Remember when SEO was straightforward? Add your keywords, get a few backlinks, and watch your rankings rise. But with the AI-volution in full swing, the world of search engines and rankings is changing faster than ever. Today, more than half of all Google searches end without a single click (in 2024 this was recorded at 59.7% in the EU, and projected to rise), with searches triggering AI Overviews showing an even higher zero-click rate of 83% as people are getting their answers directly on the results page or from AI-generated content. The search landscape has fundamentally shifted, and with it comes a whole new dictionary of acronyms: AEO, GEO, LLMO. If you're feeling lost in the AI SEO jargon, you're not alone.
At Rawww, we've been navigating this evolution alongside our clients, and we're here to cut through the confusion. Let's break down exactly what these terms mean, why they matter for your business, and how to actually optimise for this new AI-driven search landscape.
How has AI changed the search engine landscape?
Traditional SEO as you know it isn’t dead, it’s just evolved - and forward-thinking businesses are evolving with it. Think of SEO as the foundation we should set as standard, with AI engine optimisation as a new layer of techniques we need to adopt to stay visible.
Search engines aren't just matching queries with keywords anymore. Fueled by powerful AI models like Google’s Gemini, they're understanding context, answering complex questions conversationally, and generating summaries that might never send users to your website at all. In fact, AI Overviews appeared in 13.14% of US Google searches by March 2025, up from just 6.49% in January of 2025 - already charting a considerable increase in such a short amount of time. This is where these new acronyms come in.
SEO vs AEO vs GEO vs LLMO: what’s the difference?
It may seem like an overwhelming amount of new acronyms to understand, but each of these terms describe an important new way to optimise your content for emerging AI search. Let's demystify the AI SEO jargon that's dominating digital marketing discussions right now:
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): This is your familiar territory. Traditional SEO focuses on optimising your content for search engines like Google and Bing and is all about ranking for keywords, earning backlinks, and making sure search engines can crawl and understand your site.
Think of it as making your website discoverable when people use a search engine.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation): AEO helps to ensure your content is the answer, making sure you appear as an authoritative source able to be cited by AI agents. When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity, "What's the difference between a latte and a flat white?" you want the AI to serve up your explanation.
Think of it making sure you’re the source that AI engines quote when answering questions.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation): GEO takes optimisation one step further than AEO, ensuring that your business is referenced in an AI chatbot’s summary instead of simply using it to answer questions. AI in this format doesn't give a quick reply; it offers a comparison. You want to be mentioned or cited here in Google's AI Overviews.
Think of it as being featured in AI-generated summaries and comparisons.
LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation): LLMO makes your content and website AI-friendly so that large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini can understand and recall it easily. It's about structuring your content in a way that AI can naturally process and reference.
Think of it as speaking AI's language so your content gets remembered and cited.
How to optimise for AEO: making your content the answer
Answer Engine Optimisation is all about anticipating the questions your audience is asking and providing clear, structured answers. Here's how to get started:
- Use a Q&A format: Structure your content around actual questions people ask. Think "How do I..." and "What’s the difference between..."
- Create helpful FAQs and lists: AI engines love pulling from well-organised FAQ sections and bulleted lists that directly answer queries.
- Write conversationally: Use natural language that sounds like how people actually speak and search - formal jargon won't cut it anymore.
- Cover multiple related questions: Build content clusters around topics. Don't just answer one question, but address all the related queries someone might have about that subject.
By focusing on clear, structured, question-based content, AEO improves your visibility, enhances user experience, and prepares your site for the future of AI-driven search.
How to optimise for GEO: getting cited in AI summaries
Generative Engine Optimisation is about making your content citation-worthy. When AI generates summaries, you want your brand mentioned. Here's how:
- Use bullet points, short paragraphs and clear formatting: AI engines scan for easily digestible information, so make their job easier with a clean structure.
- Add schema markup: Implement FAQ, Product, HowTo and other relevant schema types. This helps Google understand your content and increases your chances of appearing in AI Overviews.
- Include trust-building elements: Add citations, case studies, author bios, client testimonials, and regularly updated information that AI can't generate without checking your website, as this establishes your authority.
- Focus on unique insights: AI can regurgitate common knowledge, but it needs to reference sources for specific data, original research, or unique perspectives. Be that source.
