One job, five names
GEO is the research term, from the 2023 Princeton paper that named generative engine optimization. AEO is the business term, traced back to Trustpilot and BrightonSEO in 2017 and 2018. LLMO, AIO and AI visibility are the same work described by tool vendors. We use AEO as the umbrella because it names the outcome: being the answer.
| Term | Who uses it | What it emphasizes |
|---|---|---|
| AEO, answer engine optimization | Agencies, HubSpot, buyers | Being cited and recommended in the answer |
| GEO, generative engine optimization | Researchers, SEO press | Optimizing content for generative engines’ retrieval and synthesis |
| LLMO | Technical practitioners | Being present in model training and retrieval |
| AIO, AI optimization | Some agencies | A catch-all |
| AI visibility | Semrush, Ahrefs, Profound and other tools | The measurement layer: mentions, citations, share |
Google’s own guidance acknowledges the AEO and GEO labels and says the work is still grounded in SEO fundamentals. We agree, and we add the part the fundamentals do not cover: the argument, the ecosystem, and the measurement.