Once upon a time, cracking Google's algorithm was the holy grail of digital marketing. You'd sprinkle the right keywords, build some backlinks, and boom - top of the SERPs. But the search game has changed, and it's not just SEO anymore.
Now we've got GEO, AEO, LLMO - a growing acronym soup that sounds more like a law firm than a digital strategy. But behind some of the buzzwords, the future rules of modern visibility are being formed.
As search engines get smarter - and AI assistants become our go-to guides - businesses need to not just optimise for traditional SEO but for answers, conversations, and even generative experiences. That means learning the differences between:
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) - The OG of search engine results.
- Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) - Crafting content that gets you selected as the 'answer'.
- Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) - Fine-tuning for generating AI platforms.
- Large Language Model Optimisation (LLMO) - Making sure large language models 'see' and surface your brand.
Many marketing articles suggest that AEO, GEO, LLMO (and even AIO) largely overlap and describe the same strategic goal - improving visibility in AI-mediated search - and differ more in framing than in underlying tactics, which includes understanding AI crawlers.
This guide tries to make sense of what each of these strategies means, how they work, where they overlap, and why they all matter right now.
Because here's the thing: the businesses that adapt early to these changes? They won't just be found - they'll lead the conversation.
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)?
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation - a new approach to content marketing that focuses on how brands show up in generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), Perplexity, Claude, and many others.
Unlike traditional search engines, these generative engines don't just list links; they create answers. GEO is about influencing those answers.
Think of it this way: while SEO helps you rank on Google and other search engines, GEO helps you appear in AI-generated conversations that provide concise and relevant answers. And with more users turning to AI for information, product suggestions, and even purchasing decisions, GEO is quickly becoming a must-have part of the digital marketing mix.
It's not just about keywords anymore. It's about credibility, context, structure, and LLM-friendly formatting - ensuring your content is not just searchable, but usable by AI.
Where did the term 'Generative Engine Optimisation' come from?
The term “Generative Engine Optimisation” was introduced in 2023 in academic literature and includes metrics like GEO-bench, which showed content visibility could improve by up to 40% in generative engine outputs.
How Does GEO Work?
Generative Engine Optimisation works by aligning your content with the way Large Language Models (LLMs) ingest, understand, and generate information. These AI models don't just 'crawl' the web like search engines - they learn from large-scale datasets and retrieve relevant answers based on patterns, structure, and credibility.
It's all about being included in the narrative - not just snipped - but woven into answers or summaries.
Here's what that means:
High-Quality Content
Generative engines prefer content they can trust. That means:
- Clear authorship.
- Up-to-date information.
- External links to reliable sources.
- Consistent brand authority across the web.
Structure, Answer-Focused Formatting
Well-structured content helps LLMs understand and pull relevant snippets. Think:
- Clear headings and subheadings.
- FAQ sections.
- Concise answers upfront.
- Definitions, lists, and 'how-tos' that feel ready-made for summarising.
Conversational Context
LLMs are designed to replicate natural human conversation through natural language processing, enabling them to better understand and respond to the way people speak. GEO content anticipates user intent and speaks to it in a helpful, conversational tone – not keyword-stuffed jargon.
Data That's Friendly to Embedding Models
Generative engines often rely on embedding vectors - mathematical representations of meaning. The clearer your content's intent and language, the more likely it is to be included in these AI 'memory banks'.
In short? GEO works by making your content more useful, understandable, and retrievable - not just by humans, but by the machines humans are increasingly turning to.
What is AEO? (Answer Engine Optimisation)
AEO is all about a strategy to format content so AI-powered answer engines - think Microsoft Copilot, and Google's AI overviews - can surface content as a direct answer to a user's question - especially in search environments where results are increasing zero-click.
It concentrates on Q&A-style formatting, structured data (like schema markup), and trust signals to increase inclusion in zero-click AI responses.
You've probably seen it in action:
- Google's Featured Snippets
- "People Also Ask" boxes
- Voice assistant responses
- Rich answers in smart devices and knowledge panels
In essence, AEO asks: "How can I become the answer?"
It's about creating content that search engines and AI tools can quickly trust and parse. The goal is for your content to be displayed instantly when needed.
AEO's scope is becoming broader, targeting AI-generated answer platforms, not just traditional search results.
How Does AEO Work?
