Complete Guide to the
SEO, GEO and AEO
The definitive guide to getting found on Google and in the answers TO THE: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and AI Overview.
🚨 In 2026, Google Is No Longer Enough
Are you investing time and budget in SEO but not seeing results? You're not alone. The problem isn't your strategy—it's that the rules of the game have changed.
For twenty years, "SEO" meant one thing: getting your ranking on Google. Today, it doesn't work that way anymore. Users search for answers on ChatGPT. They ask Perplexity for advice. They read AI Overview summaries without ever clicking on a website.
⚠️ The three problems you face today:
- Fragmented visibility. Being first on Google is of no use if your competitor is mentioned by ChatGPT.
- Zero-click on the rise. Even when you rank well, users find the answer directly in the results.
- New invisible competitors. Sites you don't know appear in AI responses.
The good news? There is a solution. It's called SEO + GEO + AEO framework — the only approach that covers all touchpoints of modern research.
💡 The key point: SEO isn't dead. It has evolved. Those who adapt dominate. Those who ignore change disappear.
📊 The Numbers You Need to Know
These are not predictions — they are verified data showing where research is going:
(Gartner 2025)
(SparkToro 2025)
(Semrush 2025)
(OpenAI 2025)
📌 What does it mean to you?
Old funnel: Search → Click → Site → Conversion
New funnel: Search (Google/ChatGPT/Perplexity) → AI response with quote → Brand awareness → Direct search → Conversion
🎯 The 3 Disciplines of Modern Visibility
In 2026, online visibility is built on three complementary pillars. Here's what they are and when to use them.
1. SEO — Search Engine Optimization
Things: Optimization for traditional search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
Objective: Get in the top 10 organic positions to get clicks.
When it is essential:
- Navigational queries (“Netflix login”, “INPS website”)
- Transactional queries (“buy iPhone 16,” “book a hotel in Rome”)
- Searches with immediate purchase intent
Status in 2026: The foundation remains. Google still generates 30-40% of traffic. But by itself, it no longer guarantees complete visibility.
2. GEO — Generative Engine Optimization
Things: Optimized for being quoted in responses generated by Large Language Models such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude.
Objective: Become a source that AI models recognize as authoritative and cite in their responses.
Key elements:
- Structured data: Schema markup for AI interpretation
- Modular contents: “Extractable” and quotable text blocks
- Authority: EEAT with credentials, sources, evidence
- Entity building: Recognizable identity in the Knowledge Graph
Target platforms: ChatGPT (1B+ queries/day), Perplexity (780M/month), Google Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot.
3. AEO — Answer Engine Optimization
Things: Optimizing for Direct Answers: Google AI Overview, Featured Snippets, People Also Ask, Voice Search.
Objective: Be THE answer shown to the user—even without being clicked. Focus on brand visibility and authority.
Key elements:
- Q&A Format: Clear question-answer structure
- Concise answers: 40-60 words for a direct response
- FAQ and HowTo Schema: Markup for snippets
- Conversational tone: Write as you speak
Where you appear: Google AI Overview/SGE, Featured Snippet, People Also Ask, Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri.
How SEO, GEO and AEO Integrate
Click-based
Citation-based
Zero-click
🏆 The golden rule: Content optimized for AEO (concise, structured answers) is automatically better for GEO (citable by AI). Strong GEO content (authoritative, sourced) supports traditional SEO. The three disciplines reinforce each other.
Do you want a customized SEO + GEO + AEO strategy?
A free 30-minute consultation to analyze your situation.
📅 Book a Free Call🏛️ The Four Pillars of Optimization 2026
These are the foundations on which to build any online visibility strategy in 2026.
1 EEAT — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness
In 2026, EEAT is no longer a "nice to have." It's the deciding factor for ranking on Google and being cited by AI.
🎯 Experience
Case studies, original photos, proprietary data
🎓 Expertise
Author Bio, Certifications, Credentials
🏆 Authoritativeness
Citations, mentions, authoritative backlinks
🔒 Trustworthiness
HTTPS, contacts, reviews, transparency
2 Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Structured data is the language that allows Google and AI to understand exactly what's on your page.
Essential diagram: Article (AI citations), FAQPage (Featured Snippet), HowTo (AI Overview), Person (EEAT), Organization (Knowledge Panel).
3 Modular and Quotable Content
AIs don't read entire articles. They extract blocks of content for their responses.
Ideal structure
[H2: Question/Topic] [Direct answer: 40-60 words] ← Quotable [Further reading: details, examples] [Takeaway: practical conclusion]
4 Freshness — Always Up-to-Date Content
Google and AI favor recent content. An article from 2023 is penalized compared to one updated in 2025.
- Update key content every 3-6 months
- Add visible dates (“Last updated: December 2025”)
- Enter new data and statistics
- Remove obsolete information
🔧 The Four Types of SEO
1. Technical SEO
Optimize your site's infrastructure for crawling, indexing, and user experience.
✅ Technical SEO Checklist:
Optimal Core Web Vitals (LCP <2.5s) • Mobile-first design • HTTPS certificate • XML sitemap • Robots.txt • Clean URLs • Canonical tags • No 404 errors
Instruments: Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights
2. On-Page SEO
Optimize content and visible page elements.
✅ On-Page SEO Checklist:
Title tag with keywords (50-60 chars) • Meta description (150-160 chars) • Unique H1 • Hierarchical heading structure • Keywords in the first paragraph • Internal linking (3-5 links) • Images with alt text
→ Read the Keyword Research Guide
3. Off-Page SEO
Builds authority through off-site signals.
- Link Building: Backlinks from authoritative and thematically relevant sites
- Digital PR: Mentions and articles in newspapers
- Guest Posting: Signed articles on industry blogs
- Brand Mentions: Brand mentions even without links
→ Read the Complete Link Building Guide
4. Local SEO
Optimize for searches with geographic intent.
✅ Local SEO Checklist:
Complete Google Business Profile • Consistent NAP • Active Google Reviews • Local Directory Citations • Localized Content • LocalBusiness Schema
📖 Glossary SEO, GEO, AEO — 2025
THE essential terms You need to know to master optimization in 2025.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
Optimized to appear in AI Overview direct replies, Featured Snippets, and voice assistants.
AI Overview
AI answer box that Google displays at the top of the results. It replaces the old SGE.
EEAT
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. The criteria by which Google evaluates the quality of content.
Featured Snippet
Answer box in "position 0" on Google, above the organic results. This is the primary objective of AEO.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Optimized to be cited by generative AIs like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini.
Schema Markup
Structured code (JSON-LD) that helps search engines and AI interpret content.
Topic Cluster
Content strategy with a pillar page (hub) and linked satellite articles.
Zero-Click Search
A search that ends without clicking on any results. The user finds the answer in the SERP or AI Overview.
SEO cannibalization
When multiple pages on the same site compete for the same keyword, damaging the rankings of both. Learn more →
📚 Related Guides
This guide is the pillar page from my SEO hub. All the specific guides start here:
SEO Optimization
The Complete Guide to Search Engine Optimization.
Keyword Research
How to find the right keywords for your business.
Link Building
White-hat strategies for building authoritative backlinks.
GEO – Generative Engine Optimization
Optimized for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini.
Local SEO Case Study
How I Brought a Local Business to the Front Page.
SEO cannibalization
How to identify and resolve keyword cannibalization.
Best SEO Consultant
How to choose the right SEO consultant for you.
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