Guides
GEO vs AEO vs AI SEO vs LLM optimisation
Updated 26 October 2026
GEO, AEO, AI SEO and LLM optimisation describe overlapping work: making a brand visible in answers produced by AI. Agencies choose the label their clients search for. The differences are of emphasis, not of substance.
| Term | Stands for | Stresses |
|---|---|---|
| GEO | Generative Engine Optimisation | Citations in answers written by generative engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews) |
| AEO | Answer Engine Optimisation | The direct answer itself: snippets, voice assistants, AI answers |
| AI SEO | AI search engine optimisation | Continuity with SEO, applied to AI search |
| LLM optimisation | Large language model optimisation | The models (GPT, Gemini, Claude) and what they know about a brand |
| AIO | AI optimisation, or AI Overviews optimisation | Used both ways; check which one an agency means |
How UK agencies use the labels
In the ranking, the services each agency names on its own website are recorded as written. You can browse them by label:
- Generative Engine Optimisation
- Answer Engine Optimisation
- LLM optimisation
- AI Overviews optimisation
Reading an offer behind the label
Whatever the name, ask the same questions: which prompts will be tracked, on which engines, with which tool; what content and technical work is included; whether digital PR is part of it; and what result the agency has published for a client before. 9 of the 38 agencies scored by the rules publish a quantified AI-search result.