As more users lean into AEO, AI assistance, instant answers, and optimising for voice search results is becoming essential. Ignoring it is no longer viable.
AEO works by aligning your content with the way search engines and AI assistants extract and deliver precise answers - not pages, not posts, but answers.
It's less about ranking and more about relevance, clarity, and authority.
Here's how it works in practice:
Answer-Led Content Structure
AEO content is built to answer questions directly, offering valuable insights and clear takeaways for the reader. - ideally in the first 2-3 sentences.
- Use natural-language queries as headers (e.g. "What is AEO?").
- Follow immediately with direct and concise answers.
- Align content with modern search behaviours by focusing on key strategies that address both traditional search and emerging AI-driven discovery.
- Expand with detail underneath.
Schema Markup
Structured data (like FAQs, how-tos, and article schema) helps answer engines understand the context of your content and surface it in rich results.
Entity Clarity
Answer engines rely heavily on entities (people, places, brands, products) to match content to user queries. AEO content names and defines those entities, making connections easier to parse.
Conversational Queries
AEO works best when you speak like your audience. That means:
- Using natural, everyday language.
- Writing in Q&A formats that can be used for featured snippets or voice search answers.
- Anticipating follow-up questions (a key feature in "People Also Ask" boxes).
Trust Signals
Author bios, dates, external links, and clear citations build authority - and help search engines select your answer over someone else's.
What is LLMO?
LLMO focuses on structuring content in ways that make it better understood and retrievable by LLMs' internal mechanisms - vector embeddings, semantic clarity, and being presented in high-authority sources that LLMs learn from.
LLMO is about more than rankings - it's about representation:
- When someone asks, "What's the best CRM for small businesses?", is your brand mentioned?
- When a user prompts ChatPFT to "Compare marketing agencies in the UK", are you in the list?
- When a prospective buyer wants a "Step-by-step guide to B2B content marketing?", does your framework show up?
That's the game LLMO plays. It may be a newer field than SEO or AEO - but it's fast becoming the first stop for research, discovery, and decision-making.
What Are LLMs (Large Language Models)?
LLMs, or Large Language Models, are powerful AI systems that thrive on vast amounts of optimised text data to understand and generate human-like language. Think of them as digital brains that can read, write, summarise, translate, code - and most important for marketers: answer.
You're already interacting with LLMs every day, whether you realise it or not:
- ChatGPT (Open AI).
- Claude (Anthropic).
- Gemini (Google).
- Perplexity AI.
- Even search experiences like Google's SGE are now powered by LLMs (just to confuse things!).
These models aren't search engines in the traditional sense. Instead of crawling the web in real time, they rely on what they've been optimised for - semantically rich, vector-friendly content, and strategic presence in high-authority sources that LLMs already reference.
That's why getting your content recognised by LLMs has become a critical piece of visibility - and where GEO and LLMO come in.
How Does LLMO Work?
LLMO works by ensuring your content is seen, understood, and retrieved by Large Language Models during user interactions - even if there's no traditional search engine involved.
Since LLMs don't crawl the web in real time, LLMO is less about real-time indexing and more about embedding yourself in the AI's training data, knowledge graphs, or retrieval plugins.
Here's how LLMO works:
Build Authoritative, Structured Content
LLMs love content that's well-organised, factual, and easy to semantically 'digest'. That means:
- Clear H1S, H2S, and subheadings.
- Definitions, bullet points, step-by-step breakdowns.
- Credible citations and consistent brand language.
Get Mentioned in Trusted, Indexed Sources
LLMs often pull from high-authority databases and sources (like Wikipedia, GitHub, government sites, industry publications). Being referenced in these places boosts your presence in their output - even if your site isn't directly crawled.
Optimise for Vector Embeddings
When you write clearly and contextually, your context forms a unique meaning fingerprint called a vector. These vectors are stored in databases LLMs use to retrieve relevant content. The more semantically rich your content, the more findable you are.
Create LLM-Friendly Formats
LLMs thrive on content that mimics human conversation and Q&A:
- Include FAQs.
- Write in a conversational tone.
- Use clear, specific phrasing that aligns with user inquiries.
Get Cited or Linked in AI-Powered Tools
Some LLMs (like Perplexity or You.com) cite sources. Optimising for these platforms by making your metadata, headlines, and claims easy to quote increases your chance of being surfaced as a cited source.
