Where the term came from
GEO entered wide use through academic work in 2023 that tested which content changes increase visibility inside generative answers. AEO is older and grew out of voice search and featured snippets. By 2026 both terms describe optimizing for AI answers.
GEO, AEO and LLMO: one job
Whatever the label, the chain is the same: be a retrieval candidate, survive the live fetch, have your sentences read, and be cited.
| Term | Stands for | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| AEO | Answer engine optimization | Marketing and buyer conversations |
| GEO | Generative engine optimization | Research papers and agencies |
| LLMO | Large language model optimization | Technical SEO teams |
| AI SEO | AI search optimization | General marketing |
What to measure for GEO
Measure the fetch before the answer. A page an agent cannot read cannot be cited, however well it is written. Then track citations across a fixed set of buyer-intent prompts.