SEO / AEO / GEO Explained
What is SEO? (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It involves improving a website so that it is found more easily on Google. The goal of SEO is a higher ranking in Google's classic, organic search results.
What is GEO? (Generative Engine Optimization)
GEO means optimization for AI search engines or AI agents such as ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews. The goal of GEO is to be mentioned more often in AI answers or used as a source.
What is AEO? (Answer Engine Optimization)
AEO refers to optimizing content so that it is selected as directly as possible as a concrete answer by search and answer systems – for example in featured snippets, voice assistants, Google AI Overviews, or AI chatbots.
In simple terms
- SEO: How do I achieve a good position in the results list?
- AEO: How do I become the direct answer to a question?
- GEO: How do I get considered by generative AI as a relevant and trustworthy source?
Search Engine Optimization Measures
There are numerous ways to optimize your website for search engines. The most important ones are:
- High-quality, relevant and regularly updated content – Google's "helpful content" principle should be observed here
- Increasing visitor engagement (time on page): easy usability, responsiveness, fast load times, easy accessibility, etc.
- Good machine readability (content structure, logical navigation paths, structured data, sitemaps, robots.txt, metadata, etc.)
- Visitor safety (HTTPS, Content Security Policy, up-to-date technologies, etc.)
- High visibility (e.g. backlinks, social media, local visibility)
Play by the rules: Don't try to "outsmart" search engines. Sooner or later, this leads to painful penalties from which your domain – if at all – only recovers very slowly. We recommend reading Google's Webmaster Guidelines.
