SEO vs AEO vs GEO: what's the difference, and what should a UAE business do?

What's the difference between SEO, AEO and GEO?

Where the answer shows up. SEO aims for a place in the list of results; AEO (answer engine optimisation) for the direct answer above or inside it; GEO (generative engine optimisation, a term from a 2024 research paper) ^{Evidence Where "GEO" comes from. Aggarwal et al. named generative engine optimisation in a 2024 paper (KDD 2024) and reported visibility gains of up to 40% in their test set, varying by domain. A research result, not a promise for any one site. arXiv · KDD 2024 · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close} for a citation in an answer an AI assistant writes. The table sets them side by side, built from Google's and Microsoft's own guidance rather than opinion.

What does Google say about optimising for AI search?

That it's SEO, and that most of the tricks sold as GEO don't help in Google. Its May 2026 guide, updated 10 Jul 2026, says:

• You don't need AI text files such as llms.txt, special markup or Markdown, because Google Search doesn't use them. ^{Evidence · published Google doesn't use AI text files such as llms.txt. Google says you don't need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special markup to appear in its AI features, because Google Search doesn't use them. It also says structured data isn't required, and there's no need to break content into small pieces or write in a special way for AI. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
• Structured data isn't required for its AI features, and there's no need to chop content into small pieces or write in a special way for AI. ^{Evidence · published Google doesn't use AI text files such as llms.txt. Google says you don't need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special markup to appear in its AI features, because Google Search doesn't use them. It also says structured data isn't required, and there's no need to break content into small pieces or write in a special way for AI. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
• Making pages for every variation of a query mainly to manipulate AI answers breaks its scaled content abuse policy, and chasing inauthentic mentions isn't as helpful as it might seem. ^{Evidence · published A page for every query variation breaks Google's policy. Google's guide says making separate content for query variations mainly to manipulate rankings or generative AI responses violates its scaled content abuse spam policy. It adds that seeking inauthentic mentions across the web isn't as helpful as it might seem. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
• A page must be indexed and eligible for a snippet, and the site included in generative AI features in Search Console. ^{Evidence · published Indexed, snippet-eligible, and opted in. To appear in Google's generative AI features, a page must be indexed and eligible to show in Search with a snippet. The guide also says a site must be included in Search's generative AI features in Search Console to be eligible. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
• What it recommends: non-commodity content, a good page experience, relevant images, Business Profile details, and the usual SEO practice. ^{Evidence · published What Google recommends instead. Google's recommendations, in order: non-commodity content that doesn't recycle what others say, a page that is indexed and snippet-eligible, a good page experience, relevant images and video, Merchant Center and Business Profile details, and the usual SEO best practices. It points to the Generative AI performance report in Search Console for measurement. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}

Google also deprecated the FAQ rich result in May 2026 and now applies its spam policies to generative AI answers. ^{Evidence · published Google Search Central changelog. Records the FAQ rich result's deprecation (7 May 2026), spam policies applying to generative AI responses (May 2026), a note on llms.txt (15 Jun 2026) and a review-snippet guideline on fake and incentivised reviews (24 Jul 2026). Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close} Microsoft still recommends JSON-LD, including for FAQs, to help its systems read a page, ^{Evidence · published Microsoft: how AI search picks passages. Microsoft's Bing team says AI assistants parse pages into smaller pieces, treat headings as chapter titles, lift direct question-and-answer passages, lists and tables, and may not read content hidden in tabs, expandable menus, PDFs or images. Titles, H1s and descriptions should agree. Microsoft Advertising blog · Krishna Madhavan, Bing · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close} which is why ours stays.

How do ChatGPT, Perplexity and Copilot find a business?

They search first, then write. Each assistant retrieves pages from a search index and builds its answer from passages it finds, so a site its crawler can't reach can't be cited.

What should a UAE business actually do?

Seven things, in this order. None of them is new, which is the point.

