Is SEO dead? The New Rules for Getting Found Online with AEO, GEO & SEO
TL;DR: 😉
SEO gets you found on Google, AEO makes you the chosen answer, and GEO gets your content quoted by AI tools. Train your AI with your business brain, answer FAQs clearly, and use summaries + Q&As to boost your visibility.
SEO, AEO & GEO Explained
If you're a business owner, coach or entrepreneur trying to get found online, the rules of the game have shifted. Not only do you still need solid SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), you now also need to think in terms of AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation). In this podcast, Jenni and I will walk you through what those three mean, why they matter, and practical steps you can take today to stay visible, trusted and human in an "AI-first" world.
👇 Hit play on the episode below or keep reading for the juicy bits.
From SEO to AEO and GEO: What each does and why you need all three?
There are three complementary ways your content needs to perform today. Think of them as three layers that together create full visibility in a modern search environment.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) - This is the classic: optimising your website and content so it appears in search engine results pages. It’s still vital. Keywords, meta tags, site structure, backlinks and quality content all matter.
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) - This is about being chosen as the direct answer. AEO focuses on crafting clear, concise answers to questions so AI-driven search features (like Google’s featured snippets or voice assistant responses) will pull your content as the single authoritative answer.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) - A newer concept: optimising so AI systems that generate summaries or full answers will quote or reference your content. GEO is about being the source that generative AI pulls from when it constructs an answer.
SEO helps people find you, AEO helps you be chosen as the direct answer, and GEO helps you be quoted by AI. If you're putting effort into content creation, you want to cover all three.
The practical reality of AI in everyday tools
AI isn’t a distant future: it’s in the phone in your pocket, your email platform, your accounting app, and most content tools you use. For example, major platforms are now charging for subscriptions partly because they’re adding AI features. We all experience AI in location services, voice assistants and recommendation engines - we've used AI for years without always calling it that.
That reality matters because it removes the “if” from the equation. Whether you love AI or are wary of it, it’s here. The question isn’t whether to use AI but how to harness it strategically so it strengthens your brand rather than diluting it. Done well, AI accelerates your marketing, frees up time for high-value work and helps you reach customers in new ways. Done poorly, it produces bland, generic content that undermines your voice and reduces trust.
Common AI problems and the fix: train it to sound like you
One of the biggest issues I see is people copy-pasting outputs from tools like ChatGPT without training those tools in their brand voice and expertise. If you let AI write in a vacuum, you’ll get the same bland phrases everyone else gets - “honestly,” “to be honest,” dashes and generic fluff. That makes your content indistinguishable and often poorly targeted. Worse: generative tools may inadvertently echo competitors’ ideas and language, causing your voice to become diluted.
The fix is straightforward: train the AI. Build a "business brain" (a document or knowledge base that contains your signature service descriptions, your tone of voice, words you use and avoid, your client transformations, key processes, case studies, and any unique IP). Feed that into the tools you use. Even a free ChatGPT account can accept a PDF or prompt injection that teaches the model who you are before you ask for outputs.
When you invest a little time to train the model, the quality of outputs changes dramatically. Subject lines, paragraph tones and FAQ answers will be aligned with your voice and your unique value proposition. You get speed without sacrificing authenticity.
Three core things to do right now
Once you’ve built your business brain (your single source of truth for AI), implement these three practical tactics across your content to increase the chances of being found, chosen and quoted.
1. Answer common questions clearly
People search with questions. They ask conversational queries to Google and voice assistants. So create content that answers those questions in plain language:
- Start with the question as a heading (e.g., "What is a lead magnet?").
- Write a short, crisp answer immediately beneath the heading: a one- to two-sentence answer that covers the essentials.
- Follow with a longer explanation, examples, and steps if needed.
This format is perfect for AEO. Google and voice assistants look for direct answers, and that short answer is often what shows up in featured snippets and voice responses.
2. Add a TL;DR summary to every long-form piece
Not everyone has time to read long articles. Put a "Too Long; Didn't Read" summary at the top or bottom of your posts. The TL;DR should be a tight paragraph that encapsulates the main points. This helps in three ways:
- It gives busy readers the key takeaway instantly.
- It structures your content so AI can easily parse the core message.
- It improves user experience, which is a ranking signal for Google.
Example TL;DR: "SEO helps you get found on Google. AEO helps you be chosen as the direct answer. GEO helps AI systems quote your content. Use all three by training your AI, answering common questions clearly, and providing short summaries."
3. Use FAQ sections everywhere
FAQs are easy to create and incredibly powerful. Add an FAQ to blogs, product pages, service pages and resources. Each FAQ question should be formatted as a header and answered in a short paragraph or bullet points.
- Voice search and AI love the Q&A format.
- FAQ content is often pulled into featured snippets.
- It converts visitors by giving them immediate clarity about your product or service.
When you pair FAQs with your trained "business brain," you make your content both user-friendly and AI-friendly.
Final reminders and a human-first appeal
At the end of the day, people still buy from people. No algorithm can fully replace the trust, empathy and authority you build by showing up genuinely. The old "know, like, trust" ladder is still true - but AI amplifies what’s already there. If your content is useful, accessible and human, AI will often choose it as the answer and quote it. Embrace the technology, but keep the heart of your business human.
We’re in a new phase of visibility. The noise can feel loud, but the winning strategy is simple: be useful, be human, and be discoverable. Use SEO to get found, AEO to be selected as the answer, and GEO to be quoted by generative systems. Train your AI so it represents you accurately, invest in accessible, clear content formats, and prioritise the Q&A-first structure.
Do these things consistently, and you’re not just reacting to change - you’re taking control of your visibility in an AI-driven world.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube
👉 Or listen now on Spotify
Watch this episode of our Business Bite-Size on YouTube to learn more:
Listen to this Bite-Size podcast episode on Spotify:
If you’d like more hands-on help building a business brain or repurposing existing content for AEO and GEO, come and chat - we have workshops, templates and a community ready to support you.
"Get seen and trusted. Embrace AI, but remember it's the 'you' in your business that makes the difference."
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FAQs
Q: What’s the difference between SEO, AEO and GEO?
SEO = Found in Google search. AEO = Selected as the direct answer. GEO = Quoted by AI tools.
Q: Why do business owners need GEO now?
Because AI summaries and chat tools are becoming the first place people look — if your content isn’t optimised, you’ll be invisible there.
Q: How do I train AI to sound like me?
Create a “business brain” with your tone, offers and client transformations. Use it in prompts and uploads so AI outputs align with your brand.
Episode Recorded August 18, 2025