AEO versus SEO versus GEO what is actually different
Everyone is throwing these letters around and it feels like the industry invented three new jobs overnight. Here is the take you keep seeing on Reddit mixed with what folks are actually doing and testing
First the vibe
Most people say start with normal search work then add answer friendly structure for AEO and citation friendly signals for GEO. In other words the base is still technical cleanup fast pages clean architecture topic clusters and links. The debate is whether the extra layers deserve a new label or just sit inside search work we already do. You can see that mood in the constant threads asking if AEO has a real playbook yet and whether GEO is even a separate thing. Reddit+2Reddit+2
What people mean by each term
SEO means earn visibility in classic search results through content quality architecture and authority. No one is arguing that this is dead. If anything it is the foundation for the other two. You will find explainers that still define it this way while trying to position the newer ideas next to it. Reddit
AEO means answer engine optimization. Think answer first formatting. Pages that open with a short clean answer then support it with details. Clear questions and answers sections. Strong schema for things like how to and faq and product. The goal is to be the thing AI answer boxes or quick answer modules like people also ask pull from. A lot of posters call AEO a small set of tactics inside normal search rather than a brand new discipline. Reddit+1
GEO means generative engine optimization. The target is model responses in tools like ChatGPT Perplexity and Gemini where models stitch answers from multiple sources and sometimes show citations. The working theory is simple. Be a trustworthy source worth citing. That means expert pages with crisp claims data points original images or diagrams and references. People also talk about earning mentions on high visibility sites since models cross check against what already ranks. You can see that thinking in threads about tracking citations and brand mentions inside AI answers. Reddit+1
Where they overlap
A common answer is that tactics look similar. Good information architecture and topical depth feed all three. The split is more about packaging and measurement. AEO cares about concise answer blocks and markup that machines can slot into responses. GEO cares about being cited and discovered across many model surfaces. SEO remains the base that powers both by giving crawlable structured authoritative content. Several discussions basically say it is one wave hitting from different angles. Reddit
How people try to measure this
Measurement is the messy part. For AEO people watch impressions inside search features and log the questions their pages answer. For GEO people try to spot citations or referrals from named AI sources and they run manual checks in the tools to see if their brand pops up. Many threads ask for better trackers and admit that a lot of this is still manual. Reddit
What actually seems to work right now
Open with the answer then expand. Use schema for the obvious use cases. Build hubs that cover a topic in depth so models have a reason to trust you. Publish material that others will quote so you earn those model citations. Case posts report that simple resource hubs and template libraries get picked up faster in AI answers than scattered blog posts. This shows up in growth stories that tie new resource pages to more AI hits. Reddit
So is AEO or GEO a real thing
The most upvoted flavor is pragmatic. Keep doing solid search work. Add answer first structure and markup for AEO goals. Add credibility and citation hooks for GEO goals. Call it whatever you want but do not skip the fundamentals or chase magic tricks. Threads questioning the hype make this point again and again. Reddit+1
Quick playbook you can copy this week
Write one canonical page per core question in your niche. Start with a two or three sentence answer then give the deep dive
Add faq blocks that mirror the exact questions users ask
Use clean titles headers and internal links so crawlers understand context
Add sources and simple original visuals that people can cite
Pitch or publish in places that models and humans already trust
Track referrals that mention AI engines and run weekly manual checks for key prompts
Tiny plug try this if you want an easy start
If you want a quick read on whether your page is answer ready you can try our free Chrome extension AEO Analyzer. It scans any page and flags answer gaps schema issues and weak question coverage. One minute setup then test your top pages
