GEO·AEO Terminology Clarification: Distinguishing Marketing Buzzwords from Actual Changes
- What do GEO and AEO refer to?
- Why is this phrase appearing so frequently lately?
- Ultimately, should we learn a new SEO?
- How does AI transform existing search results into answers?
- Why do results not improve simply by changing the name?
- What should a WordPress operator check first?
- Methods for Continuously Checking Website Structure – SOHO SEO.
- Frequently Asked Questions.
- WordPress-related links
When I see the terms GEO and AEO, my first thought is: Do I have to study something completely different from SEO again?
While the name is new, the core change is in the search screen. Previously, the focus was on obtaining clicks from a list of blue links, but now, we need to consider the scenario where AI reads multiple sources, generates an answer, and then displays relevant links.
The question is simple: do we need to learn a new abbreviation?
What do GEO and AEO refer to?
AEO is an abbreviation for “Answer Engine Optimization.” It refers to the task of selecting and displaying content in search services that directly answer questions.
GEO is an abbreviation for Generative Engine Optimization. It refers to a process that helps ensure that the content of a website is discovered and cited when AI generates sentences and answers based on various sources of information.
The name GEO was proposed in a study published in 2023, and that study was presented as a paper at the 2024 ACM KDD conference. However, this does not mean that the name itself is a new official name for the technology.
To put it simply, SEO is like organizing bookshelves and creating a table of contents to make it easier to find books in a library. GEO and AEO, on the other hand, are more like providing a librarian with the relevant content from your book so that they can reference it when answering questions.
The situation is more important than the name.
Why is this phrase appearing so frequently lately?
People are showing interest because the search results are actually changing. Google explains that, in AI Overviews and AI Mode, the answers are generated based on web pages in the search index, and related web page links are also displayed within the answers.
Google announced that in May 2025, the use of types of searches in which AI Overviews are displayed increased by more than 10% in the United States and India. More important than the number itself is the fact that a search’s destination does not end with a single list of links.
The scope of the search has been expanded.
ChatGPT also operates a separate crawler called OAI-SearchBot to find websites and display them in search results. This means that website operators must now consider not only “what words will people type into the search bar?” but also “will my page be read by the AI when it is generating answers to questions?”
Ultimately, should we learn a new SEO?
To answer briefly, GEO and AEO are not entirely new forms of SEO.
The two terms are useful for describing situations in the AI response screen where content is found and cited. However, they do not refer to any specific secret ranking formula or WordPress-specific features.
This is not a new secret formula.
Google states that generative AI search is also based on the ranking and quality systems, and the search index of existing search. It also clarified that there are no additional technical requirements or special optimizations required to access AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Therefore, the first thing to address is not the decorations that match the new name. It is the fundamental elements that allow search robots to read the page, find related content within the site, and enable readers to understand the answers to their questions.
Fundamentals are more important than a new name.
How does AI transform existing search results into answers?
Google explains that AI Overviews and AI Mode work by finding related pages in the search index and then constructing an answer. Rather than copying and displaying an entire page, they combine information from multiple sources to create an answer tailored to the question.
At this time, the AI does not simply look at the original question. As in the query fan-out approach described by Google, it can simultaneously generate multiple related subqueries to find relevant information.
The questions are broken down into several smaller questions.
For example, a question like “How can a beginner make a WordPress site appear in search results?” can be broken down into several smaller questions, such as crawlability, indexing status, internal links, and content. Your page must clearly answer at least one of these questions in order to have a chance of being cited.
Therefore, it is better to provide important content as actual text rather than as text embedded in images. Structured data should also match the content displayed on the screen, and separate files or special schema.org markup for AI search alone are not required.
AI-specific markup is not the solution.
Why do results not improve simply by changing the name?
The most common mistake is to see the name GEO·AEO and then search for a separate plugin or score. Google warns that third-party tools do not have access to internal ranking data or guarantee performance.
Forcing sentences to be artificially short is also not the answer. Even if sentences are shortened, if the content is lacking or if the actual question is not addressed, it will be difficult for the material to be useful to either the reader or the AI.
Being short is not sufficient.
