AEO and GEO are just SEO done right
There is a new wave of acronyms getting sold to contractors right now. AEO for answer engine optimization, GEO for generative engine optimization, both pitched as brand new disciplines you have to pay extra for. Here is my honest take: if you are doing SEO properly, you are already doing AEO and GEO properly.
Every few years the marketing world finds a new acronym to sell. The letters change, the pitch stays the same: this is new, it is complicated, and you need someone special to do it. AEO and GEO are the current version of that. They are real terms, and AI search is a real place people now look for a contractor. But the idea that they are separate from SEO, with their own secret playbook, is mostly marketing.
What AEO and GEO actually are
AEO, answer engine optimization, is about getting your business named when an AI tool answers someone's question. GEO, generative engine optimization, is the same thing aimed at generative AI search. Both come down to one outcome: when a person asks an AI where to find a contractor like you, your name shows up. That is a worthwhile goal. It is also not a new one. It is the same goal SEO has always had, pointed at a slightly different surface.
Why the fundamentals did not change
If you are doing SEO properly, you are doing AEO and GEO properly. They are not separate things, and they are not even separate branches of the same thing. AI tools read the same open web the search engines read. They pull from your website, your Google Business Profile, your reviews, and the other places you show up. So the work that makes you findable in AI answers is the work that already makes you findable in search: clear content that says what you do and where, accurate listings, and a real, trusted presence. Do that well and both take care of themselves.
Google is in charge. You are not going to beat it over time. The platforms set the rules, and they change them whenever they want. The only durable strategy is to be genuinely good at the thing people are searching for, so that whatever the engine is, it has every reason to point to you.
Two myths worth dropping
While the acronyms are new, some of the tactics sold alongside them are old myths in a new coat. Two come up a lot.
The first is geotagging your photos. Adding location data to the images you upload is not a real lever. It gets sold as a quiet edge, but it is not what moves you in local search, and chasing it is time you could spend on something that matters.
The second is spinning up multiple Google Business Profiles for one business to cover more towns. That is against Google's own guidelines for Business Profiles, and it can get your listings suspended. One business gets one profile. If you serve several areas, there is a legitimate way to do that, and I cover it in my guide on service areas for contractors.
The question to ask anyone selling you a new acronym
If someone is pitching you AEO, GEO, or whatever the next set of letters turns out to be, ask them one thing: what would you actually do differently from good SEO? Make them answer in plain terms. If the honest answer is clear content, accurate listings, real reviews, and a trustworthy website, then you are not buying a new discipline. You are buying SEO with a markup. Spend your money on doing the fundamentals well instead, because that is what holds up no matter which engine your next customer uses.
Want to be the name AI and Google both recommend?
I do the fundamentals that get contractors found, in search and in AI answers: a clear website, a dialed in Google Business Profile, and real local SEO. No acronyms, no markup, just the work that holds up. Let's talk about where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
What is AEO?
AEO stands for answer engine optimization. It means getting your business named when an AI tool answers a question for someone. The work behind it is the same work as good SEO: clear content, real information about what you do and where, and a strong, accurate presence that search engines trust.
What is GEO?
GEO stands for generative engine optimization. It is the same idea aimed at generative AI search instead of a classic results page. It is not a separate discipline with its own playbook. If you are doing SEO properly, you are already doing GEO properly.
Does geotagging photos help local SEO?
No. Geotagging the photos you upload is not a real ranking lever. It is one of those tactics that gets repackaged and sold as a secret, but it is not what moves you in local search. Real information, accurate listings, and genuine reviews do.
Can I have multiple Google Business Profiles for one business?
No. One business gets one Business Profile. Creating multiple profiles for a single business to cover more towns is against Google's own guidelines, and it can get your listings suspended. If you serve several areas, there are legitimate ways to do that with one profile and the right service area setup.