About the terminology
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization), AI SEO - the abbreviation doesn't matter much. Everyone means the same thing: to be recommended by LLMs. We use GEO (and SEO: Search Engine Optimization) in this article, but feel free to choose your own term.
The two camps
Camp 1says: "GEO = SEO." Getting recommended by LLMs requires the same tactics as Google. Add schema tags, update content, technically optimize. Same discipline, new platform.
Camp 2says, “GEO is something else entirely.” This requires different strategies, other tactics, other tools. A completely new discipline.
Who is right? To be honest, both, but that's the problem:the nuance is missing.
Where both camps are right
It certainly helps to optimize your website. The methods you use for Google are largely in line with what LLMs value, and you have full control over your website, so you can get started right away. But that's just the beginning.
LLMs don't rank pages like Google does. They quickly combine information from different sources that they find reliable, up-to-date, popular and representative. They repeat what they see most often, what is emphasized across channels, what connects to established narratives.
The goal is not to rank, but to be recommended.
A brand is no longer recommended by AI just because its website is technically perfect or because it is the only one in the industry to implement schema tags. It is recommended because in addition to the information on your own website, it is also repeatedly mentioned in relevant places online: reviews, discussions, comparisons, tutorials, articles, social media posts. Where potential customers collect information to make the right choice.
GEO requires more than technology
The brand that appears again and again in the places where your target group searches is the most recommended. Optimization for LLMs takes place both internally (your own website) and externally (all those other places). Website optimization alone is not enough. You also need to be present on all relevant platforms where your target audience is looking for answers, and ensure your brand is mentioned, discussed, reviewed and quoted there.
This is why GEO is so interesting: it connects search back to real marketing. It rewards companies that really understand what they do well and are willing to become known for it. This not only requires technical knowledge of LLMs and how they collect information (and SEO specialists are often very good at this), but also a strategy that is much broader than your own website.
