What are SEO, AEO and GEO?

SEO helps your website rank in search results. AEO helps your content get picked as the direct answer, in featured snippets and Google AI Overviews. GEO helps AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity understand your business accurately, so they're more likely to mention it. They work best together, and SEO is the foundation.

Search has changed. Your customers might find you through a list of blue links, a quick answer box or a recommendation from an AI assistant. Each one works a little differently:

SEO (search engine optimization) helps your website rank in search results on Google and Bing. It covers your site's technical health, your content, your keywords and the other sites that link to you.

AEO (answer engine optimization) sets your content up to be picked as the answer, in places like featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes and Google AI Overviews. That means clear questions, direct answers and well-organized pages.

GEO (generative engine optimization) helps AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot understand who you are accurately, so they're more likely to mention or cite your business when they answer.

The three overlap more than they differ. Good SEO is still the foundation, and AEO and GEO build on it. We work on all three together so you don't have to pick.

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What's included

Technical SEO audits and fixes

We check your site for the problems that hold rankings back, like slow pages, crawl and indexing errors, broken links, duplicate content, mobile issues and messy site structure. Then we fix them, or work with your web team so they get fixed.

On-page optimization

We go through your key pages (titles, meta descriptions, headings, internal links, images and copy) so that search engines and AI tools can tell what each page is about and who it's for.

Keyword and topic strategy

We research what your customers actually search for and ask, see where your competitors show up, and build a topic plan around the questions that lead to sales, not only the ones with the most traffic.

Structured data (schema markup)

We add structured data such as Organization, LocalBusiness, Service, Article and BreadcrumbList, so search engines can read the key facts about your business. Structured data can make pages eligible for some search features; it isn't required to appear in AI answers.

AI-answer optimization

This is the part that's built for AEO and GEO:

Entity clarity: We make sure your business name, services, locations and key facts are consistent across your site and the web, so AI tools have a clear, accurate picture of who you are.

FAQ content: We write question-and-answer content that matches how people phrase their questions to search engines and AI assistants.

llms.txt: We set up an llms.txt file, a proposed plain-text file that points AI tools to your most important pages. Google has said its search doesn't use llms.txt, and support from other AI tools varies. We add one because it's quick, but we don't treat it as a ranking lever.

Citation-worthy content: We write pages that are easy for AI tools to quote accurately, with clear definitions, original insights, specific details, cited sources and named experts.

Local SEO and listings

For businesses that serve specific areas, we set up and tune your Google Business Profile, keep your name, address and phone number consistent across directories and listings, and help you ask happy customers for reviews the right way (no incentives or filtering, per Google's rules).

Digital PR and authority building

Search engines and AI tools trust businesses that other trusted sources talk about. We earn quality backlinks and mentions through outreach, guest content, industry publications and local media. No link farms, no shortcuts.

Reporting, including AI visibility tracking

Every month you get a plain-English report on how you're doing in search and what work we did. Search performance (the queries you show up for, impressions, clicks and average position) comes from Google Search Console. Keyword rankings come from Ubersuggest, and website traffic comes from Google Analytics. If you need to track leads, we set up lead tracking so they show in your report too.

AI visibility is tracked in two ways. First, we report on AI referral traffic in Google Analytics, meaning visits that come to your site from ChatGPT, Perplexity and similar tools. Second, each month we check a set of real customer questions in tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Gemini, and record whether your business is mentioned or cited and how that changes over time. Some AI-driven visits arrive without a referrer, so AI referral numbers are a floor, not a full count. AI answers also vary between sessions, so we report trends across the same set of questions rather than any single answer.

SEO blog content by a dedicated writer

How it works

Who it's for

Find out how you show up in search and AI today.

FAQ

What is the difference between SEO, AEO and GEO?

SEO (search engine optimization) helps your website rank in search results on Google and Bing. AEO (answer engine optimization) helps your content get picked as the direct answer, in places like featured snippets, People Also Ask and Google AI Overviews. GEO (generative engine optimization) helps AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot understand your business accurately, so they're more likely to mention or cite it. Ghostit works on all three together.

Do I still need SEO if people are using AI tools like ChatGPT?

Yes. Google's AI features draw on pages in Google's search index, and several AI assistants search the web when they answer, so a site that is easy to crawl, clearly written and well linked is still the foundation. AEO and GEO build on SEO rather than replacing it.

Can you guarantee my business will rank first on Google or appear in ChatGPT?

No, and be careful with anyone who does. Google and AI platforms decide their own results and change how they work often. Ghostit fixes what's holding your site back, publishes content worth ranking and citing, builds your authority through PR and outreach, and reports honestly on what changes.

How long does it take to see results?

It depends on your website, your industry and your competition. Some technical and on-page fixes can show up as soon as search engines recrawl your pages, while content and authority work usually builds over months. Ghostit sets expectations after your audit and reports on progress along the way.

Are blog posts still part of the service?

Yes. SEO blog content written by a dedicated Ghostit writer is one of the core pillars, and plans start at 2 posts per month. Each post is planned around what your customers search for and ask, and written to answer those questions clearly.

How do you track whether my business shows up in AI answers?

Two ways, both in your monthly report. In Google Analytics, we report visits that reach your site from AI tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity (some AI visits arrive without a referrer, so this undercounts). Each month we also check a fixed set of real customer questions in tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Gemini and record whether your business is mentioned or cited. AI answers vary between sessions, so we report trends, not guarantees.

What is llms.txt, and do I need one?

llms.txt is a proposed plain-text file that points AI tools to a site's most important pages. Google has said its search doesn't use it, and support from other AI tools varies. It takes little effort, so Ghostit can add one, but we don't treat it as a ranking lever.

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