The short answer
AI search optimisation in plain English. How AIO, GEO and AEO help Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity understand your business, minus the hype.
AIO, GEO and AEO in plain English
These acronyms overlap a lot. All of them come back to clear, trustworthy content that machines can read and people find useful.
AIO: AI search optimisation
AIO is the umbrella term. It means shaping your website and online presence so AI-powered search features can understand what you do and mention you when it's relevant. Some people call it AI SEO or LLM SEO.
GEO: generative engine optimisation
GEO is about generative tools, the ones that write a fresh answer instead of showing ten links. The term was popularised by a 2023 academic paper that studied what kinds of content these tools tend to cite.
AEO: answer engine optimisation
AEO is the older cousin, born with featured snippets and voice assistants. It means giving a direct answer to a specific question so a search engine can lift it out.
Where AI answers show up
- Google AI Overviews and AI Mode: AI summaries in Google Search, with links to sources.
- ChatGPT search: OpenAI's search feature, which cites the web pages it draws on.
- Perplexity: an answer engine that shows its sources alongside each answer.
- Gemini: Google's AI assistant app.
- Microsoft Copilot: built on Bing's search results, so your Bing presence matters.
What Google actually says
A lot of AI SEO advice gets this wrong. Google Search Central says its AI features are built on the same core ranking systems as regular Search, and the usual SEO best practices apply. To appear, a page needs to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.
Google also says you don't need special AI files or special markup to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. That includes llms.txt, which Google doesn't use. And nobody, including us, can guarantee your business will be cited in an AI answer. The tools change constantly and choose sources on their own.
Fun fact
Google launched its Knowledge Graph in 2012 with the slogan "things, not strings". It marked the shift from matching words to understanding entities, like people, places and businesses, which is exactly what AI search relies on today.
What actually helps
Answer-first writing
Put the answer near the top of the page in two or three plain sentences, then give the detail. Use headings that match real questions people ask.
Original, first-hand content
AI tools have read the generic stuff a million times. Your real process, photos of your work and lessons from your own jobs give them something worth citing. Google calls this experience, part of its E-E-A-T guidance.
Entity clarity
Make it obvious who you are, what you do and where you do it. A strong About page, a named author, consistent service descriptions and matching social profiles all help machines connect the dots.
Consistent business information
Your name, address, phone and hours should match across your website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places and directories. Our local SEO work covers this.
Reviews and mentions
Genuine reviews and mentions on trusted Australian sites build a reputation AI tools can pick up.
Being crawlable
If a bot can't read your page, it can't use it. Check your robots.txt isn't blocking crawlers such as Bingbot or OAI-SearchBot (used for ChatGPT search). Keep key content in the HTML, not hidden behind scripts.
Structured data for normal rich results
Schema.org markup like LocalBusiness or FAQPage helps search engines understand your pages and can make you eligible for rich results. It's good practice, but it isn't a secret AI switch.
Marketing tip
Pick the five questions customers ask you most on the phone. Write a two-sentence answer to each and add them to the relevant service page this week, using the question as the heading. It helps real visitors and gives AI tools a clean answer to lift.
Myths about AI SEO
- "You need an llms.txt file to show up in AI Overviews." Google says it doesn't need one.
- "SEO is dead." AI search features lean heavily on the same signals good SEO builds.
- "Pumping out hundreds of AI-written pages will get you cited." Google's spam policies cover scaled content made mainly to manipulate rankings, however it's produced.
- "Someone can guarantee ChatGPT will recommend you." They can't.
How we work
- AI search review: we check how your business appears in AI answers for your key questions, using tools like SE Ranking.
- Technical check: crawl access, indexing, speed and schema, often as part of a full SEO audit.
- Content plan: answer-first pages built from your real expertise.
- Entity and reputation work: consistent details, reviews and quality mentions.
- Measure: referral traffic from AI tools in GA4, Search Console trends and enquiries.
Why work with us
We use AI tools like Claude every day and build custom AI-assisted apps, so we know where they fall short. Our team does all work in-house, backed by our 15 years in SEO. For Success Immigration, a 645-keyword research plan shaped content around real client questions, an approach that suits trust-heavy fields like migration and legal services.
That groundwork shows up in search. Success Immigration's tracking began in June 2026, and by September 40 of its 55 tracked keywords were on page one of Google Australia. Local terms like "partner visa consultant Port Macquarie" sit at #1. Clear, trusted pages like these are what AI answer tools draw on too, though nobody can promise a citation.
AI search optimisation sits inside our wider SEO Brisbane service.