SEO, AEO, and GEO in 2025: Where to Spend Your Time to Be Found Online
Search isn’t what it used to be.
Once upon a time, ranking in Google meant optimizing for blue links on a results page.
Today, your brand might show up in:
- A featured snippet
- A voice assistant’s quick answer
- An AI-generated “overview”
- Or… not at all
With AI reshaping search experiences, new acronyms have entered the conversation: AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). But Google recently claimed you don’t need these to rank in AI Overviews.
Let’s unpack what that means — and how you should really be spending your time.
SEO – The Foundation That Still Matters
Search Engine Optimization is the backbone of online visibility.
It’s about:
- Understanding your audience’s intent
- Creating high-quality, relevant content
- Structuring it so search engines can find, understand, and rank it
Think of SEO as the foundation of your house. Without it, you have nothing for AEO or GEO to build on.
This means:
- Technical SEO: fast load times, mobile-friendly design, clean code
- On-page optimization: keywords, headings, internal linking, schema markup
- Authority building: credible backlinks, positive brand signals
When Google says you don’t need AEO or GEO, what they really mean is:
If your SEO is strong, you’re already feeding the same systems that power AI Overviews.
AEO – Structuring for Direct Answers
Answer Engine Optimization focuses on making your content the answer to a question.
It’s about:
- Writing in a clear Q&A style
- Using concise, direct answers for “What is…” or “How to…” queries
- Applying schema markup like FAQ or How-To
This matters because AI systems, voice assistants, and even Google’s featured snippets prefer structured, easy-to-digest content.
It also ties closely to User Experience, since content that’s easy for people to read is also easier for machines to understand.
Whether Google calls it AEO or not, these principles can help you win zero-click searches and voice search visibility.
GEO – Getting Cited in AI-Generated Content
Generative Engine Optimization is newer — and more about the AI ecosystem than traditional search.
It focuses on:
- Creating in-depth, authoritative, fact-rich content
- Writing in a way that’s quotable, with clear context
- Including proper citations and original research when possible
When AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overview summarize a topic, they look for high-quality, trustworthy sources to cite.
That could be you — if your content is structured for clarity and credibility. This is where Strategic Planning & Research comes in, making sure your expertise is both deep and reliable.
Why Google Says You Don’t Need AEO or GEO
Recently, Google’s Gary Illyes said at Search Central Live that AEO and GEO aren’t separate ranking factors — they’re not special switches you can flip.
According to Google:
- AI Overviews pull from the same index, same ranking systems as regular search
- Content origin (human or AI-generated) isn’t the deciding factor
- Good content is still good content
Here’s where I take this with a grain of salt:
Google has a long history of sharing some truth but not the full story when it comes to their algorithms.
Just because they don’t label it “AEO” or “GEO” doesn’t mean the underlying principles aren’t rewarded. In practice, structuring your content like AEO and writing with GEO in mind gives you an edge in both traditional and AI-driven search.
How SEO, AEO, and GEO Work Together
The smart approach is not “either/or” — it’s layering:
- SEO builds the base: get your technical, on-page, and authority fundamentals right.
- AEO shapes your content for quick answers and voice search.
- GEO ensures your expertise is visible in AI summaries and citations.
When all three work together, you maximize your visibility across every search format.
From Theory to Action — Be Found Everywhere
Search visibility in 2025 isn’t about chasing every new acronym or reinventing the wheel every time Google speaks.
It’s about:
- Building a rock-solid SEO foundation
- Structuring content so it’s easy for humans and machines to understand (User Experience – add link here)
- Making sure your expertise shows up wherever your audience is looking (Strategic Planning & Research – add link here)
Google may say you don’t need AEO or GEO — but in practice, thinking in AEO and GEO terms keeps your content adaptable as search evolves. That adaptability is exactly what separates brands that get buried from those that keep showing up.
Ready to Make Your Content AI-Ready?
At ArtForm Agency, we help marketing teams future-proof their visibility strategies by blending SEO best practices with AI-driven insights.
Our AI Implementation Workshops show you:
- How to audit your content for AI readability and findability
- Where AEO and GEO principles make sense (without chasing hype)
- Which AI tools can save you time and improve quality
- How to measure success across search, snippets, and AI-generated citations
Don’t wait for the algorithm to change — be ready for it.
Book Your AI Workshop and start showing up in all the places your audience is looking.