1. Let the crawlers in. Allow Googlebot, Bingbot, OAI-SearchBot and PerplexityBot in robots.txt, and check any firewall that blocks AI crawlers. ^{Evidence · published ChatGPT search reads sites through OAI-SearchBot. OpenAI says OAI-SearchBot surfaces websites in ChatGPT's search features, and sites that opt out of it won't be shown in ChatGPT search answers. GPTBot, a separate crawler, collects training data. OpenAI developer docs · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
2. Get indexed in Google and Bing. Verify the site in Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, submit a sitemap, and check the generative AI setting in Search Console. ^{Evidence · published Indexed, snippet-eligible, and opted in. To appear in Google's generative AI features, a page must be indexed and eligible to show in Search with a snippet. The guide also says a site must be included in Search's generative AI features in Search Console to be eligible. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
3. Be one business everywhere. The same legal name, address, phone and licence on your site, your Organization schema and every profile. Create a Google Business Profile only if you're eligible: Google says a virtual office isn't. ^{Evidence · published Who can have a Google Business Profile. Google's guidelines say a virtual office isn't eligible for a Business Profile, and a coworking space qualifies only with signage, staff and customers received during business hours. Google Business Profile Help · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
4. Write passages that can be quoted. A question as the heading, the answer in the first sentence, tables in HTML, nothing important hidden in tabs or PDFs. ^{Evidence · published Microsoft: how AI search picks passages. Microsoft's Bing team says AI assistants parse pages into smaller pieces, treat headings as chapter titles, lift direct question-and-answer passages, lists and tables, and may not read content hidden in tabs, expandable menus, PDFs or images. Titles, H1s and descriptions should agree. Microsoft Advertising blog · Krishna Madhavan, Bing · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
5. Publish what only you know. Your prices, process, sector rules and real examples. Google's first recommendation is content that isn't a recycling of what others say. ^{Evidence · published What Google recommends instead. Google's recommendations, in order: non-commodity content that doesn't recycle what others say, a page that is indexed and snippet-eligible, a good page experience, relevant images and video, Merchant Center and Business Profile details, and the usual SEO best practices. It points to the Generative AI performance report in Search Console for measurement. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
6. Earn mentions and reviews honestly. Brand mentions correlate with AI visibility more than links do, ^{Evidence Brand mentions track AI visibility more than links. Across 75,000 brands, Ahrefs found AI visibility correlated with YouTube mentions (about 0.74) and branded web mentions (about 0.66–0.71) more than with Domain Rating (about 0.27–0.33). A correlation, not proof of cause. Ahrefs · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close} but Google warns against inauthentic ones ^{Evidence · published A page for every query variation breaks Google's policy. Google's guide says making separate content for query variations mainly to manipulate rankings or generative AI responses violates its scaled content abuse spam policy. It adds that seeking inauthentic mentions across the web isn't as helpful as it might seem. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close} and has tightened its rules on fake and incentivised reviews. ^{Evidence · published Google Search Central changelog. Records the FAQ rich result's deprecation (7 May 2026), spam policies applying to generative AI responses (May 2026), a note on llms.txt (15 Jun 2026) and a review-snippet guideline on fake and incentivised reviews (24 Jul 2026). Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
7. Measure, and keep pages current. Search Console's generative AI report, Bing's AI Performance report, and the same prompts asked of each assistant monthly. Date your pages: AI assistants tend to cite fresher content. ^{Evidence AI assistants cite fresher pages. In a study of 17 million citations, Ahrefs found AI assistants cited content about 25.7% fresher than organic search results, with ChatGPT showing the strongest preference. Ahrefs · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}

What should you ignore?

• llms.txt as a Google tactic. Google says it doesn't use AI text files. Other systems may read them, so it's harmless, not a lever. ^{Evidence · published Google doesn't use AI text files such as llms.txt. Google says you don't need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special markup to appear in its AI features, because Google Search doesn't use them. It also says structured data isn't required, and there's no need to break content into small pieces or write in a special way for AI. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
• A page for every phrasing. City-by-service and question-by-question pages built to catch AI fan-out queries are what Google calls scaled content abuse. ^{Evidence · published A page for every query variation breaks Google's policy. Google's guide says making separate content for query variations mainly to manipulate rankings or generative AI responses violates its scaled content abuse spam policy. It adds that seeking inauthentic mentions across the web isn't as helpful as it might seem. Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
• Bought or seeded mentions. Inauthentic mentions don't help in Google, and fake reviews breach its rules. ^{Evidence · published Google Search Central changelog. Records the FAQ rich result's deprecation (7 May 2026), spam policies applying to generative AI responses (May 2026), a note on llms.txt (15 Jun 2026) and a review-snippet guideline on fake and incentivised reviews (24 Jul 2026). Google Search Central · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}
• Guaranteed AI recommendations. No one controls what an assistant says on a given day. The research behind GEO reported gains in a test set, not guarantees for a business. ^{Evidence Where "GEO" comes from. Aggarwal et al. named generative engine optimisation in a 2024 paper (KDD 2024) and reported visibility gains of up to 40% in their test set, varying by domain. A research result, not a promise for any one site. arXiv · KDD 2024 · checked 2 Oct 2026 Open the evidence → Close}

How long does it take to show up in AI answers?

There's no honest timetable. Technical fixes change how a page is read quickly; being named in answers depends on the index, on what others publish about you, and on the question asked. We check what assistants say before and after, report what moved and what hasn't, and don't promise a date.

Our search and AI visibility service is built on this guide, at the published price on that page.