How AI search works,
in plain English.
When customers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude who to hire, AEO and GEO are the work of getting your business into the answer. This guide explains both without the jargon. They're included automatically withour SEO & AI Search service.
Questions & Answers
What is AEO and GEO?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is being on the short list an AI reads back when someone asks it a question like "who's the best painter in Kelowna?". GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is being the business the AI describes, by name and accurately, when it writes its own paragraph answer. The same work earns both, and most of it is just good SEO done right. You don't buy AEO or GEO as separate products. They come included with our SEO & AI Search service.
Why does showing up in AI answers matter now?
The prospect who used to type "painters near me" into Google now asks ChatGPT, and gets back three names instead of ten links. If you're not one of the three, you don't exist for that customer. Right now most local businesses are invisible in those answers. The businesses that show up early build a lead that compounds, because these tools lean on the sources they already trust.
How does AEO and GEO work in practice?
Four phases. Foundation: make every site and listing agree on your name, address, phone, and services, and add schema so AI can trust it. Content patterns: answer the real questions customers ask, in plain words an AI can quote, with clear pricing and service-area pages. Engine-specific tuning: each engine ranks differently, so we tune for how ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude each read the web. Measurement loop: we ask the AIs the same real questions every week, track whether your name comes up per engine, and turn each gap into a new answer, page, or listing.
What don't you do for AEO and GEO?
No AI keyword stuffing, no prompt injection, no paid mentions on AI-content farms. Engines deprioritize all three. Real mechanics or nothing.