Artificial intelligence is on the verge of profoundly transforming our lives and habits. While ChatGPT and its competitors (LLMs, or Large Language Models) are now well known to the general public, they are just one of the many concrete applications that will emerge in the coming months and years. Whether we like it or not, AI is already reshaping the world of online search and web optimization.
Why Traditional SEO Is No Longer Enough
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) refers to the set of methods used to improve your online ranking — in other words, getting as close as possible to the top of search engine results. If your business has a website, you are likely already familiar with this acronym: SEO is vital for helping users discover your site, and therefore your business.
For years, SEO strategies have been built around keywords. It has long been the gold standard for online visibility — a standard now being challenged by the rise of conversational search engines and generative AI.
You’ve probably noticed, on your favorite search engine, the appearance of AI previews — short, AI-generated text answers to your query, displayed directly at the top of the page so you don’t even need to click on any link. These are powered by tools such as Google SGE, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT, or Perplexity. These tools no longer just list links — they synthesize information and provide clear, direct answers. Here’s an exemple with a research on mountain bike centres in
AEO / GEO: What Are They?
Traditional SEO, focused on ranking in search results, is now being complemented — and in some cases overtaken — by new approaches. Users are being offered a new way to search: instead of exploring links themselves, they rely directly on the AI-generated answer.
This creates a new challenge for businesses: simply ranking high in search results is no longer enough — you must now be referenced by AI tools themselves. That’s where two emerging concepts come into play: AEO and GEO.
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is about optimizing content for conversational search engines and generative AI so they can extract and present direct answers to user questions.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is about making your business visible and relevant to generative AI models, which can not only find information but also create content and suggest itineraries.
A Metaphor to Understand the Difference
Imagine a huge library containing billions of books organized by topic. This library is the internet, and each book is a website.
- SEO is like writing a book for that library: you place keywords strategically, design an attractive layout, and ensure your content is high quality to maximize your chances of being well indexed, hoping visitors will find and read it.
- AEO is like writing a ready-to-use answer sheet for a personal assistant. The reader doesn’t have time to browse the entire library, so they ask their assistant a question. If your site has a well-structured, answer-formatted page, the assistant is likely to quote you.
- GEO is like ensuring your site appears on an intelligent map. AI doesn’t just read your content — it also looks for your address, online reviews, and the geographical relevance of your content.
In short: AEO focuses on your business’s content; GEO focuses on your business’s metadata.
AEO vs GEO: Which Should You Prioritize?
Should these two concepts be approached in the same way? Not exactly — they don’t have the same purpose.
AEO is generally the first priority for two main reasons:
- Content is at the heart of the answer and proves your relevance. A business can be locally well established with a strong GEO score, but if its content is shallow or poorly structured, AI will not use it in its responses.
- It’s more universal. AEO works regardless of where your business is located. If you provide general information on a specific topic, AI won’t care about your location.
On the other hand, GEO aims to make your business visible and relevant for generative AI models that can create content and suggest itineraries. A GEO strategy is highly relevant (in addition to AEO) for inns, restaurants, outdoor activity centers — any business where location plays a strategic role. In tourism, this means your online presence must be designed to be directly usable by these new interfaces, going beyond simple search results page listings.
Why This Matters
“Yes, but why bother? People already visit my website.”
If your business already has a solid reputation — congratulations! In a sense, you have a head start since AI tools mostly rely on existing online content. But be careful: AEO/GEO strategies are all about discoverability.
Today, the internet is the main source of information for anyone searching for details or a business. In an age where online search is increasingly “no click,” users often make decisions based on what AI recommends first. In other words, if you don’t appear in AI previews, your chances of being discovered by new clients shrink drastically. You risk becoming invisible — replaced by a competitor who embraced AEO/GEO early.
We are still at the very beginning of this new era. Few businesses have actually taken concrete steps. That makes now the perfect time to act. As with the early days of SEO or the shift to mobile, those who move first will gain a lasting competitive advantage. Those who wait will regret it in a few years.
The train is in the station — get on board before it leaves.
So, how can you actually do it? What strategies should you implement to adapt to this new reality? We’ll cover that in the next article.