The AEO/GEO Debate: Is it a Subset of SEO or a Standalone Discipline?

The debate about AEO/GEO centers on whether it’s a subset of SEO, a standalone discipline, or just standard SEO. Deciding on where to plant a flag is difficult because every argument makes a solid case. There’s no doubt that change is underway and it may be time to find where all the competing ideas intersect and work from there.

The Case Against AEO/GEO

Many SEOs argue that AEO/GEO doesn’t differentiate itself enough to justify being anything other than a subset of SEO. Harpreet Singh Chatha of Harps Digital recently tweeted about AEO/GEO myths to leave behind in 2025. Some of the points he listed include:
* LLMs.txt
* Paying a GEO expert to do “chunk optimization,” which is just making content readable
* Thinking AEO/GEO have nothing in common with SEO
* Saying SEO is dead

The legendary Greg Boser, one of the original SEOs since 1996, tweeted that the core foundation of what they do has always been and always will be about understanding how humans use technology to gain knowledge. He suggested that instead of coming up with new acronyms, they should change the “E” in SEO from “Engine” to “Experience.”

Inability to Articulate AEO/GEO

What contributes to the perception that AEO/GEO is not a real thing is that many proponents of AEO/GEO fail to differentiate it from standard SEO. Microsoft published a blog post about optimizing content for AI search, asserting that success starts with content that is fresh, authoritative, structured, and semantically clear. The post emphasizes the importance of SEO fundamentals but also notes that AI search provides answers, not ranked lists of pages.

Microsoft’s Take on AI Search

Microsoft says that in AI search, ranking still happens, but it’s less about ordering entire pages and more about which pieces of content earn a place in the final answer. This echoes what Jesse Dwyer of Perplexity AI said about AI search and SEO, highlighting the difference between whole-document and sub-document processing.

Common SEO Practices That Pass as GEO

Some of what is championed as GEO and AEO are actually longstanding SEO practices, including:
* Crafting content in the form of answers
* Chunking content
* Structured content
* Structured data

The Customer is Always Right

Some in the GEO camp tend to regard themselves as evolving with the times, but they also acknowledge they’re just offering what clients are demanding. SEO practitioners are in a hard spot, and it’s difficult to turn down potential clients who are begging for GEO services.

Googlers Insist It’s Still SEO

Googlers like Robby Stein, Danny Sullivan, and John Mueller say that SEO is 100% still relevant because under the hood, AI is just firing off Google searches for top-ranked sites to backfill into synthesized answers and links.

Optimization is No Longer Just Google

Manick Bhan, founder of the Search Atlas SEO suite, offered an interesting take on why we may be transitioning to a divided SEO and GEO path. He shared that SEO has always meant “search engine optimization,” but in practice, it has historically meant “Google optimization.” However, the LLM ecosystem is not one ecosystem, and Google’s AI Mode is becoming a generative surface itself.

Manick’s Insights on GEO

Manick asserts that there is no one “GEO” because each of the AI search and answer engines use different methodologies. He believes that GEO is not just SEO with a fresh coat of paint and that reducing it to that misses the fundamental shift in how modern answer engines actually retrieve, rank, and assemble information.

It’s Clear We Are in Transition

Maybe one of the reasons for the anti-GEO backlash is that there is a loud contingent of agencies and individuals who have very little experience with SEO. Yet, as Manick pointed out, AI search and chat surfaces are wildly different from classic search, and it’s kind of closing one’s eyes to the obvious to deny that things are different and in transition.

Conclusion

The debate about AEO/GEO is ongoing, with some arguing that it’s a subset of SEO and others claiming it’s a standalone discipline. While there are valid points on both sides, it’s clear that the landscape is changing, and SEO practitioners need to adapt to the new reality of AI search and answer engines. By understanding the differences between SEO and GEO, practitioners can better serve their clients and stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization.