How to Start AEO and GEO Work When a Client Asks for It

If a client asks for AEO or GEO, start with strong SEO basics. Google says the same practices that help you in normal search also apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode. There is no special markup to add. Then add a prompt tracking list, a brand check across the web, and honest reporting that does not promise citations.

What Happened?

A freelancer on r/SEO said a client now wants AEO or GEO, and they had never done it before. They asked how to go about it. The thread was about five days old, with 39 votes and 93 comments. We could only see the title and snippet. We did not read the comments, so we do not claim what people answered.

Many SEOs face this exact request. The terms are new, and sales pages around them are loud. A clear plan helps you stay honest with the client and still deliver real work.

First, the words. AEO means answer engine optimization. GEO means generative engine optimization. Both mean making your content easy to find and use for AI answers. These are industry terms, not Google terms.

Why People Are Talking About It

AI answers now sit on top of search. Google has AI Overviews and AI Mode. Other products give answers too. Clients see this and ask what to do.

Google has now published its own guide, AI features and your website. It covers how AI Overviews and AI Mode work from a site owner's view. Its main message is plain. All existing SEO fundamentals continue to be worthwhile, and specific optimization is not required for these features. That is a verified fact from Google.

That sounds simple, but it leaves a gap. Clients still want a service they can see. This article helps you fill that gap without selling magic.

What Users Experienced

We did not open the thread, so we cannot report what members said. Here is what we can say about the usual friction, based on the question itself and on Google's guidance.

• The client wants a quick fix tied to a new term.
• The SEO is unsure what is real and what is hype.
• Reporting is hard. Google does not give a separate AI Overviews report. It says sites that appear in AI features are counted in overall search traffic in Search Console, under the Web search type. This is a verified fact from Google's guide.

The result is a service with unclear scope and unclear proof. Fixing that is the first job.

Why It Happens

AI features sit on top of the same search system. Google's guide says both AI Overviews and AI Mode may use a "query fan-out" technique. That means they issue several related searches across subtopics to build an answer. The guide also says the two features may use different models and techniques, so the answers and links will vary.

To be a supporting link, a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet. Google lists this as the technical requirement.

Practical Ecommerce summarized Google's guidance on common myths. It reports that Google says chunking content into short paragraphs is not required. It also reports that writing in an "AI-friendly" way is not required, that seeking inauthentic mentions may be seen as spam, and that no special structured data is needed. This is a secondary summary, so check Google's own page for exact wording before you quote it to a client. We could not confirm the publish date of that Google guide from the summary.

Google's guidance does not cover ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or other products. We found no authoritative source in this research on how those systems pick sources. For those, treat any claim as unproven and check each company's own documentation.

Working Fixes

This is a practical workflow. Steps 1 to 4 follow Google's guidance. Steps 5 to 8 are our advice, so treat them as method, not fact.

1. Fix the base first. Check that key pages are indexed, can show a snippet, and are linked from other pages on the site. Google lists making content easy to find through internal links as a fundamental.
2. Use Search Console as your baseline. Record clicks, impressions and top queries for the pages that matter. AI feature traffic is inside these numbers.
3. Check controls. Google's guide explains preview controls. If a client restricts snippets, those pages may not show in AI features. Confirm that this is on purpose.
4. Improve the content itself. Answer the real question early, add original detail and sources, and keep one page per intent. Google's SEO starter guide says that helpful, reliable, people-first content will likely influence your presence in search more than any other tip in that guide.
5. Build a prompt list. Write 20 to 50 real questions your client's buyers ask. Group them by stage: learn, compare, buy.
6. Test by hand each month. Ask those questions in the AI products your client cares about. Save the date, the product, the answer, and which sources were cited. Results will vary between runs, so note that.
7. Check brand facts across the web. Make sure the name, services, location and key facts match on the website, profiles and major listings. This is our advice, based on the idea that AI answers draw on many sources.
8. Report in plain terms. Show what you changed, what moved in Search Console, and what the manual tests show. Do not promise citations.

What Doesn't Work

• Selling a "GEO package" with guaranteed mentions. No source we found shows anyone can guarantee citations. Results vary by run.
• Adding special files or markup to "opt in." Google says no extra requirements, special optimizations, or special schema are needed for AI Overviews or AI Mode.
• Chopping every page into tiny blocks. Google, as summarized by Practical Ecommerce, says chunking is not required. Write for people.
• Buying fake mentions. Google's guidance, as summarized, warns that seeking inauthentic mentions can be treated as spam.
• Using one test as proof. AI answers change. One screenshot proves nothing.
• Ignoring plain SEO. If the page is not indexed or has no snippet, it cannot be a supporting link in Google's AI features.

Official Response

Google's guide speaks directly to site owners. It says AI Overviews and AI Mode use the same search foundations, that SEO fundamentals still apply, and that no special schema is needed. It also says that to be shown as a supporting link, a page must be indexed and eligible for a snippet.

On measurement, Google says AI feature traffic is included in Search Console's Performance report under the Web search type. It does not separate it. That is a limit you should tell clients about.

We found no official guide from OpenAI, Anthropic or Perplexity in this research that gives site owners a comparable list. If your client cares about those products, read each company's help pages and test directly.

Key Takeaways

• AEO and GEO are industry terms. Google treats this work as SEO.
• Start with indexing, snippets, internal links and helpful content.
• No special markup or file is needed for Google AI Overviews or AI Mode.
• Use Search Console as your baseline. AI traffic is inside it.
• Build a prompt list and test it by hand each month.
• Be honest. Do not promise citations or fixed results.
• For non-Google products, rely on their own documentation and your own tests.

Related Reading

• Google Search AI Mode and agents: what SEOs need to know
• Google AI content guidance update, October 2026
• Next.js static SEO

FAQ

What is the difference between AEO and GEO?

AEO is answer engine optimization. GEO is generative engine optimization. Both are industry terms about getting content used in AI answers. Google treats the work as part of SEO.

Do I need special schema for AI Overviews?

No. Google says no special schema.org structured data is needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Standard structured data can still help normal search features.

Can I see AI Overviews traffic in Search Console?

Only as part of total search traffic. Google says it is included in the Performance report under the Web search type. It is not split out in a separate report.

What should I promise the client?

Promise a clear process, better content, and honest reports. Do not promise mentions or rankings in AI answers. No source we found supports such a guarantee.

How do I track AI answers?

Make a list of real buyer questions and test them by hand each month. Record the date, product, answer and sources. Expect results to change between runs.

Is GEO different from SEO for ChatGPT or Perplexity?

We found no official guidance from those companies in this research. Google's guidance does not cover them. Test directly and read each company's help pages before you give advice.

Where should I start on day one?

Check that key pages are indexed, show a snippet, and have internal links. Then set a Search Console baseline and write your prompt list.