LLMO isn't about having search algorithms - it's about aligning with how AI understands and selects language. The more useful and trustworthy your content is to the model, the more visible you'll become within it.
How Do You Improve LLM Visibility?
Getting seen by Large Language Models (LLMs) is about making your content useful, trustworthy, and retrievable in AI-powered environments.
Let's explore how to boost your LLM visibility step by step:
Write with Retrieval in Mind
LLMs often use Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) - meaning they fetch supporting documents or web pages to help answer a prompt. If your high-quality content is clear, structured, and contextually rich, it's more likely to be pulled into those responses.
- Use specific headings and subheadings.
- Include question-and-answer formats with answer boxes.
- Keep answers concise and quotable.
- Break up long blocks of text.
Publish on Authoritative, AI-Friendly Domains
Being mentioned on well-known, trusted sites - such as industry publications or educational domains - increases your exposure in training sets and retrieval databases.
If you can't be the source, be on the sources.
Include Clear, Verified Metadata
LLMS pull from structured signals like:
- Author bios.
- Dates.
- Citations.
- Organisation Schema - Use structured data markup (JSON-LD) to make your content easier to categorise and verify.
Use Natural, Conversational Language
LLMs are trained on how people talk, not how marketers write. Use the same tone your audience would use when asking a question.
Instead of:
"Leveraging enterprise-grade CRM solutions for scalable outcomes."
Try:
"What's the best CRM for growing a small business?"
But...
While optimising for AI visibility includes citing sources and authoritative presentation, there are ethical risks to consider - like manipulating generative AI with strategic text sequences - which could undermine trust in AI-delivered answers
Stay Consistently Present
LLMs don't always learn from a single page; they learn from patterns across multiple sources.
Publish regularly. Repeat your core themes and expertise. Be findable across formats: blogs, podcasts, PDFs, social media, video transcripts.
Think of LLM visibility like digital osmosis - the more helpful. Human, and widely distributed your content is, the more likely it is to be absorbed into the model's world.
What is SEO? (Search Engine Optimisation)
SEO is the long-established approach of optimising your website to rank highly, especially on platforms like Google, Bing, and Yahoo, using keywords, backlinks, technical improvements, and user experience.
It's the classic formula:
Better visibility = more clicks = more traffic = more leads/sales.
SEO focuses on helping search engines understand:
- What your content is about.
- How relevant it is to the user's query.
- Whether it deserves to rank over others.
Done right, SEO helps you capture intent-driven traffic - people who are actively searching for something you offer.
It includes both on-page and off-page strategies, such as:
- Conducting keyword research and content optimisation to boost keyword rankings.
- Technical SEO (site speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing).
- Link building and domain authority on organic search results.
- User behaviours and experience signals.
While SEO has been the cornerstone of digital strategy for decades, it's changing - and is now intersecting with newer models like GEO, AEO, and LLMO.
How Does SEO Work?
At its core, SEO works by making your website more discoverable, understandable, and valuable in the eyes of search engines - especially Google, which processes over 8.5 billion searches per day.
Here's how it breaks down:
Search Engines Crawl, Index & Rank
- Crawling: Bots (also called spiders) scan your site for content.
- Indexing: That content is added to the search engine's database.
- Ranking: Algorithms determine which pages to show based on relevance, authority, and user signals.
Relevance Is Key
To match searcher intent, your content needs to intent, your content needs to include the right keywords, structured under clear headings, and written in a way that will enhance user experience and further engagement.
Google wants to serve the best possible result for relevant search queries, providing an answer to user queries that demonstrates expertise and authority - so your job is to prove it's you.
Authority & Trust Matter
Backlinks from other websites act as votes of confidence. The more trustworthy and relevant the sources linking to your content, the better your site will perform in organic rankings.
Domain authority, brand visibility, and even social signals all play a part.
User Experience Is a Ranking Signal
Search engines measure how people interact with your site:
- Do they click and bounce?
- Do they stay and engage?
- Is the site fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate?
Google interprets these behaviours as quality signals - and ranks accordingly.
Technical SEO Holds It All Together
The behind-the-scenes structure of your website - like XML sitemaps, canonical tags, internal linking, HTTPS security, and structured data - helps search engines index your pages correctly and efficiently.
In short: SEO works by making sure your site ticks all the right boxes - for both bots and humans.
