	SEO	AEO	GEO	AIO	AIEO
Primary Goal	Rank in search results	Win featured snippets & voice answers	Get cited in AI responses	Optimize for all AI systems	Get cited by AI search engines
Target Platforms	Google, Bing organic	Featured snippets, voice assistants	ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews	All AI platforms	LLM-based search tools
Content Format	Keyword-optimized pages	Q&A structured, concise answers	Comprehensive, authoritative	Machine-readable, semantic	Authority-focused, structured
Success Metrics	Rankings, clicks, traffic	Position zero, voice visibility	AI citations, brand mentions	Cross-platform AI visibility	LLM citations
Key Tactics	Keywords, backlinks, technical SEO	FAQ schema, answer-first writing	E-E-A-T, entity optimization	Schema, structured data, AI tools	Authority signals, comprehensive coverage
How Content Used	Linked in results	Extracted as snippet	Synthesized into response	Varies by platform	Blended with other sources
User Experience	Click through to site	Answer shown, may not click	Answer generated, may cite source	Varies	Source may be cited/linked
Emerged	Late 1990s	~2015	~2023	~2024	~2024
Click Potential	High (traditional)	Medium (some click-through)	Low to medium	Varies	Low to medium
Still Matters?	Yes—foundation of all	Yes—Google still dominant	Critical and growing	Conceptual umbrella	Yes (same as GEO)

The Honest Assessment: Are These Really Different Things?

Here’s what I’ll tell you as someone who’s been doing this since 2006: the distinctions between GEO, AEO, AIEO, and AIO are more about emphasis and branding than fundamentally different disciplines.

AEO vs. GEO: These are evolutionary stages of the same challenge. AEO optimized for the first generation of “answer engines”—featured snippets and voice assistants that extract your content. GEO optimizes for generative engines that synthesize your content with other sources. The tactics overlap significantly, but GEO requires thinking about brand authority and citation-worthiness in ways AEO didn’t emphasize.

AIEO vs. GEO: These are essentially synonyms. AIEO exists because “GEO” is a terrible acronym from a searchability standpoint. If you’re doing GEO, you’re doing AIEO. If someone tells you otherwise, they’re probably selling you something.

AIO as umbrella: AIO works better as a category that encompasses everything else—but it’s also used to describe AI tools in optimization workflows, which muddles the concept.

SEO as foundation: Here’s the critical point that often gets lost in the excitement about new acronyms: traditional SEO remains the foundation. Google still commands roughly 89% of search traffic. AI engines rely heavily on the same authority and relevance signals that traditional search algorithms value. If your SEO is weak, your GEO/AEO efforts will struggle. That’s why adapting your SEO strategy for AI-powered search is essential—not replacing it.

What This Actually Means for Your Business

Stop worrying about which acronym to use. Start focusing on what all of them require:

1. Content Must Be Genuinely Authoritative

AI engines, featured snippets, and search algorithms all reward the same thing: content that demonstrates real expertise, comes from trustworthy sources, and provides genuine value. This isn’t new—but the stakes are higher because AI systems are increasingly sophisticated at detecting authority signals.

Build experience signals through original research, case studies, and unique insights. Don’t just repackage what everyone else is saying.

2. Structure for Extraction AND Synthesis

Your content needs to work for both models:

• For extraction (AEO): Clear Q&A formats, scannable structures, definitive answers that can be pulled verbatim
• For synthesis (GEO): Comprehensive coverage that provides context AI can blend into responses, semantic clarity, entity definitions

This isn’t either/or. A well-structured piece of content can serve both purposes. For detailed guidance, see our complete guide to optimizing content for AI search.

3. Entity Optimization Is Non-Negotiable

AI engines think in entities—brands, products, people, concepts, and the relationships between them. If your brand isn’t established as a clear entity with defined attributes, you’re invisible to AI systems.

