Reports on the death of SEO have been greatly exaggerated.
While users are increasingly turning to AI search tools (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity, Google is by far most visited website in the world most visited website in the world and remains a major part of our daily lives online. Additionally, today’s Google searches are complemented by its Gemini AI model, and Bing searches include Microsoft’s Copilot integration. Further muddying the waters, Microsoft’s Bing search infrastructure has powered much of ChatGPT’s web-search capability. Oh, what a tangled web we weave.
“AI search is layering on top of traditional search, not replacing it, which means marketers need to treat them as related but distinct channels,” explains Eli Goodman, SVP of Product Solutions with Semrush.
As the lines between traditional and AI search have become blurred, a few more three-letter acronyms have gained traction along with SEO: AEO, GEO and RAO. With the building blocks of good web design seemingly evolving at light speed, let’s take a closer look at these newer website optimization strategies.
If you have any questions about the concepts listed below, contact MHz Design today or call 416.626.1777. We’re here to help ensure your web assets continue to enjoy healthy traffic in today’s period of continuous reinvention.
What is SEO?
Before we dive into the shiny, new optimization acronyms, it’s important to point out that SEO hasn’t gone away. The foundations of SEO — keywords aligned with search intent, high-quality content, good site speed, expert sources — are as relevant and necessary today as ever. Not only are users still viewing the search engine result page (SERP) for the vast majority of internet searches, but the AI-driven platforms still depend on crawling and indexing the web either to retrieve information in real time or to train models on large datasets. In practice, many of the signals that help content rank in traditional search — authority, structure and clarity — also make it easier for AI systems to find and use that content.
What is AEO?
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. AEO is about optimizing content so that search engines and AI engines can present your content as a direct answer. The primary goal of AEO is to have your website offer the source content presented by the featured snippets you’re finding with ever-increasing frequency near the top of traditional web searches. AEO can also help your content inform “People Also Ask” suggestions, contribute to voice search results, and appear in instant answers.
What is GEO?
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. Generative engines are what users are increasingly turning to for internet queries: tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini and Copilot. Good GEO can enable your website’s content to influence and inform how generative AI platforms develop their explanations or summaries. When executed well, the content can sometimes include brand mentions or citations inside AI answers.
What is RAO?
RAO stands for Retrieval-Augmented Optimization. While RAO is a newer and less standardized term than SEO or AEO, it generally refers to optimizing content so AI systems can retrieve, reference and cite it effectively. The purpose is to encourage AI systems to retrieve, reference or cite your content when generating answers, offering your website click-through exposure in the answers.
Here’s a quick look at how each optimization strategy differs:
| Term | Focus | Primary Output |
| SEO | Ranking in search engines | Organic search results |
| AEO | Direct answers in search | Featured snippets & voice search |
| GEO | AI-generated answers | Brand presence in answers |
| RAO | AI retrieval & citation | Source attribution in AI answers |
The rise of zero-click search
As mentioned in passing above, both Google and Bing have integrated AI answers at the top of their search results pages, forgoing the need to click on SERP links and thus offering “zero-click search”. The user gets a short answer at the top of the page, and can click “read more” below the answer to launch the AI and enjoy a more robust response. Here, in a nutshell, is the power of an integrated SEO, AEO, GEO and RAO strategy at work. SEO informs the search results page, AEO helps content surface as direct answers or snippets, RAO increases the likelihood that AI systems retrieve and cite your content, and GEO helps shape how generative AI systems reference or describe your brand. Then the whole multi-headed ecosystem comes full circle when you consider that GEO draws from the foundations of SEO.
Quality content always wins
As we mentioned in our previous MHz Design Insights article on how to optimize your website for AI-based search, Google’s four-pronged E-E-A-T rally cry (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) is a timeless foundation upon which to build web content that gets found first. Offer users quality content that is fresh, engaging and positions you as a subject matter expert, and you’re already optimizing against engines of all stripes.
At MHz Design, we’re passionate about staying on top of the latest digital trends while developing integrated solutions that stand the test of time. To learn how you can optimize your digital assets in today’s growing AI-inspired landscape, contact us now or call 416.626.1777.