What are AEO, GEO, and LLMO: The evolution of SEO with the rise of AI

The digital marketing world is in constant turmoil, and the rise of generative artificial intelligence has caused a new earthquake in one of its most established disciplines: SEO. Suddenly, a host of acronyms have emerged that are hard to decipher: GEO, LLMO, AEO, AIO, ASO, OXO, SEV … Does this mean SEO is dead or has it changed its name? 

No, the reality is that SEO is evolving due to the emergence of AI. In other words, the foundations remain the same, but the playing field has expanded. You’ll only see changes in your brand if you weren’t doing well before, because creating useful content, optimising semantics, and offering a good user experience (UX) are the keys to success. 

Below, we’ll show you the meaning of these “new names in SEO” and how to work with each one to keep your brand visible in search engines and drive organic traffic. Stay tuned to understand what AEO, GEO, and LLMO are, and how to apply them to your business. 

What are the new names in SEO?

If you’re confused by so many acronyms, don’t worry. Here’s a quick dictionary to help you navigate the new SEO terminology in the age of artificial intelligence.

• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): SEO is the starting point we’re all familiar with. It still refers to the optimisation of digital assets (websites, videos, etc.) for search engines, regardless of how they display the content, whether in a traditional listing, in an AI-generated summary, or even in a search engine optimisation. 
• AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation): Focuses on optimising content with the primary goal of having it appear directly in voice assistant responses or generative response engines. 
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation): A step beyond AEO. The goal here is for your content to be not only the answer, but also a source cited by conversational search engines like Perplexity, ChatGPT, or Google’s Generative Search Experience (SSE).
• AI-SEO or AI SEO: A combination of traditional SEO with AI assistance, integrating AEO, GEO, etc. It refers to the use of artificial intelligence tools to perform SEO tasks more efficiently and at scale. For example, using AI to generate keyword clusters , draft articles, create meta descriptions, or perform technical audits.  
• LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation): This is a more technical and in-depth optimisation. It seeks to have large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 or Google’s Gemini, use your content as part of their knowledge base to train and generate future responses.
• AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimisation): A more generic term for AI optimisation. On the one hand, it refers to general optimisation for any AI-based platform. On the other hand, this acronym can also refer to Google’s AI Overviews or AI Overview Optimisation, which focuses on appearing in these AI summaries that Google is implementing in its search results.
• AISO (AI Search Optimisation): This term is used to describe the overall optimisation of any search engine that uses artificial intelligence at its core. Rather than focusing on a specific format (such as AEO responses), ASO focuses on a comprehensive strategy for visibility in an ecosystem where AI determines which content is most relevant, whether for a summary, a traditional listing, or a conversational chat.
• OXO (Organic eXperience Optimisation). It’s the fusion of traditional SEO with user experience (UX) optimisation. Its philosophy is that the best SEO is an exceptional user experience. It’s not just about attracting clicks, but focuses on what happens next: Did the user find what they were looking for easily? Did the page load quickly? Was the navigation intuitive? Was the visitor satisfied? Positive answers to these questions send powerful quality signals to search engines.
• GAIO (Generative AI Optimisation). It broadens the focus to the entire universe of generative AI. It’s not just about text; GAIO considers how AI-based models can use your brand, data, and content to generate images, audio, video, and, of course, complex text responses. It’s a more strategic and brand-oriented approach. GAIO’s goal is to turn your company into such a reliable source of knowledge that AI models will use it as a reference for any type of content creation.
• SGEO (Search Generative Experience Optimisation): This is the highly specialised discipline of optimising a website to appear prominently in Google’s new Search Generative Experience (SGE) specifically.
• LLM SEO (Large Language Model SEO). This refers to the adaptation of classic SEO tactics to the new environment of language models. Essentially, it’s “doing SEO, but thinking that an LLM will be searching the web.” Seek to appear in sources cited by an IA summary. 
• LEO (Language Engine Optimisation): content optimisation exclusively for processing, understanding, and use in complex language engines beyond individual models.

