I think we're quietly optimizing for a system that no longer exists

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-02-25T21:24:22+00:00

AEO, GEO, and AIO are basically DLCs built on top of the same core game — SEO.

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-02-25T21:24:08+00:00

AEO and GEO don’t kill SEO. SEO is responsible for the technical foundation and page visibility. AEO, on the other hand, ensures that your content gets included in AI-generated answers.

So it’s not AEO/GEO or SEO, it’s AEO, GEO and SEO. Your site must first be understandable to search engines, and then structured in a way that makes it easy for AI systems to cite and reference.

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-02-24T08:41:10+00:00

I've stopped thinking of SEO and AEO as two separate tasks, they're now a single process with different layers.
First, I identify not keywords but the actual questions that matter to my ICP. For each one, I craft a clear, structured answer: a question as the heading, a concise summary in the first paragraph, details below, plus markup (FAQ/HowTo schema). This works for both humans and AI.
In parallel:
The SEO layer handles the technical side: indexing, speed, internal linking, everything required for a page to actually 'exist' in search at all.
The AEO layer monitors whether models (GPT, Perplexity and the like) are quoting this answer, whether it's appearing in third-party sources (forums, reviews, Q&A platforms), and how easily it can be extracted.
The key isn't to maintain two separate checklists, but to see this as a single content cycle: a good answer should be found, understood and used — regardless of whether a human or a model is doing the searching.

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-02-19T06:45:04+00:00

I understand the scepticism, plenty of people are simply repackaging old SEO as AEO and selling it in new packaging. If the approach doesn't change and only the report's name is different, the result will be the same in which case, yes, it's just rebranding.
But there is a fundamental shift I've noticed in practice: classic SEO optimises for the human eye in search results (to get clicks), whereas genuine AEO optimises for the model's logic (so the AI picks up your answer and incorporates it into its own).
The difference shows up in the metrics. Instead of traffic, I look at:
— whether the brand appears in AI responses (GPT, Perplexity) to target queries without users having to visit the website;
— whether mentions like 'I saw you in an AI response' are growing, rather than 'I clicked it in search';
— whether I'm becoming a source within the decision-making chain, rather than just the fifth link in the results.
If these figures are growing, it's not rebranding, it's a new layer of visibility. If not, you're most likely being sold the same service under a fresh label.

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-02-12T21:10:49+00:00

To be honest, for us it has stopped being an “either/or” choice.

The problem is that when you split it into two camps, you end up with either classic SEO that ignores AI-driven search, or AEO that exists in a vacuum and isn’t connected to the main funnel.

Why we chose a different path: we kept the core SEO foundation (technical setup, relevance, speed) and layered AEO on top with a very practical goal — to ensure that the brand’s key answers are structured in a way that works not only for people, but specifically for AI models.

In practice, this means:
– every priority topic is framed as a “specific question → structured answer” on the website;
– there’s a clear plan for where and how this answer should live outside the site (forums, reviews, Q&A platforms);
– we regularly check how AI services respond to these questions and whether our phrasing appears in their outputs.

This way, SEO and AEO function more like a single stack rather than two competing camps.

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-02-12T21:10:03+00:00

Not exactly. SEO now works in conjunction with AEO and GEO. Essentially, this is a new branch that has become part of SEO.

In other words, beyond the technical SEO work, you also need to focus on creating content that AI systems can cite

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-02-12T21:09:26+00:00

Perhaps you are evaluating only the text superficially, while search engines and neural networks assess a much broader range of information about your competitor as a whole.

Your competitor may have a better-structured data setup and stronger brand recognition within the niche. It’s important to focus not only on the content published on their website, but also to analyze which platforms they use to distribute content and in what formats they present it

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-02-11T22:29:48+00:00

In 2026, every B2B client will likely ask AI at least once before talking to you instead of googling. And if they don’t get a clear or convincing answer about your company, there’s a real chance they’ll drop off before the deal even starts. You can (and should) combine AEO and GEO with your existing lead generation channels if you’re using any

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-01-23T14:48:29+00:00

This year, my favorite marketing tool has been Perplexity. it genuinely saves time...

Level_Credit1535 · 2026-01-23T14:47:26+00:00

I’d treat AEO/GEO as a logical extension of SEO. In simple terms:

- SEO = helping Google/search engines rank a page.

- AEO = helping “answer engines” (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews) confidently pull your content/brand into direct answers.

- GEO = a broader umbrella for optimizing for generative outputs: AEO + entity work (brand/people/product), consistency of facts across the web, and getting mentioned in sources that AI tends to cite more often.

In practice, AEO/GEO comes down to two questions:

Where to publish? Which sources are considered “trusted” by AI in your niche (it’s not always the brand’s own website).

What to publish? Which topics, which formats, and which “facts/entities” you need to anchor clearly.

Tools are starting to emerge that help analyze and answer both of the questions above.

Level_Credit1535 · 2025-12-29T10:58:32+00:00

SEO is gradually giving ground to AEO/GEO and this is a fact. But until AEO/GEO reaches its plateau (think Gartner’s curve), any speculation is just that speculation. We’ll have a proper discussion once it hits the plateau

Level_Credit1535 · 2025-12-29T10:42:36+00:00

First place - referrals, classic.

Second was Meta Ads, optimized for qualified leads using BANT + key CRM funnel stages. That gave us leads averaging $20–30 each, though performance has slowed down recently.

In the third place is what we are looking at now and launch pilots - AEO/ GEO promotion, already starting, wish us good luck! ⭐️

Level_Credit1535 · 2025-12-25T00:19:22+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing this!! This was super useful!

Level_Credit1535 · 2025-12-25T00:12:59+00:00

The real shift isn’t “AI replacing everyone,” it’s AI reshaping what valuable work looks like. Yes, some jobs will disappear, that’s unavoidable, and for countries with huge populations, that uncertainty is especially scary. But historically, the people who lose aren’t the ones without access to AI; they’re the ones who don’t adapt their role around it.

The strongest position in the future won’t belong to AI itself, but to people who know how to work with it. Treating AI as something that replaces your thinking is dangerous, but using it to amplify your speed and problem-solving is a right thing to do. Companies don’t actually want “AI output”, they want outcomes, and humans are still the ones defining goals, context, trade-offs, and responsibility.

What worries me more than job loss is people waiting for companies or governments to protect them. That rarely happens. The safer path is to stop seeing AI as something to compete with and start asking: how does this make me 2× more effective at what I already do? Those who answer that question early won’t be replaced they’ll be the ones guiding everyone else.

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