SEO vs AEO vs AGEO: the practical differences for your site
SEO gets the page found, AEO turns content into the answer and AGEO gets the brand chosen by generative engines. Here is what changes in the work behind each one.
SEO: the infrastructure
SEO is still the foundation. Assistants that search the web depend on crawlable, fast, well-structured pages, just like search engines do.
What still applies:
- Error-free crawling and indexing:
robots.txt, sitemap, canonical. - Performance and layout stability.
- A clear structure of headings and URLs.
- Useful content, written for the person searching.
Without that base, AI simply has less trustworthy material to use.
AEO: the answer layer
AEO was born with featured snippets and voice search: instead of ranking a page, the goal is to be the passage that answers the question. With assistants, that became central.
- Explicit questions and answers. FAQ pages with the buyer's real questions.
- Short definitions up front. One sentence that answers on its own, followed by the detail.
- Scannable format. Lists, tables and numbered steps are easy to extract.
- Structured data consistent with what is visible on the page.
AGEO: the brand layer
Generative engines do not only cite pages: they form an idea of the brand from many sources. AGEO takes care of that idea.
- Entity consistency. The same name, category and value proposition on the site, profiles, directories and mentions.
- Proof a model can rely on. Case studies, reviews, data, awards.
- Coverage of buying questions. Discovery ("best options for..."), comparison ("X or Y?") and decision ("is it worth...?").
- Presence in the sources assistants open. Lists, comparisons and reference sites in your industry.
- Reputation. What the assistant says about the brand matters as much as whether it cites it.
Side by side
| SEO | AEO | AGEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank pages | Be the direct answer | Be the recommended brand |
| Where it shows | Search results | Snippets, voice, answers | AI assistant answers |
| Unit | Page | Passage of content | Brand |
| Main lever | Technical health and relevance | Format and clarity | Consistency and evidence |
| How to measure | Rankings and clicks | Presence in snippets | Mention rate in assistants |
In practice: how to combine them
- Fix the SEO foundation, including AI crawler access in
robots.txt. - Rewrite your main pages as answers: what it is, who it is for, what it costs, how it works.
- Align the brand beyond your site: profiles, directories, reviews.
- Measure presence in answers, question by question, and repeat.
To see where your brand stands, start with the free diagnosis. For the concept behind all this, read what AI visibility is.