Notes from a Fractional Content Strategist: AEO vs. GEO — and Why It’s Not Just SEO Rebranded

Hi, and welcome to a new Monday morning series: notes from a fractional content strategist.

Lately, I’ve been thinking. And it’s always dangerous when I do that, but remember how blogging felt back in the 2010s? A visitor could land on someone’s website and really get an idea of who they are, what they do, and who they serve.

Sometimes, their content was optimized for traditional search. Other times, they posted something just for fun.

I miss that. And as much as I love talking about AI search optimization and sharing resources to help you navigate this shift in user search behavior, I also just want a space to think out loud with you.

A space dedicated to talking about challenges I’m working on this week, sharing some insights that you might find interesting, and, honestly, just talking to you on a one-on-one level.

Like two pals sitting down to talk shop about ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. 

So… What Are We Actually Calling This?

So, now that we have all of that out of the way (and so you know to come back next Monday for the next sit-down), I want to discuss something that’s been bothering me: what the heck are we actually calling AI search optimization?

I’ve heard all of the terms: LLMO (ew, no), SEO Rebranded (still no), AEO, GEO, AISO, and, more recently, LEO. Not to be confused with “law enforcement officer” but “language engine optimization.”

Personally, I like generative engine optimization. But as Tommy Landry fairly pointed out to me during a recent recording of the Found in AI podcast (be on the lookout, that episode drops in the coming weeks): AEO and GEO are different disciplines.

When it comes to asking a question and the AI bots go out to find the answer, working to influence what surfaces *is* answer engine optimization.

But when an engine generates a response based on its previous training data, influencing those results requires a GEO strategy. 

Why “Good SEO = Good GEO” Isn’t the Full Story

Regardless of what we call it (but again, please not LLMO or LEO – those just give me the ick and I really don’t know why), the argument is the same: brands need a real strategy to influence their presence inside AI engines.

And, reader, I’ll be the first to tell you that the strategy does include SEO, but these engines absolutely do not function like traditional search engines.

They do not care about rankings or the size of your website. Heck, my website appeared inside AI-generated answers back when my domain authority was embarrassingly small. As in (and I can’t believe I’m admitting this), two.

Yes. Two. 

Which was why it was so fascinating to watch my brand displace Search Engine Journal in Perplexity.

If we held on to John Mueller’s logic that ‘good SEO is good GEO,’ then my website should not have displaced a legacy SEO giant. But it did.

The secret sauce comes down to the work I’m doing off-site.

I’ve made an intentional effort to show up in the places that AI engines currently favor. For my brand, that’s LinkedIn, Reddit, and YouTube. However, I’ve fallen off on creating videos for my channel lately. Life, it happens. 

So, the Google Guy? He is only half right in saying that good SEO is good GEO. 

The other half requires showing up in the places that matter and reinforcing the same message consistently over time. 

There’s More Than One Way to Show Up

One of my favorite sayings here in Appalachia is “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Actually, that’s not my favorite saying. My mom said it often when I was growing up, so I guess that’s why it stuck.

Anyway, the point is: an AI search visibility strategy is adaptable. There are tons of ways a brand can influence those answers.

Do you love creating branded YouTube content? Do that.

Are you unafraid of Reddit’s rabbit holes and can spend 20 minutes focused only on threads related to your industry? Go comment with intention.

Do you love appearing on podcasts and talking with practitioners in your field? Go talk shop.

Each of those efforts counts. And none of them are “have to dos.”

What is a “have to” though is sitting down, looking at your audience, mapping out your channels, refining your messaging, and sharing good content that reflects that messaging in the places that matter. 

Kind of like blogging back in the early 2010s, just with a greater focus on making sure AI engines understand you so they can serve you to the right people.

Same principle.

Only now, your audience includes bots.

If we haven’t met yet….

Hi, I’m Cassie, a fractional content strategist for early-stage startups who focuses on AI search optimization.

If AI-generated answers are already influencing your buyers, your content strategy needs to account for that. I build content programs that connect strategy with execution: clear positioning,  systems, and content that actually drive revenue. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start growing, here’s how we can work together.

Want more insights like this? Subscribe to The Visibility Report, where I break down how AI engines interpret authority — and how you can show up in the results.