AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) makes your page easy for answer engines to quote. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) makes it more likely that AI assistants use and cite your page. Both build on normal SEO.
Start with SEO basics
Google says there are no special files or markup needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode: the page must be indexed and eligible to show a snippet in Search. So fix technical SEO first — a page blocked by noindex or nosnippet will not be used.
AEO: answer first
- Start the page with a 40–60 word direct answer to the main question.
- Use the real questions customers ask as H2/H3 headings.
- Answer each question in 1–3 sentences, then add detail.
- Use lists for steps and tables for prices or comparisons.
- Add structured data (schema.org) that matches the visible text.
GEO: facts, sources and trust
Research on generative engines (the “GEO” paper presented at KDD 2024) found that adding statistics, quotations and citations to sources made content more visible in AI-generated answers, while keyword stuffing did not help. In practice:
- Add concrete numbers: years of experience, prices, timelines, results.
- Link to official or expert sources for important facts.
- Include a named expert quote or real customer testimonial.
- Show who wrote the content and when it was last updated.
- Make your business name, address and profiles consistent everywhere.
Let AI search crawlers in
Some AI crawlers fetch pages to answer questions (for example OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot and Claude-SearchBot). Others collect data for training (for example GPTBot, ClaudeBot and Google-Extended). Blocking training crawlers is a business choice; blocking the search crawlers in robots.txt can remove you from those AI answers.
What about llms.txt?
llms.txt is a proposed file that lists important pages for AI tools. Google Search does not use it, and major AI companies have not confirmed reading it, so treat it as optional.
No one can guarantee an AI citation, but clear answers, real facts and a trustworthy site improve your chances — and help normal SEO too.