GEO ensures your content performs well in AI-driven search results by making it clear, structured, and trustworthy. It helps your brand gain visibility without relying solely on clicks.
How to optimise for LLMO: speaking the language of AI
Large Language Model Optimisation is about making your entire website comprehensible to AI and, for lack of a better phrase, speaking their language. Here's what matters:
- Use structured data and schema: This is your direct line of communication with AI crawlers, and tells them exactly what your content is about.
- Implement an llms.txt file: Like robots.txt but for LLMs, this file helps AI crawlers understand what content on your site is most important to index and reference.
- Establish strong entity relationships: AI understands the world through entities (people, places, organisations, concepts) and their relationships. Make these connections clear in your content.
- Write in natural language: Humanise your copy and content. AI models are trained on human language, so authentic, natural writing performs better than keyword-stuffed content.
LLMO ensures your content is understood, trusted, and cited by AI models, increasing your visibility, authority, and brand presence in AI-generated responses.
How performance metrics are changing
The shift to AI search means we need to rethink what success looks like:
- Fewer clicks, more visibility: You'll be quoted more, even if people don't visit your website directly, which is why brand mentions and citations are becoming critical metrics.
- Better voice search rankings: Conversational content optimised for AI naturally performs better in voice search results.
- Increased credibility: Being referenced by AI boosts trust amongst consumers. When ChatGPT or Google's AI Overview mentions your brand, it's a powerful endorsement.
It's not just about website traffic anymore, although that remains an important metric overall. The future of SEO is becoming more and more about presence where people actually look for answers, whether that's Google's search results page, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or any other AI-powered platform.
What this means for your business
If you're still relying solely on traditional SEO, you're missing a massive opportunity. AI is quickly cementing itself as the future of search, and every day that your content isn't optimised for AI engines is a day your competitors could be getting cited instead of you. The good news? Most businesses haven't caught up yet, so there's still time to get ahead.
At Rawww, we're actively implementing AI SEO services and strategies that keep our clients visible in this new landscape. Get in touch with a member of our team today for a detailed AI SEO audit to help ensure that your brand thrives in this new era of digital transformation and gets referenced, cited, and remembered by AI.
FAQs
What's the difference between SEO and AEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) focuses on ranking your website in traditional search engine results like Google and Bing. AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) ensures your content is selected and cited by AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity when they answer questions. Whilst SEO aims to drive clicks to your website, AEO focuses on making your content the authoritative source that AI engines quote directly.
Do I still need traditional SEO if I'm optimising for AI?
Absolutely. Traditional SEO remains essential as the foundation of your digital visibility. AI optimisation strategies like AEO, GEO and LLMO work alongside SEO, not instead of it. Search engines still use many traditional ranking signals, and users still click through to websites for detailed information. Think of SEO as your foundation and AI optimisation as an additional layer that future-proofs your visibility.
How do zero-click searches affect my website traffic?
Zero-click searches mean users get their answers directly on the search results page without visiting your website. Whilst this can reduce direct traffic, it doesn't eliminate opportunities. Being cited in AI Overviews, featured snippets and AI-generated summaries significantly increases your brand visibility, authority and trust. The key is shifting your metrics from clicks alone to measuring brand mentions, citations and overall visibility across AI platforms.
What is an llms.txt file and do I need one?
An llms.txt file is similar to robots.txt but specifically designed for large language models (LLMs). It helps AI crawlers understand which content on your site is most important to index and reference. Whilst not yet universally required, implementing an llms.txt file is an emerging best practice that helps ensure AI platforms properly understand and cite your most valuable content.
How long does it take to see results from AI optimisation?
AI optimisation results can vary depending on your industry, existing content quality and competition. Unlike traditional SEO, which can take 3-6 months to show significant results, being cited in AI responses can happen more quickly once your content is properly structured. However, building consistent authority across multiple AI platforms is an ongoing process that often requires trial and error.
Can AI optimisation help with voice search?
Yes, significantly. Content optimised for AI naturally performs better in voice search results because both rely on conversational language, question-based queries and clear, direct answers. When you structure content for AEO and GEO using natural language and Q&A formats, you're simultaneously optimising for voice assistants like Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant.
