What answer engine optimisation and generative engine optimisation mean, and the steps that help AI assistants find, trust and cite your business.
Search is changing shape. Buyers still use Google, but many now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Copilot a full question and read a single composed answer. Google's AI Overviews do the same at the top of the results page.
That changes the goal. Ranking on page one still matters, but the new prize is being named inside the answer. This guide explains how that works in plain language.
AEO and GEO in one sentence each
- Answer engine optimisation (AEO) structures your content so a system can lift a direct, correct answer from it.
- Generative engine optimisation (GEO) makes your brand a trusted, citable source that large language models mention when they compose a response.
What AI systems look for
Assistants assemble answers from sources they can crawl, parse and trust. Four signals matter most.
- Clear facts. Who you are, what you do, where you operate and for whom, stated the same way everywhere.
- Structure. Headings that ask real questions, short direct answers, lists and tables, and schema markup such as Organization, Service, FAQPage and Article.
- Access. A robots.txt that allows reputable AI crawlers, a clean XML sitemap and an llms.txt file that points to your most useful pages.
- Corroboration. Mentions on credible third-party sites, directories, industry bodies and press that confirm the same facts.
A 30-day starter plan
- Write a one-page brand fact sheet and align your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and directories to it.
- Add Organization, Service, FAQPage and BreadcrumbList schema to the site.
- Publish one question-led page per core service, answering the top ten questions buyers ask your sales team.
- Check robots.txt and add an llms.txt file.
- Ask the major assistants twenty buying questions in your category, record who they mention, and repeat monthly.
Being clear is now a ranking factor for machines as well as people.
What not to do
Do not publish thin pages for every city or keyword, invent reviews or overstate credentials. AI systems cross-check facts, and inconsistent claims reduce trust for both people and machines.
If you want a baseline of how AI assistants describe your business today, our AI visibility audit is a good place to start.
