With these terms, a new playing field opens up. The well-known SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is being sidelined, and there is still no replacement for SEA, the advertisements within search engines. What makes AEO and GEO different, and how do you implement them? We asked Jarik Oosting, founder of the SEO agency SmartRanking.
Jarik closely follows the developments and sees that there is no better day than today to gain ground in search engines: 'Google is already starting to push AI Mode in various ways, both in Google Chrome and in the search results. It does not surprise me if the blue links as we know them are completely replaced by AI Mode within 2 years.'
'We have now definitely entered the zero-click search era'
What is AEO?
AEO is about being better found by systems that answer questions instead of showing links. While classic SEO is aimed at search engines, AEO focuses on AI models that generate answers based on existing information.
In practice, this means very clear, question-driven content. Take the heading of this subsection as an example; if you ask this question to an AI search engine, that bot will directly search for this question. If we were to put this piece on our site, the chances are high that we would be picked up and seen as a reliable source. That is worth more than your link on the front page of Google, Jarik sees: 'The battle is no longer about a place in the top 10, but about presence in an AI answer.'
What is GEO?
GEO is the next step. It focuses not only on answer machines but on generative AI that creates new, composite content from massive datasets. The goal is to ensure that generative models incorporate your brand, products, or expertise into the output they generate.
While AEO primarily focuses on findability in answers, GEO focuses on the building blocks behind those answers: semantically rich content with in-depth, contextual explanations. The data must be unambiguous, reliable, and easy to 'train'.
From SEO to AI visibility
Step-by-step plan AEO/GEO according to SmartRanking
1. Write for questions, not for keywords
Forget short search terms; ensure that your content answers the questions your target audience is actually asking. Work with clear headings and short blocks so that AI models can process the information well.
2. Ensure that your brand is clearly defined as an entity
AI models think in entities. Describe your brand consistently across all platforms: on your website, social media, directories, press, and other platforms. The more consistent, the better AI models understand who you are.
3. Create content that is semantically rich and in-depth
Publish substantive explanations, examples, scenarios, and answers to specific situations. Write structured and clearly. One topic per block works best.
4. Work on your authority
Show that you have authority, or experience and expertise: through reviews, cases, research, product information, and specialized articles. Keep content up to date.
5. Build mentions outside your website
Ensure mentions on other reliable sites. The more often your brand appears in relevant contexts, the sooner you will be included.
6. Ensure that AI models can read your website well
Optimize the technical foundation: loading speed, clear HTML structure, correct structured data, and a good sitemap. Good for users, but also for AI.
7. Focus on new KPIs
In an AI-driven search landscape, presence is key. Measure developments such as brand mentions in AI answers, sentiment, authority, and visibility in LLMs. Use these insights to improve strategically.
GreenPan: visibility in the US
For the most successful campaigns, we need to cross the ocean: 'Many entrepreneurs think that AI Mode is something for the future. In the US, it is already indispensable.' SmartRanking helped GreenPan with a GEO strategy, fully focused on visibility, reliability, and brand recognition within AI answers about healthy or high-quality cooking products.
GreenPan is an international brand in ceramic pans and cooking products. The American market is large and competitive. Consumers are broadly orienting themselves, comparing intensively, and increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and AI Mode to make choices. This makes visibility within generative search engines a direct growth factor.
This visibility is continuously measured via SmartRanking's own LLM tracker. GreenPan is currently mentioned in 91% of the ChatGPT answers we monitor. The biggest competitor? In 66%. That gap is enormous in an AI-driven search landscape. For prompts like 'What is the safest non-stick pan without PFAS?', the brand is not only visible but also positioned as a logical and reliable choice by the AI model.
And it works, with strong growth in both traffic and revenue from AI sources. The correlation between higher brand mentions and more visits is clearly visible. During Black Friday, the effect was exceptionally large: revenue from ChatGPT increased by 4,000% compared to the previous year.
SmartRanking's three optimization pillars
- Content: semantically rich, understandable for AI models, and distinct from the competition.
- Authority: demonstrable expertise through product information, reviews, and external mentions.
- Reputation: positive stories are shared about your brand, incorrect assumptions are avoided.
What should not be forgotten is that an AI model is a predictive model; it takes over patterns it sees online. Negative sentiments or incorrect assumptions are therefore reproduced in answers. Unlike for Google, this has direct input for AI models. That is why we continuously monitor how GreenPan is talked about online and ensure that the right, reliable information is dominantly present.
GreenPan not only scores high in traditional SEO but also has a strong position in the new, generative search landscape. GreenPan proves that GEO already has a direct impact on revenue, brand preference, and competitive position.
'The bar has been raised by AI'
A new search reality
According to Jarik, we are entering a world full of opportunities, where anything is still possible: 'Despite all the uncertainty, SEO, GEO, or whatever we call it, is very much alive due to the opportunities that are now emerging.' Now that more is becoming clear about how AI models work, the other side is in sight. Time to get on board.
