Search engine optimisation (SEO) gets your pages ranking in traditional search, like Google’s blue links.
Answer engine optimisation (AEO) gets your brand cited in AI-generated answers: the responses ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews show up when someone asks a question.
Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is about getting AI tools to actually use your content when they write their answers, not just link to you, but weave your information into what they say.
In short, SEO earns rankings, AEO and GEO earn citations. Get discovered across all of them, and you own the whole search landscape, not just part of it.