Being found matters more than acronyms

SEO, AEO, GEO. The acronyms may be multiplying, but the goal remains the same: making sure your business can be found when potential customers are looking for what you provide.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) has been part of digital marketing for years. Traditionally, that has meant helping search engines crawl, understand and index your website, while creating relevant content around what your audience is searching for.

But search is changing quickly, and the way businesses get found is changing with it.

More of us are turning to AI powered tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude to ask questions, research products and services, compare businesses and get recommendations.

That does not mean SEO is dead. But businesses now need to think beyond traditional Google rankings.

This is where answer engine optimisation (AEO) and generative engine optimisation (GEO) come in.

AEO is about making website content easy for AI platforms to understand and use. Clear, well structured content, relevant schema markup and useful answers to customer questions can improve your chances of being surfaced.

GEO looks more widely at your digital presence. What are reputable third party websites saying about your business? Are you mentioned by trusted industry sources? Do you have genuine customer reviews? Are you demonstrating expertise beyond your own website?

Digital PR, expert commentary, industry coverage and customer reviews all contribute to the bigger search picture.

Ultimately, SEO, AEO and GEO are different parts of the same challenge: making sure your business is visible, understandable and trusted wherever customers choose to search.

The labels may change, but the goal does not. Be useful, relevant and make it easy for people, and AI, to find and trust you.