TL;DR
- SEO, GEO, and AEO represent three distinct approaches to how we create and connect online.
- SEO builds visibility through technical excellence, content structure, and keyword strategy, ensuring search engines can discover, understand, and rank your pages effectively.
- AEO sharpens that visibility into relevance by aligning content with user intent and clarity, helping your brand become the preferred answer in snippets, voice, and “People Also Ask” results.
- GEO extends optimisation into the age of AI, designing content that performs within generative search experiences, from ChatGPT to Google’s AI Overviews, by prioritising depth, trust signals, and natural conversation flow.
- The most effective strategies blend all three for a balanced, human-centred approach.
Understanding your “search personality” helps you align creativity, context, and structure in your marketing.
If SEO, GEO, and AEO were people, who would you be hanging out with? And more importantly, who would you be?
Would you be the one planning everything down to the last detail, going with the conversational flow, or focusing on finding the perfect answer?
Search has evolved, and so has the way we connect, discover, and communicate online. But what if you were part of that evolution?
This light-hearted quiz reveals which “search personality” matches your unique approach to problem-solving, creativity, and connection.
Quick Refresher (for the curious)
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Think of SEO as your brand’s digital foundations. It is about ensuring your website is discoverable, understandable, and credible to both people and search engines. It combines technical integrity (like site speed, crawlability, and structured data) with keyword strategy and engaging content structure, helping your pages rank and convert.
How to apply it: Create well-structured content that answers what people are typing into search engines (like Google). Focus on clarity and accessibility to enhance visibility and user experience.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)
AEO focuses on being the best answer, not just an answer. It is about clarity, context, and understanding user intent, helping your content earn trust from both users and AI-powered results, such as snippets, FAQs, and voice search.
How to apply it: AEO-driven content is structured around resolving questions completely, positioning your brand as an authoritative, trustworthy voice in your field. Write content that directly addresses questions and gives quick, relevant answers.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
GEO is kind of like the new kid on the block, and it’s rewriting the rules. With AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews reshaping discovery, GEO is about optimising for how people ask and converse with technology. Instead of focusing only on keywords, GEO builds on SEO and AEO principles by prioritising context, conversational tone, and depth. It’s how you help AI understand your expertise and feature your content in summaries or answers.
How to apply it: Create content with natural language, context, and depth that answers how and why questions, not just what. Include trustworthy sources, human-centred storytelling, and topical depth so AI systems can interpret and surface your insights accurately.
You can read more about how search is changing with the emergence of GEO and AEO in this blog: Navigating the 2024 SEO Landscape: Adapting to AI, Zero-Click Searches, and Declining Traffic.
Now let’s find out which one you are.
Results Section
[Mostly A’s] You’re the SEO Traditionalist 🧭
You’re grounded, methodical, and love structure. You value clarity, process, and measurable progress. You’re the steady strategist who ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
Pro tip: Try weaving in more adaptability and conversational flair to stay ahead of the curve.
[Mostly B’s] You’re the GEO Conversationalist 🤖
You’re intuitive, curious, and love exploring new ideas. You’re not afraid to ask questions or experiment with technology that changes how we connect and create.
Pro tip: Pair your creativity with structure. When innovation meets strategy, magic happens.
You can learn even more about GEO best practices in our podcast episode: What is GEO? The New SEO That’s Redefining Online Visibility.
[Mostly C’s] You’re the AEO Connector 🔍
You’re thoughtful, people-centred, and focused on purpose. You believe clarity builds trust, and you’re the one who helps others find meaning in the noise. You’re an AI adopter who sees AI not as a replacement for human understanding but as a tool to enhance it, helping people find answers faster, communicate more clearly, and make informed decisions with confidence.
Pro tip: Your empathy is an asset. Combine it with data and insight, and you’ll make a lasting impact. Explore how AI can help you scale that clarity, from content insights to customer conversations, while keeping the human touch at the centre of everything you do.
So, what does it all mean?
Whether you’re structured, conversational, or connection-driven, each approach represents part of how the search world is evolving. The strongest strategies combine all three: structure (SEO), context (AEO), and creativity (GEO).
At Spitfire Inbound, we help brands find that balance by building search strategies that speak to both humans and technology.
Here’s a look into how we integrate all aspects of search into our strategies (and how we can help you do it, too): We’re Entering the Next Chapter of Search: From SEO to GEO.
Found your search personality? Ask your Spitfire Inbound consultant for insights on how to use this in your strategy, or book a meeting with Julia to discuss opportunities.
FAQs:
What is SEO, and why does it still matter?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is about helping your content appear in search results. It focuses on keywords, structure, and technical elements that make your website easy for search engines to understand. Even with AI-driven tools emerging, SEO remains the foundation of any strong digital strategy.
What does AEO mean?
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation. It focuses on creating content that provides clear, direct answers to user questions. It’s what helps your brand appear in voice searches, featured snippets, and AI-driven results that prioritise relevance and clarity.
What is GEO, and how is it changing search?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is the newest evolution in search. It’s about optimising content so it performs well in generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. GEO focuses on conversational language, depth, and context to ensure your content appears in AI-generated summaries.
How are SEO, AEO, and GEO different?
SEO helps you get found, AEO helps you get understood, and GEO helps you stay relevant in a world powered by AI. Together, they create a complete search strategy that connects structure, clarity, and creativity.
Backlinko recently wrote a great guide that we found helpful: SEO vs. GEO, AEO, LLMO: What Marketers Need to Know
How can Spitfire Inbound help me improve my search strategy?
At Spitfire Inbound, we integrate SEO, AEO, and GEO into one connected, human-centric strategy. We help businesses align their content, CRM, and customer experience so they can stand out in both traditional and AI-powered search results.
