AEO & GEO · 8 min read
AEO vs SEO: what LLM search means for your business
SEO helps pages become discoverable in search. Answer engine optimization helps systems understand the question a page answers, the entity behind it and the evidence supporting its claims. Businesses increasingly need both.
By AM Marktech · Published September 22, 2026
SEO creates the foundation
Crawlability, useful pages, clear headings, internal links, performance and accurate metadata remain essential. If a search engine cannot reliably access or interpret a page, an answer engine has little dependable material to cite.
AEO makes answers explicit
AEO favors concise explanations followed by supporting detail. Service pages should answer what the service is, who it is for, what it includes, how delivery works and what a prospect should do next. Structured data can reinforce these relationships but cannot rescue weak or contradictory copy.
GEO depends on entity consistency
Generative systems compare information across a site and the wider web. A consistent legal name, address, leadership description, service taxonomy and canonical domain reduce ambiguity. Invented locations or inflated claims have the opposite effect.
Measure qualified visibility
Track branded discovery, relevant organic landing pages, assisted enquiries and conversion quality. No agency can guarantee rankings or AI citations; the practical goal is to become a clear, technically accessible and trustworthy source.