The three terms side by side
All three cover retrieval, fetch, reading and citation. The difference is emphasis.
| Term | Emphasis | Typical metric |
|---|---|---|
| AEO | The answer a buyer reads | Citation and mention rate on buyer prompts |
| LLMO | How the model ingests content | Text the model receives and keeps |
| GEO | Generative output in general | Visibility inside generated responses |
Which term should you use?
Use AEO with buyers and executives, it is the term most people search for. Use the measurement, not the label, to decide what to fix.