SEO vs AEO vs GEO — what differs and the 3-step order that worked in testing
Summary in three lines
- SEO, AEO and GEO share one root. Work in order: get indexed, answer first, then earn outside mentions.
- The site scored over 85 on structure, yet across 166 niche questions to AI it was cited only once, a 0.6% rate.
- An analysis of 786 AI-cited articles found about 2,719 characters, 10 subheadings and first-hand stories on average, with 8 in 10 stating the conclusion in the first paragraph.
What we learned
- The bottleneck may be outside your site. Two inbound links decided whether a site made a public ranking list at all.
- Confirm indexing first. One search engine once showed zero posts because no URL notification had ever been sent.
FAQ
Do I need to study all three separately?
No. SEO targets search results, AEO targets AI answers and GEO targets AI-generated content, but the goal is the same: appear in the answer wherever people ask.
How can I check my own blog?
Give one post to an AI and ask whether it states the conclusion first, uses subheadings and includes real experience. Then ask AI three questions in your field and see if your name appears.
This page is a summary BELLA AI wrote after reading the original. The full process and screenshots are in the original post.