AEO vs SEO: What's the Difference?
SEO aims to get your pages ranked in search results, while AEO aims to get your business named in an AI answer. A strong Google ranking does not guarantee a ChatGPT mention, so the video recommends keeping SEO and adding work on AI visibility.
Key takeaways
- Traditional search ranks pages against a keyword; AI answers respond to a fuller question.
- AI can draw on reviews, articles, Reddit threads and YouTube videos as well as your website.
- Different AI engines lean on different sources.
- The video uses AEO, GEO and AI SEO as labels for the same broad idea.
- A good website still matters, so AEO complements rather than replaces SEO.
Full transcript
Full video transcript · 1:37
0:00 You can be first on Google and never appear in ChatGPT. Sounds wrong, doesn't it? You've put the work into SEO. You rank, so surely AI knows about you too. Not necessarily. SEO gets you ranked in a list of links. AEO gets you named in the answer. They're related, but winning one doesn't win you the other. Here's how they differ.
0:23 Google takes a keyword and ranks pages against it. You get a list, and you choose. AI works another way. Someone asks a full question, and AI writes one answer with two or three businesses named in it. No list, no page two. You're in the answer or you're not. And here's why. Google is mostly judging your website.
0:45 AI isn't only reading your website. It's weighing what the rest of the web says about you. Reviews, articles, Reddit threads, YouTube videos, other people talking about you. And each AI engine leans on different sources, so the business at the top of Google can be completely missing from ChatGPT. One note on names, because you'll hear a few.
1:07 AEO, GEO, AI SEO. Don't let that throw you. They're the same idea with different labels. So, what do you do with this? Keep your SEO. It still matters, and a good website helps with AI too. Then add AEO on top. That way, you show up in the list and in the answer. Next up, which AI engines should you actually care about?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rank first on Google and still be missing from ChatGPT?
Yes. Search rankings and AI recommendations are different, and AI can draw on information beyond your website.
Should AEO replace my SEO work?
No. The video recommends keeping SEO because it still matters and a good website can help with AI visibility too.
What do GEO and AI SEO mean in this video?
The video treats them as alternative labels for the broad work of improving visibility in AI answers.
Which AI Engines Actually Matter?
Watch next →- What Is AEO? Answer Engine Optimization Explained
- Does Anyone Actually Use AI Search?
- AEO vs SEO: What's the Difference? On this page
- Which AI Engines Actually Matter?
- What Is a Prompt, and Why Is It the New Keyword?
- Branded vs Unbranded Prompts: Where AEO Is Won and Lost
- Where Do You Find the Questions Your Customers Ask?
- How Does AI Decide Who to Recommend?
- Where Does Each AI Engine Get Its Information?
- Is My Business Showing Up in AI Right Now?
- Why Is AI Recommending My Competitor Instead of Me?
- What If AI Is Saying the Wrong Thing About My Business?
- How Does AEO Work, and Can I Do It Myself?
- Is AEO Right for My Business?
- How Long Does AEO Take to See Results?
- How Do You Track AEO?
- How Do I Know AEO Is Working?
- AEO Recap: What Should You Do Next?
Check Where Your Business Stands
Run the Free AI Check. It asks ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI the questions your customers ask, shows whether they name you or a competitor, and lists what to fix. It takes about two minutes, with no signup needed to run it.
Is AI naming your business?
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