SEO is no longer enough: GEO and AEO explained

People don't just search in Google anymore. They ask ChatGPT for recommendations, they use Google Maps to find someone "near me", and they read AI-generated overviews at the top of the search results before they even click a link. Classic SEO only covers one part of this picture.

SEO: the foundation, but not the whole picture

Search engine optimisation is about ranking well in classic Google search: the right structure, the right content, the right technical signals (load time, mobile-friendliness, a secure connection). This is still the foundation everything else builds on. Without a technically solid website, it doesn't matter how good the rest of the strategy is.

GEO: visibility where people actually are

Geographic optimisation is about visibility in local search: Google Maps, "near me" searches, local listings. For a tradesperson, dentist or other local service provider, this is often more important than generic Google ranking: the customer isn't searching for "plumber" in general, they're searching for "plumber in Burgas" and expecting a map, opening hours and reviews, not ten blue links.

AEO: where the conversation with the customer actually starts now

Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is the newest layer: structuring content so that answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity understand it and cite it when someone asks. Where classic SEO stops at the search results page, AEO follows the customer further into how people actually search for answers today: they ask a question in their own words and expect a direct answer, not a list of links they have to click through.

In technical terms, this includes:

• Structured data (schema markup) that makes the content machine-readable, not just human-readable
• Clear, direct answers early in the text, not hidden behind a long introduction
• An llms.txt file that tells AI crawlers what the page is actually about
• FAQ-structured content that answers the actual questions people ask

Why you need all three at once

The three layers don't rule each other out. They build on each other. A website optimised only for classic SEO loses the local customer searching "near me" and the AI user asking a direct question. We build in all three from day one, not as an add-on afterwards, but as part of how the site is structured right from the start.