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GEO vs SEO vs AEO: what's the difference, and which one makes a store money?

SEO gets your pages ranked on Google. AEO (answer engine optimisation) gets your words used as the answer to a question. GEO (generative engine optimisation) gets your brand named when someone asks an AI assistant like ChatGPT what to buy.

For a Shopify store they share most of the groundwork. The difference is where you show up and how you see the money.

By the GEO team · Checked

The three side by side

SEOAEOGEO
Aims forA high spot in Google's resultsYour words quoted as the answerYour brand named in AI's recommendations
Shows up inGoogle and Bing resultsFeatured answers, voice assistants, AI OverviewsChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode
What helps mostFast pages, keywords, linksShort, direct answers in question and answer formClear product details, buying guides, and mentions on the sites AI quotes
How you see the moneyGoogle traffic and orders in ShopifyHard to see: answers often get no clickVisits and orders from AI assistants, tracked in Shopify

Where they overlap

All three reward clear, honest pages that answer real questions. A product page that says who it's for, what's in it, sizes and shipping helps Google and AI alike.

AEO and GEO are mostly the same work. People use the names loosely, so don't pay twice for them.

Where they split

Google shows ten links. An AI answer names a handful of brands and quotes a handful of sites, often roundups, retailers and Reddit threads. So for GEO, being mentioned on those outside sites counts as much as your own pages.

AI is also big now. Google says AI Overviews reach over 2.5 billion people a month, and Shopify's president said in February 2026 that orders from AI search were 15 times higher than in January 2025.

How to see the money from each in Shopify

  • ChatGPT adds utm_source=chatgpt.com to the links it shows, so those visits and orders can be counted.
  • Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Claude show up as the site the visitor came from.
  • Google AI Overviews and AI Mode can't be separated from normal Google traffic. Anyone who says otherwise is guessing.
  • GEO shows visits, orders and sales from AI assistants and from search engines side by side, from a small tracking code you paste into Shopify.

Which one to start with

  • Your site has technical problems or barely shows on Google: start with SEO.
  • Your site is fine, but AI names rivals for your buying questions: start with GEO.
  • You sell something people research before buying (skincare, supplements, gear): do GEO alongside your SEO, since those shoppers ask AI first.

Want us to do it for you?

GEO is A$1,000 a month, done for you, for 5 Australian Shopify brands. No lock-in, and a full refund if you're not happy after the first month.

Join the waitlist

Questions people ask

Is AEO the same as GEO?

Close enough. AEO is about being the answer; GEO is about being the brand AI recommends. The work overlaps so much that most people use the words for the same thing.

Does SEO still matter?

Yes. Google is still a big source of visits for most stores, and Google's AI answers are built on its own results.

Which one should a small store start with?

Check first. Ask ChatGPT the questions your shoppers ask, or use our free AI Visibility Checker. If AI never names you, GEO is the gap.

Sources

Other companies' prices and features were checked on 23 October 2026 and can change. Tell us if something is out of date and we'll fix it. GEO is not linked to any company named here.

Want to see if ChatGPT recommends your products? Try our free AI Visibility Checker.