Has SEO changed its name?

At Redegal, we’re clear: SEO has changed, but not in name . Although new terms are emerging and sectors of the profession are trying to create a new concept to differentiate themselves, the key practices and fundamental pillars of SEO remain the same. Therefore, it’s unnecessary for it to change its name. 

We’re talking about an adaptation, a broadening of perspectives. The ultimate goal hasn’t changed; it remains to achieve the maximum possible organic visibility for our clients. What has changed is the “where” and “how” to achieve that visibility.If you want a winning SEO strategy focused on the classic pillars of SEO that will position you in search engines and AI, contact our team.

Is a new discipline specifically needed for IAS optimisation?

Not exactly. It’s not about creating a discipline from scratch, but rather integrating these new optimisations into the existing SEO strategy. A good team of SEO professionals today must understand how LLMs work and how to structure content to be a reliable source for them, but this doesn’t negate the need to continue understanding and interpreting search intent, generate quality content, provide a positive user experience, and work on brand authority.

For example, Google itself continues to refer to traditional SEO  search guidelines and offers no specific details on how to appear in Ai Overviews results.

How has SEO changed with the rise of IAS?

The rise of artificial intelligence has redefined SEO priorities. It’s no longer enough to attract clicks. The goal has now expanded to become a reliable source of information for new algorithms. Key changes include:

From keyword to full topic 

The focus is not on repeating a term a certain number of times, but on demonstrating deep authority and knowledge on a subject.

A new way to search

GPT Chat , Gemini, Copilot, Gemini… are gaining ground because they offer direct, natural-language answers. This means people no longer have to scroll through multiple links to find the information they need. They also no longer need to perform generic searches to find answers to more specific questions. 

From popularity to credibility (EEAT)

Trust is the new currency. Demonstrating expertise, knowledge, authority, and trustworthiness (EAT) has gone from being a recommendation to a prerequisite for AI to consider your content. Success is no longer measured solely by organic ranking, but by appearing as a trusted source in AI-generated answers, which have become a new traffic channel. 

From content for humans to content for machines and humans 

Content must be perfectly structured. Using structured data (schema), clear headings, and concise formats is vital for bots to analyse your information as efficiently as possible and present it to users appropriately.

Evolution of search engines

AI-generated answers are being incorporated at the top of traditional SERPs. For example, Google’s AI-powered Overviews offers personalised, contextual summaries that displace links and can reduce organic traffic to your brand’s website.

What can you do to avoid being left behind?

The rise of AI isn’t a threat to SEO , but rather an opportunity for those who know how to adapt. Here are some tips to help you prepare your strategy:

1. Prioritise Expertise, Knowledge, Authority, and Trustworthiness (EKT) : Now more than ever, Google and other AI models need to trust your content. Demonstrate your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Cite your sources, present clear data, and write content that’s truly useful to the user.
2. Structure your content to be understood without a human brain : Use standardised structured data, clear and consecutive headings (H1, H2, H3), and format your data with lists and tables. Make it as easy as possible for algorithms to crawl and contextualise your information.
3. Answer questions directly : A big part of the optimisation that AEO and GEO aim to address is identifying your users’ questions and answering them as clearly and concisely as possible. Create FAQ sections and content that go straight to the point. This is your chance to provide clear, detailed answers that add real value.
4. Focus on semantics and context : Go beyond the keyword. Create content that covers a topic in depth, addressing entities, related concepts, and synonyms. This will position you as a topical reference for both users and AIs.
5. Quality of your website . The brand experience and website navigation should be positive, fluid, fast, and consistent with user expectations.  

Ultimately, SEO hasn’t been replaced. It’s been enriched. Understanding AEO, GEO, and LLMO is key to understanding where the industry is headed, but the foundation remains the same: meeting users’ search intent.

At Redegal, we use AI strategically so that your digital presence not only adapts to the future, but also leads it. Our SEO team develops strategies to make your brand a part of AI.  Shall we talk?