By the Third Eye Marketing team · Updated 14 October 2026 · 6 min read
The short answerSEO is ranking in Google’s results. AEO (answer engine optimization) is being the direct answer in AI Overviews, featured answers and voice search. GEO (generative engine optimization) is being cited and recommended inside ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity answers. For a local business most of the work overlaps: accurate data, answer-first pages, genuine reviews and consistent listings.
Why there are three terms
Customers used to type a search and click a blue link. Now many get an answer without clicking: an AI summary at the top of Google, or a recommendation from an assistant such as ChatGPT. BrightLocal’s 2026 survey found 45% of US consumers had used ChatGPT or another AI tool for a local business recommendation in the past year, up from 6% the year before. The industry created new labels for optimizing for those answers.
The definitions
| Term | What it means | Where you win |
|---|
| SEO | Earning a high position in search results. | Google Search and Maps results pages. |
| Local SEO | SEO for people searching near them. | The map pack and “near me” searches. |
| AEO | Being the direct, concise answer to a question. | AI Overviews, featured answers, voice assistants. |
| GEO | Being named and cited in generated answers. | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude. |
Where they overlap
The foundations are shared. A business that has a complete Google Business Profile, consistent name, address and phone number everywhere, a fast website that answers customers’ questions directly, structured data, and a steady flow of recent genuine reviews is better placed in all three. Treating them as three separate projects usually means paying three times for the same fixes.
What genuinely differs
- SEO leans on technical health, relevant content and links.
- AEO leans on short, direct answers near the top of the page, FAQ markup and clear headings.
- GEO leans on being present and consistent on the sources assistants draw from. In BrightLocal’s August 2026 study of AI local citations, Google Business Profile accounted for 28.6% of citations and Yelp 9.5%; for restaurants specifically, Google Business Profile was 45%, Yelp 22%, TripAdvisor 7% and OpenTable 6.6%. That study covered the US, UK and Australia, not Canada, so treat it as directional here.
What to do first
Fix the facts
One accurate name, address, phone number, hours and category set, identical on your site, Google profile and main directories.
Write answer-first pages
Put the direct answer to each common customer question in the first sentence, then the detail. Mark up the FAQ.
Earn recent reviews
Ask every happy customer and reply to every review. Volume and recency matter to people and to AI.
Let crawlers in and measure
Check robots.txt does not block assistants, then track the trend. Run our free visibility check.
What not to believe
Nobody can guarantee a position in an AI answer. Answers change with the person asking, their location and history, the wording and the day. Be wary of anyone who promises “number one on ChatGPT”. We explain how we measure instead on how we measure AI visibility.
Sources
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, published 11 February 2026 (1,002 US adults).
- BrightLocal, AI directory sources study, 26 August 2026 (US, UK and Australia; 60,970 checks across Google AI Overviews, AI Mode and ChatGPT; Canada was not covered).
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