This means:

• Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information
• Schema markup that defines your entities
• Wikipedia presence where appropriate
• Consistent brand mentions across authoritative sources
• Clear about pages with structured organizational information

As Martha van Berkel explained at Tech SEO Connect, schema markup is becoming the data layer for the agentic web—it’s how AI systems understand who you are and what you offer.

4. The New Success Metric: Being Mentioned

This is the paradigm shift. In traditional SEO, success meant ranking high so people clicked through to your site. In the AI era, success increasingly means being mentioned or cited in the answer itself.

Being mentioned is the new click.

This doesn’t mean traffic is irrelevant—people still click when AI provides citations. But measuring success purely by traffic misses the brand visibility happening when AI platforms reference your company, your data, or your expertise.

5. Multi-Platform Monitoring Is Essential

You can’t optimize for platforms you’re not monitoring. Start tracking:

• How your brand appears in ChatGPT responses
• Whether Perplexity cites your content
• Your visibility in Google AI Overviews
• Brand mentions across AI platforms

This is harder than tracking search rankings, and the tools are less mature. But ignoring it means flying blind. One practical starting point: learn how to use Screaming Frog’s Log File Analyzer to track AI bot crawling on your site.

The Action Plan: Steps Toward Survival (and Success)

Here’s what to do right now, regardless of which acronym you prefer:

Immediate Actions (This Month)

1. Audit your brand’s AI visibility. Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI about your company, your industry, your key topics. What appears? What’s missing? What’s wrong? Not sure where to start? Learn what an AI SEO audit is and why your website needs one.
2. Review your schema markup. Is it comprehensive? Does it cover your organization, products, services, FAQs, and key content? Schema is the language AI engines understand.
3. Assess your content’s answer-ability. Take your top 20 pages. Does each one clearly answer a question someone might ask? Can an AI extract a clean, quotable answer?

Short-Term Priorities (Next Quarter)

1. Build your entity presence. Update your About page, get consistent citations across directories, pursue authoritative mentions and backlinks, consider Wikipedia notability.
2. Create comprehensive cornerstone content. AI engines love thorough, authoritative resources. Identify your key topics and build definitive guides—not for keyword stuffing, but for genuine authority. A comprehensive content audit can help you identify what’s working and what needs improvement.
3. Implement Q&A content architecture. Add FAQ sections to key pages. Structure content around questions your audience actually asks. Use clear headings that match query intent. A content gap analysis can reveal the questions you’re not yet answering.

Long-Term Strategy (Ongoing)

1. Produce original research and data. AI engines cite sources. Be a source worth citing. Original research, surveys, case studies, and unique data give AI systems something valuable to reference.
2. Develop multi-platform measurement. Build systems to track your visibility across traditional search, AI Overviews, and AI platforms. This is emerging territory—invest in figuring it out.
3. Stay SEO-strong. Don’t abandon traditional optimization chasing AI trends. The fundamentals still drive the signals AI systems use. Technical SEO, backlink profiles, site authority—these remain your foundation.
4. Adopt a “mention-first” mindset. Shift success metrics from clicks-only to include brand mentions, AI citations, and share of voice in AI-generated responses.

The Bottom Line

The alphabet soup of SEO, GEO, AEO, AIO, and AIEO reflects an industry trying to name a moving target. Search is fragmenting across platforms that work differently, and our terminology hasn’t caught up.

But here’s what hasn’t changed: creating genuinely valuable content, building real authority, and making your expertise accessible to whatever system is trying to find answers—that’s always been the game. The channels have multiplied. The tactics have evolved. The acronyms have proliferated.

The fundamentals? They’re exactly what they’ve always been.

Your job isn’t to pick the “right” acronym. It’s to understand that your visibility now depends on multiple systems—some that rank, some that extract, some that synthesize—and to build a content strategy robust enough to succeed across all of them.

That’s not alphabet soup. That’s just good digital marketing in 2026.

Ready to assess how your brand appears across AI platforms? Try our free AI Content Readiness Auditor to get your score in 60 seconds, or explore our Content Optimization for AI Search services. Want to discuss your specific situation? Book a consultation and let’s talk.