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This is due to large language model (LLM) generative AI platforms providing new formats that reference brands, ranging from quick snippet answers to longer-form responses that feel like a conversation based on a user prompt. Like SEO, new content strategies have emerged to help AI reference content more frequently while ensuring accuracy.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), also known as Generative Search Optimization (GSO), are two emerging strategies for brand marketers to shape content for AI. Understanding how to apply these two strategies in combination with SEO is key to ensuring brand growth over the coming years.
Differing content strategies for SEO, AEO and GEO
Optimizing branded content for AI starts by exploring the primary goals of each strategy and how success is currently defined for each.
- SEO improves search result rankings SEO remains the oldest content strategy of the three, working to improve website rankings in relevant searches to drive traffic through both paid and organic methods. Solid SEO starts with a mixture of keywords, backlinks and technical site improvements to improve organic rankings.
- AEO delivers concise AI generated answers The second strategy, AEO, provides short answer snippets that increase the chance of showing up in popular search answers and AI overviews—think Google AI Overviews or Siri Summaries. AEO structures content around “question and answer snippets” with the focus on mentions in AI snippets and knowledge panels most frequently associated with search engines and voice assistant searches.
- GSO improves branded content understanding The newest strategy, known as GSO or GEO (we prefer the term GSO due to GEO already having a separate definition within media planning and strategy) provides deeper clarity and context around branded content for generated AI content citations. For example, an AI prompt to provide the best camping sleeping pads under $150 might pull from a trustworthy, top-rated ecommerce store listing description. Success is having AI reference and cite content that is accurate and “on brand.”
The following chart provides an overview of these three strategies including popular platform examples and what success looks like for each.
| Primary Goal | |
|---|---|
| SEO Search Engine Optimization | Web page rankings for traditional keyword-based search |
| AEO Answer Engine Optimization | Short answer snippets for popular searches and overviews |
| GSO Generative Search Optimization | Improving overall AI clarity around a brand for both short and long AI-generated content |
| Platforms | |
|---|---|
| SEO Search Engine Optimization | Google and Bing search results |
| AEO Answer Engine Optimization | Search snippets, voice assistants, AI overviews |
| GSO Generative Search Optimization | ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude |
| Strategy | |
|---|---|
| SEO Search Engine Optimization | Keywords, backlinks and technical performance |
| AEO Answer Engine Optimization | Clarity, structure and conciseness |
| GSO Generative Search Optimization | Depth, topical authority and readability |
| Success metrics | |
|---|---|
| SEO Search Engine Optimization | Rankings and organic traffic |
| AEO Answer Engine Optimization | Mentions in AI snippets and knowledge panels (often via search engines) |
| GSO Generative Search Optimization | Branded citations and references in AI-generated content |
Optimizing brand content strategies for AEO and GSO
- Structure and organization
Perhaps the most critical part of optimizing content for AI starts with ensuring content is structured in chunks that provide standalone answers. Making the content easy to follow and logically structured helps content fit into multi-source answer formats. This includes using multimodal elements such as charts, tables, images and video.1 - Category depth
AI search engines cite data from the most trustworthy sources that are seen as authoritative on a particular subject or topic. A single article, product or blog post is not enough to ensure your brand is seen as a category leader. Adding references to other websites or authors helps improve content credibility. - Off-site network
Creating “reference-worthy content” alone is not enough for long-term AI citations and references. Brands must show up where audiences are and provide helpful information and discussion to be seen as responsive.2 This might include other websites, news outlets, industry blogs, forums, social media channels, etc.
Developing branded content for AI should augment existing SEO strategy thinking by improving readability and comprehensiveness to ensure all audiences, human and digital, stand to gain more from your efforts. If you need help developing a combined SEO, AEO and GSO content strategy, contact us. Our digital marketing specialists focus on propelling content into successful campaigns.
