AI Search Optimisation: GEO & AEO
Search is no longer a single behaviour. A business owner researching software vendors in 2026 might ask Google and get an AI Overview. They might ask ChatGPT and get a recommendation. They might ask Perplexity and get a cited answer. Three queries. Three different AI systems. Potentially three different answers, none of which are your website ranking in position one.
This is the new visibility problem. It splits into two distinct disciplines that require different strategies.
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is about being cited, referenced, or recommended inside AI-generated responses including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. These systems do not rank pages. They synthesise answers from sources they consider authoritative, structured, and verifiable. Getting into those answers requires a fundamentally different approach from traditional SEO.
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is about capturing the structured answer surfaces that existed before generative AI, including Featured Snippets, People Also Ask boxes, Knowledge Panels, and voice search responses. These surfaces extract directly from your content. The tactics are precise, measurable, and immediately visible in Google Search Console.
At Redot Global, we cover both disciplines and implement them at the technical infrastructure level. GEO in particular requires more than content strategy. It requires entity building, structured data at scale, llms.txt configuration, and the kind of cross-platform authority signals that only a team with both developers and SEO engineers can execute. This blog category documents everything we know, test, and apply across both disciplines.
Google AI Overviews
AI Overviews appear above traditional search results for complex, multi-part queries. Google's AI synthesises responses from sources it considers trustworthy enough to generate from, not just link to. Getting cited inside AI Overviews requires strong E-E-A-T signals, well-structured factual content, and being referenced by other sources Google already trusts. We cover the specific content and technical patterns that improve AI Overview citation rates.
LLM Visibility: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
When someone asks an LLM to recommend a service provider, explain a concept, or compare options, the response draws from training data and live browsing. Your brand's presence across authoritative external sources including industry publications, structured directories, Wikipedia, and consistent factual mentions determines whether you appear or not. We document what actually influences LLM citation behaviour based on direct testing.
llms.txt and AI Crawler Configuration
llms.txt is an emerging standard that allows websites to communicate directly with AI crawlers about which content is available for training and citation. Correct implementation helps LLMs understand your site's structure, expertise areas, and content boundaries. We cover implementation, syntax, and how it interacts with your existing robots.txt setup.
Featured Snippets and People Also Ask
Featured snippets and PAA boxes remain high-value AEO targets. They drive zero-click brand visibility and voice search answers simultaneously. The optimisation approach covers question-format headings, concise direct answers, and FAQ schema. We cover the specific content structures that win and retain these positions consistently.
Entity Building for AI Systems
Both Google's Knowledge Graph and LLM training data are entity-based. Your brand, your team's expertise, and your service areas need to be consistently defined across Wikipedia, Wikidata, Crunchbase, LinkedIn, and authoritative industry publications. Entity clarity is the foundation of both GEO and AEO. We cover how to build and strengthen entity associations systematically.
Structured Data for AI Parsability
FAQ, HowTo, Organisation, Person, and Service schema all contribute to how AI systems parse and trust your content. Correct implementation across your site is a technical prerequisite for both AI Overview citation and AEO feature eligibility. We cover schema strategy specific to AI search surfaces.
Explore our AI SEO Services including GEO implementation, AEO content structuring, and entity building for businesses that want to be visible wherever AI generates answers.