AEO vs SEO: what's different and what's the same

SEO is the work of getting your website and your Google listing to show up when people search on Google. AEO, which stands for answer engine optimization, is the work of getting your business named in the answers that AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI Overviews write. The two overlap a lot, and for a home service business most of the work that helps one also helps the other. This post covers where they're the same, where they're different, and how to split your time between them.

SEO and AEO in one sentence each

• SEO (search engine optimization) gets your website and Google Business Profile into Google's regular results and the map pack when someone searches for your service.
• AEO (answer engine optimization) gets your business named and described correctly when someone asks an AI tool who to hire. You'll also see it called GEO or AI SEO. Our guide to what AEO is covers the basics.

Where SEO and AEO are the same

Both start from the same foundation:

• A website with a page for each service and each town you serve
• A complete, accurate Google Business Profile
• A steady flow of new reviews
• Your business name, address and phone number matching everywhere you're listed
• A site that loads quickly on a phone and is easy for search engines to read
• Schema code that labels your services, service area and hours

Many AI tools search the web the same way a person would and then read the pages near the top of the results. That means the pages that rank well on Google and Bing are often the same pages the AI reads before it answers.

Where they're different

• What you're aiming for. With SEO, the goal is a spot in the map pack or near the top of a list of links. With AEO, the goal is a mention in a written answer that may name only two or three companies.
• How people ask. Google searches tend to be short, like "power washing near me." Questions to AI tools are longer and read like a conversation, such as "who should I call to clean the green streaks off my vinyl siding in Pomfret?" Pages that answer specific questions in plain sentences have more to offer those longer questions.
• Where the information comes from. SEO work centers on your website and your Google profile. AI tools also read directories, review sites, Bing Places, Apple Maps and other sites that mention you, then combine what they find. This month we saw ChatGPT show a client's personal cell number instead of the business line, and the cell number came from a listing outside Google.
• How you measure it. SEO has rankings, Search Console clicks and map checks. AEO has no ranking report, and the answer can change each time you ask. The way to measure it is to ask the same questions on a schedule and track how often you're named.

Which one should a home service business focus on?

Start with SEO. For most home service businesses, Google search and the Google map still bring in a large share of calls, and the groundwork is shared anyway. Once that's in place, add the pieces that matter more for AEO: clean up your listings outside Google, write service and town pages that answer the questions customers actually ask, and check what the AI tools say about you once a month.

If you only have time for one thing this month, make sure your name, address and phone number match on your website, Google, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Yelp and Facebook. It helps both, and an outdated listing is one of the easiest mistakes for an AI tool to repeat. Our list of free business listings for contractors shows where to look.

What about GEO?

GEO stands for generative engine optimization. Some marketers use GEO for the broader work of showing up in AI-written answers and keep AEO for direct question-and-answer results, while others use the two words for the same thing. For a local business, the to-do list is the same either way.

How SiteHike handles both

Every SiteHike plan includes local SEO and AI search visibility. We build each client's site with a page for each service, set up the Google profile properly, and check each month what ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI say about the business. You can read more about our local SEO and AI search visibility work, or start with a free audit to see where you stand on both.