Why this feels different (and why that matters)
Here’s something I’ve been thinking about: incremental tweaks to keyword lists won’t cut it anymore — the messy reality is that AI systems now decide which brands get quoted inside answers, not just which pages rank on page one.
So what does this mean for agencies? It means we have to stop optimizing only for clicks and start optimizing for citation and extractability — the twin aims of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). This isn’t straightforward, but it’s where attention and budget are moving.
What GEO and AEO actually target
GEO is about making your content a source that generative models will cite inside synthesized answers; it’s less about a page rank and more about being quote-worthy and structurally obvious to LLMs and AI overviews. (reference)
AEO focuses on delivering concise, extractable answers that answer engines can pull into featured snippets, knowledge panels, or direct-response UI elements — think answer-first formatting, clear signals of authority, and tightly scoped answers. (reference)
The framework I use with clients
Here’s the thing: agencies need a repeatable playbook, not a buzzword checklist. Below are three pillars and the tactical moves I put in every strategy.
Entity Clarity & Authoritativeness — audit and unify how a brand, people, and product terms appear across site copy, schema, and meta signals so AI systems can resolve your entity reliably. (reference)
Answer-First Content Design — rewrite priority pages with lead-in TL;DR answers, clearly labeled Q&A blocks, and short quotable passages that AEO can extract without context loss. (reference)
GEO Signals & Citability — include unique data, named sources, and explicit citations inside content so LLMs prefer your pages when synthesizing multi-source responses.
How this changes deliverables and reporting
Traditional rank reports still matter, but they’re incomplete. Start reporting AI visibility metrics alongside classic KPIs — citation frequency in AI answers, share-of-voice inside generative results, and AI-originating session value. Those show whether your content is actually being used by AI channels. (reference)
The messy reality is many teams assume strong SEO equals AI visibility — it doesn’t. Add audit items that measure entity consistency, structured data health, and the presence of short, extractable answer passages.
Sample roadmap for a 90-day sprint
This is practical, not theoretical: in month one you map intent and entities; month two you convert highest-opportunity pages to answer-first formats; month three you run citations, track generative mentions, and iterate on the highest-impact queries.
That kind of cadence turns vague promises into measurable gains: more AI citations, more appearances in answer boxes, and—critically—better-qualified traffic when users do click through.
What agencies often get wrong
People treat GEO/AEO like an add-on checklist: dump schema, write FAQs, done. The truth is it’s an editorial and systems problem — you need editorial decisions (what lines are quotable) and engineering (clean schema, crawl hygiene) working together.
Also, don’t over-rely on raw AI content. The models prefer credible, specific, and attributable information — your best bet is subject matter expertise shaped into extractable answers.
Quick tactical wins you can implement this week
Start small: identify five high-intent pages where short answers can be added at the top, add or clean schema for those pages, and insert one unique data point or a short quoted sentence the AI can lift directly.
Measure citation frequency and referral quality from AI-driven tools after four weeks — you’ll often see the signal before a change in traditional rankings appears. (reference)
Final thought — why agencies have a brief window
I’ll be blunt: by 2026, generative and answer engines will be a primary discovery path for many B2B and B2C research flows. Agencies that bake GEO and AEO into discovery, content, and reporting now will own the patterns clients will pay for later.
This isn’t a silver bullet, and it’s not simple, but it’s where real attention is moving. If you’re building SEO playbooks, start treating citation and extractability as first-class KPIs — your clients will thank you when they start showing up inside the answers people actually read.
Want to workshop how this framework fits a client? I’ll help sketch the first 90 days with you — reply and tell me one client vertical and we’ll map it out.
Also check out SEO in the Age of AI and AI Search Optimization Tactics for more insights.