When trying to fix things directly, there are clear points where one can get stuck. Even if a post appears to be publicly visible in the WordPress administrator screen, search engine crawlers may be blocked from accessing it. Furthermore, internal links may be broken, making it difficult to find related posts.
Broken internal links can be fixed by finding and selecting relevant internal link candidates within the post editing screen, and then adding them. Outdated URLs or 404 error pages encountered by visitors can be managed using 301, 302, and 410 redirects in the “Redirects” section.
SOHO SEO addresses these two tasks separately, under “Internal/external link management” and “Redirects.” The key feature is that it allows you to check link connections and URL redirects as distinct issues, rather than combining them into a single problem.
It may seem that the answers are on the page, but the key information may only be contained within the images, or multiple posts may repeat the same content. It takes a significant amount of time for the operator to open each post and check its structure and connection status. It is also difficult to directly verify the actual source used in the AI’s response.
The problem does not end with just writing posts.
Furthermore, just because a page is eligible to appear in search results does not mean it will necessarily appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. GEO research has also proposed methods for measuring visibility, but the terminology, measurement indicators, and judgment criteria have not yet been standardized.
What should a WordPress operator check first?
If the site in question has not yet put its existing SEO in order, it is more reasonable to follow the steps below rather than purchasing GEO or AEO services separately.
- Verify that it is not blocking access by search robots.
- Check if the page has been included in the search index.
- Make it easier to find related posts through internal links.
- To provide the important content in the actual text.
- Creating original content that directly answers questions.
Google recommends that websites should not block crawling in robots.txt, should make content easily discoverable through internal links, and should provide important information in text format. If a website wants to appear in ChatGPT search results, it should also allow access by the OAI-SearchBot.
First, check the fundamentals.
If a website already has a solid foundation, the next step is to observe how it performs in AI search. Examine which questions lead to your page appearing in search results, and which sources it is linked to. However, do not consider the scores or guaranteed visibility of any single tool as a measure of success.
Ultimately, GEO and AEO are more like alternative names that broadly describe the purpose and outcomes of existing SEO, rather than representing entirely new task lists. Instead of rushing to adopt new acronyms, it is more important to ensure that the website is readable, understandable, and provides answers that are worth citing.
If your existing SEO is insufficient, start by organizing the following: crawling, indexing, internal links, text, and answer structure. Only after establishing these fundamentals can you properly observe which questions your site appears for and which sources it appears in within AI search.
Methods for Continuously Checking Website Structure – SOHO SEO.
To check these items together within WordPress, you can use SOHO SEO. The Post SEO checklist for each post displays the featured image, title, author, mobile screen compatibility, site icon, and the SEO score for each post. Each post automatically includes structured data for the “Article” schema, containing information such as the title, image, author, publication date, modification date, and publisher information.
At the site level, you can enable or disable both a standard XML sitemap and a Google News sitemap for posts published within the last 48 hours. You can apply “noindex” to archives such as date, author, tags, site search results, and selected categories. Old URLs and 404 error pages can be managed in the “Redirects” section. The robots.txt file and sitemaps provided by plugins are checked once a day, and if any issues are detected, a notification email will be sent.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Q. Are GEO and AEO completely different technologies from SEO?
A. No. It is a term that describes the search environment in which AI generates answers, and it is a concept that views the fundamentals of traditional SEO in the context of AI-generated answers and recommended links.
Q. What is the reason why my website does not appear in AI search results?
A. The search engine may be unable to access the page, the page may not be indexed, or there may be insufficient internal links. Also, check if the key information is only present in images or if there is no clear text on the page that answers the question.
Q. Can this problem be easily solved using a tool? What kind of tool should be used?
A. Inspection tools can help with crawling, indexing, and checking link status. However, no specific tool guarantees AI search exposure or ranking, so it is important to verify the actual page and search results along with the tool’s score.
Q. When checking the technical elements related to search engine visibility in WordPress, what should you look for?
It is advisable to check the featured image, title, author, mobile screen display, and structured data of the posts separately, as well as the status of the sitemap and robots.txt files.
SOHO SEO manages these items with features such as the Post SEO checklist, Article structured data, Sitemap, and Site Error Check. Internal links, the noindex setting for archives, and redirects for old URLs must be checked using separate features.