What the Heck is AI Search (AEO or GEO) and Is SEO Dead for Developers?

If you build websites, you’ve probably optimized for SEO at some point.
Meta tags. Schema. Fast load times. Clean URLs.

But lately, you might’ve seen two new acronyms floating around: AEO and GEO.
And you might be wondering: is SEO changing again?

Let’s unpack what’s actually going on.

SEO: The Old Guard

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is about ranking higher on traditional search results.
You optimize for Google’s crawler so your page shows up when someone searches.

Key focus areas:

• Technical SEO (speed, mobile, structure)
• On-page SEO (titles, meta, keywords)
• Off-page SEO (backlinks, authority)

It’s about visibility on Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc.

For years, this was the primary way users discovered websites.

Enter AEO: Answer Engine Optimization

Search is no longer limited to “ten blue links.”
People now ask AI assistants, voice bots, and chat interfaces.

Think:

• ChatGPT
• Google Gemini
• Perplexity
• Bing Copilot
• Alexa
• Siri

These systems don’t just list websites, they summarize answers.
That’s where AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) comes in.

How AEO Works

AEO is about structuring and publishing your content so AI systems can extract and reuse it accurately.

If SEO is “optimize for search engines,”
AEO is “optimize for answer engines.”

Developers and site owners need to think differently.

Key AEO signals:

• Structured data: Use JSON-LD and schema markup extensively (FAQ, HowTo, Product).
• Clear question-answer format: Write content that directly answers user questions in concise, factual sentences.
• Semantic HTML: Proper headings, lists, and labeled elements.
• Author and source attribution: AI systems prefer transparent and credible sources.
• APIs and accessibility: Structured and crawlable data endpoints increase answerability.

Example:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [{
    "@type": "Question",
    "name": "What is AEO?",
    "acceptedAnswer": {
      "@type": "Answer",
      "text": "AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization, which focuses on optimizing content for AI-driven search and voice assistants."
    }
  }]
}
</script>

That’s AEO-friendly, an AI can lift this data directly and display it as an answer.

GEO: Generative Engine Optimization

GEO takes AEO a step further.

Instead of optimizing for search or answers, you optimize for AI-generated summaries.

When someone uses ChatGPT or Perplexity to ask a question, the model often synthesizes multiple sources.
You want your content to be the one that gets cited or summarized.

GEO focuses on:

• Machine readability: Make your site easy to crawl and parse.
• Unique insights: AI models prioritize original data or viewpoints.
• Citations: Encourage proper attribution through meta tags and licensing headers.
• Embeddings and vectors: Expose content in formats AI systems can index (e.g., open APIs, documentation embedding).

In short, GEO is about feeding LLMs in a way that boosts your visibility in generative outputs.

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How AEO and GEO Differ from SEO

Factor	SEO	AEO	GEO
Audience	Search engines	Voice & chat assistants	AI-driven answer generators
Output	Link ranking	Direct answers	Summarized, generative responses
Optimization target	Crawlers	NLP and QA models	LLMs and AI summarizers
Content form	Pages & metadata	Structured answers	Structured + contextual data
Goal	Traffic	Visibility in answers	Presence in AI citations

What This Means for Developers

If you’re building:

• A docs site
• A SaaS knowledge base
• An API portal
• Or even a personal blog

You should start building with AEO/GEO in mind.

Actionable steps:

• Add structured schema markup to all key pages.
• Use question-answer formats in documentation.
• Provide canonical URLs and author data for every content item.
• Expose your docs or data via API endpoints.
• Track AI referrals — tools like Perplexity Analytics and ChatGPT Browse logs (if available) help.
• Monitor who’s citing your content in AI summaries (search “site:yourdomain.com” in AI tools).

The Developer’s Edge

While marketers debate keywords, developers can build the foundation for visibility in the next search era.

Your site structure, metadata, and content delivery APIs now matter more than ever.

The question isn’t whether SEO is dead, it’s evolving.

The new game is:

• Can AI find you?
• Can it understand your data?
• Will it cite you when it answers?

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