Key Differences Between GEO, AEO & SEO
While GEO, AEO, and SEO may sound like the members of the same digital marketing boy band, they each play a very different role in how content gets found - and by whom.
Let's break it down:
SEO = Get Me On the List
Goal: Rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Audience: People using traditional search engines (e.g. Google and Bing).
Optimised For: Algorithms that prioritise links, keywords, content depth, UX, and site authority.
Format: Full pages, blogs, and landing pages.
AEO = Make Me the Answer
Goal: Be selected as the direct answer to a specific query.
Audience: People using voice search, smart assistants, or featured snippets.
Optimised For: Short, structured answers, entity clarity, and schema markup.
Format: Q&AS, FAQs, definitions, how-tos, and featured snippets.
GEO = Include Me in the Conversation
Goal: Be surface in AI-generated responses (like ChatGPT or Google SGE).
Audience: People using a generative engine to research, decide, or explore.
Optimised For: LLM-friendly formatting, semantic clarity, and credibility signals.
Format: Conversational, citation-read, and chunked content that's easy to summarise.
Think of it like this:
- SEO gets you ranked.
- AEO gets you quoted.
- GEO gets you generated.
And together? They form a modern visibility strategy across both search and AI.
What Do GEO, AEO, LLMO & SEO Have in Common?
Despite their differences, these four optimisation strategies all aim for the same end goal:
- Visibility.
- Trust.
- Engagement.
Here's what unites GEO, AEO, LLMO, and SEO at their core:
User-Centric Content
Whether you're targeting Google's algorithm or ChatGPT's next-generation brain, the focus is the same:
Be helpful. Be relevant. Be clear.
All four strategies reward content that:
- Solves real problems.
- Uses natural language.
- Matches user intent.
Authority & Credibility
Search engines and LLMs both prioritise trustworthy sources. That means:
- Expert content.
- Accurate facts.
- External citations.
- Consistent presence across platforms.
If people trust you, algorithms and AI are more likely to as well.
Structured Information
Structured content isn't just for technical SEO anymore. It helps LLMs understand context, improves scanning, and enables features like:
- Featured snippets (AEO).
- Embedding vectors (LLMO).
- Retrieval accuracy (GEO).
Think: headers, lists, definitions, and schema.
Optimising for Discovery - Not Just Traffic
The way people discover information is changing at lightning speed. SEO once dominated that space, but now, AI-powered tools are front and centre.
All four methods aim to answer the same question:
"When someone's looking for what we do - will we shop up?"
These strategies shouldn't be seen as rivals, but teammates - each covering a different channel across the digital ecosystem.
Why is Improving AI Visibility Important?
Because the way people search is changing - and if your brand isn't adapting, it's disappearing.
Generative engines are becoming the first stop for research, recommendations, and decision-making. These tools don't serve up a list of links; they serve up answers. That means if your content isn't optimised for these platforms, you might become completely invisible.
Generative Engines Are Becoming the Default
We’re moving from searching to asking. From “Googling it” to “Asking ChatGPT” or checking Google’s AI Overviews.
If your content isn't part of that answer, you're not in the game.
Zero-Click Is the New Norm
AI-generated responses often satisfy a user's intent without sending them to a website at all. That means you can't rely solely on clicks anymore - you need to be part of the output itself.
First-Mover Advantage Is Real
GEO is still new territory, meaning:
- Less competition.
- More room to experiment.
- A better chance to own the conversation in your niche.
Early adopters are already shaping the knowledge that future AI responses will draw from. Why not be one of them?
AI Assistants Are Influencing Buying Decisions
From product comparisons to 'best of' lists, AI tools are already recommending services, tools, and brands. GEO ensures your offering gets considered - even before a user hits your website.
By no means are we saying that GEO is a replacement for SEO - it's the next layer on top to enhance online visibility and future-proof your content strategy.
Why Choose Blue Train Marketing To Boost Your AI-Visibility?
Search is no longer just about being found - it's about being chosen by humans and machines.
Whether it's traditional SEO, answer-led AEO, AI-savvy GEO, or cutting-edge LLMO, your brand needs to show up where decisions are being made - not just where searches begin.
At Blue Train Marketing we help businesses not only rank higher - but show up in the answers AI is already gathering. From SEO fundamentals to LLM-ready content strategies, we'll make sure your brand leads the digital conversation.
Find out about LLM-optimsation and other search strategies to take your search strategy into the future.
