Keeping up with GEO, AEO and SEO in digital marketing

Digital marketing in 2026

These days, working on your digital marketing can feel a bit like chasing a moving target. Every month it seems there’s a new feature, algorithm update or AI tool to master. But that’s exactly why we love it! There’s never a dull moment in marketing, after all.

Though SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is still at the core of any well-performing website, GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) have become equally important to consider. 

In this article, we’ll explore what each new term means, and how they might affect your website’s performance.

What is GEO?

GEO stands for “Generative Engine Optimisation”. This means structuring and optimising your website’s content to be more easily recognised and indexed by AI search engines like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, DeepSeek and more.

Why optimise for Generative AI?

37% of people now say they begin their searches with AI tools rather than traditional search engines. Given Google has been live since 1998, and ChatGPT launched only four years ago, this is a staggering figure.

But that’s not all. 50% of standard Google Search queries now feature Gemini summaries and suggestions at the very top. This means that even for those not intentionally using AI search, AI results are still very much in play and can still affect the brand awareness and conversion process.

Is GEO similar to SEO?

At their core, GEO and SEO are both about helping people find useful content online. They focus on making content clear, relevant and easy to access, using keywords thoughtfully and ensuring websites work well technically. 

Both approaches value good user experience, trustworthy information and ongoing improvement based on data and performance insights. In short, they are different methods with the same aim: getting the right content in front of the right people.

How is GEO different from SEO?

Though built on the same principles, SEO focuses on ranking pages in search engines like Google, while GEO focuses on being used and referenced by AI tools and answer engines. 

Here’s where the two practices differ – 

• SEO tries to get users to click through to a website; GEO aims to have content included directly in AI-generated answers
• SEO is about optimising pages and keywords; GEO is about writing clearly so AI can easily understand and reuse the information
• SEO matches search terms to content; GEO focuses more on the meaning and intent behind questions
• SEO success is measured by rankings and website traffic; GEO success is measured by AI mentions, citations and referrals.

As AI-driven search rivals traditional Google results, it’s important to make sure that both SEO and GEO are considered across your website and content.

What is AEO?

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation. It focuses on structuring and optimising your website content so it can be easily understood and surfaced by answer-driven platforms such as Google’s featured snippets, voice search tools and AI-powered assistants.

Rather than encouraging users to click through multiple search results, AEO is about providing clear, direct answers to specific questions at the exact moment someone needs them.

Why optimise for answer engines?

As search behaviour changes, people are increasingly looking for quick, clear answers rather than long lists of links. This is especially true for voice search, mobile search and AI-powered results, where users expect immediate, accurate responses.

Google now regularly prioritises featured snippets, “People also ask” boxes and AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. If your content is not structured to answer questions clearly, you risk being overlooked even if your SEO is strong.

AEO helps ensure your content appears where attention is highest, shaping awareness and trust before a user ever reaches a website.

Is AEO similar to SEO?

Yes. AEO and SEO share the same foundation. Both aim to help users find relevant, trustworthy information online, and both rely on high-quality content, clear structure, good user experience and sound technical performance.

They also use data and insights to improve results over time. Ultimately, both approaches are about visibility, relevance and meeting user needs as effectively as possible.

How is AEO different from SEO?

While SEO is focused on ranking pages in traditional search results, AEO is focused on delivering direct answers within search features and AI-driven interfaces.

Here’s where they differ –

• SEO aims to drive clicks to a website; AEO aims to provide the best possible answer directly in search results
• SEO focuses on keywords and page optimisation; AEO focuses on questions, intent and clear, concise responses
• SEO performance is measured through rankings and traffic; AEO performance is measured through featured snippets, voice results and answer visibility
• SEO supports discovery through browsing; AEO supports decision-making through immediate answers.

As search continues to shift towards faster, answer-led experiences, combining SEO and AEO ensures your content remains visible, useful and competitive at every stage of the search journey.

Conclusion – Do you need SEO, GEO and AEO?

In a word – yes. SEO, GEO and AEO each play a unique role in helping your content reach and engage the right audience. 

SEO ensures your site ranks well in traditional search, GEO makes sure AI tools understand and reference your content, and AEO helps your answers appear front and centre in featured snippets, voice search and other answer-driven platforms.

Together, they create a joined-up strategy that keeps your website visible, relevant and competitive, no matter how your potential customers are choosing to search.

Work with us

Here at Ultimate, our dedicated digital marketing team keeps a finger on the pulse of trends like GEO and AEO, so you don’t have to.

Meanwhile, our web development experts handle the technical SEO behind the scenes, making sure your site runs smoothly and is optimised for both people and search engines.

Ready to get your digital marketing on track for 2026?

Get in touch