What CEOs Should Know About SEO, AEO, And Generative Search

“Why has my website traffic gone down?” 

“I’m still posting content regularly. Yet, why aren’t people coming to my website, like before?” 

These are the questions we’ve been hearing from C-Suite leaders.

We’ve seen a tech review site experience a sharp decline in its traffic, despite continuing to post about the latest products. So, why is this happening? To understand the answer to this question, let’s find out what’s happening behind the scenes.

Not everyone types your website URL directly and comes to your website. Most of them use keywords and queries on search engines to find your website and click on it. But the search experiences are evolving. It’s not just about search engines or typing something into these platforms. Search engines are starting to integrate Generative AI (GenAI) engines within their platforms, where users can ask questions, converse with the GenAI chatbot, and get responses. Users have even started to use pure GenAI-powered web browsers, where the GenAI component is integrated into every webpage, and users can leverage the AI power at every step.

As GenAI-powered search advances, many businesses continue to face challenges. They’re unsure why their website content isn't appearing in AI-generated summaries and AI conversations. They wonder how to optimise for a system that no longer just ranks links but synthesises answers. As James Cadwallader, CEO of Profound, put it in Forbes: “We’re entering this inflexion point where humans no longer need to visit websites on the internet...These systems are hijacking that relationship with the end user entirely.”

Content Optimisation Techniques

This shift demands a new AI Overviews strategy to rank in AI-driven search experiences. Businesses need to adopt the following content optimisation techniques to improve their website's search engine and generative search rankings.

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

To rank a webpage at the top of traditional search results, there are SEO practices. These include optimising keywords, meta tags, backlinks, page load speeds, mobile responsiveness, and structured data. The goal is to make it easy for search engines to understand your website and show it to people when they search using keywords.

• Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)

Conventional search engines have evolved to incorporate inputs from GenAI engines, providing more concise answers. To enable GenAI engines to consider a webpage and include it in those answers, there are AEO practices. It involves structuring content clearly, using schema markup, answering common user questions concisely, and ensuring factual accuracy. These steps help GenAI-powered search components extract and surface your content as a trusted answer source.

• Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)

With the AI boom of 2022 and the emergence of GenAI chatbots, GEO practices have evolved to enable GenAI engines to consider webpages within the conversational journey. It includes making content machine-readable, aligning with Large Language Models (LLMs) by providing context-rich and unambiguous information, and ensuring consistent brand tone and citations so GenAI systems can reference or recommend your content during conversational interactions.

Businesses must rethink how they structure and present information online. It's no longer just about ranking first, but about being included in AI-generated answers. It calls for a move beyond traditional SEO to embrace AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) and the emerging practice of GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), which focuses on making content easily discoverable and usable by generative AI models.

How AEO-Based Results Are Taking Centre Stage

The evolving search experiences call for a move in how businesses think about visibility and discoverability. It's no longer enough to optimise for traditional search rankings. Traditional search experiences have evolved into answer-seeking experiences, as user intent has shifted from merely seeking a set of results to finding a precise answer. Search engines are now primarily viewed as answer engines.

Considering the traditional search experience where SEO and AEO play a part, for most types of queries, AEO-based results appear at the top, preceding SEO-based results. In fact, nearly 60% of Google searches ended without a click according to a 2024 SparkToro study. But for some types of queries, SEO-based results still show up at the top, while AEO results go down. It’s all about hitting this sweet spot every time, while there would be fluctuations over time.

The rise of generative answers in search

The above screenshot illustrates how GenAI answers are displayed at the top of search results under a section called “AI Overview”. Generative AI in search engines was introduced by Microsoft in February 2023 and by Google in May 2023. Along the way, search engines have been experimenting with Generative AI and engineering it to various types of queries. The following is a screenshot showing that GenAI is experimental in its answer.

https://storage.googleapis.com/gweb-uniblog-publish-prod/original_videos/AI_Overviews_-_Complex_Questions.mp4

As part of the GenAI answer experience, search engines have been rolling out various capabilities in some locations, testing them, and deploying them in other places. For instance, Google provides an AI answer to a long search term in the United States, but not in India (as of July 2025). However, we also found that GenAI answers don’t always show up at the top. Below is an example of a recent search test (from a US location) where an SEO-based result precedes the AEO result. So, it’s constantly changing. There is no guarantee that the AI overview will always stay at the top for every search term.

AI Overviews impact by industry

AI handles specialised topics with ease. According to Search Engine Land, healthcare and education are approaching 90% query coverage. Meanwhile, e-commerce queries rarely show AI Overviews, and in fact, they have declined from 29% to 4%. Other industries that saw significant increases in AI Overviews in the last year:

• B2B tech grew from 36% to 70%.
• Insurance grew from 17% to 63%.
• Entertainment queries grew 2% to 37%.

It’s also interesting to note that AI overviews often appear at the top for real estate queries, but ads typically precede them.

https://videos.brightedge.com/assets/SGE-Guide/BrightEdge%20Report%20-%20AIO%20Overviews%20One%20Year%20Review%20Research%20Paper%20and%20Deep%20Dive%20.pdf

Here’s the latest breakdown of where AI Overviews rank, based on seoClarity’s research, which factors in SERP features excluding ads:

• 87.6% of AI Overviews appear in Position 1.
• 7.6% appear in Position 2.
• 2.8% appear in position 3.
• 2% appear in Position 4 or lower.

What AEO means to businesses

We spoke to Praveen Kumar, award-winning digital marketing strategist and Founder of Wild Creek Web Studio, to get his perspective on how AI is impacting search. “AEO is the next phase of evolution. It is about how you present the information using optimised headings, bullet points, FAQs, and good content,” he said.

AEO helps businesses get featured in AI-generated answers by making their content easy for AI systems to understand and trust. As search shifts from listing links to providing direct answers, businesses must adapt how they present information. Still, SEO remains essential, especially when AI overviews don’t appear or users seek detailed content.

SEO Might Be Trivial for the User Experience, But Not for Optimisation

With AEO-based results taking centre stage in the traditional search journey, there is a common misconception that SEO is fading away. But SEO remains relevant. Praveen reminds us that SEO cannot be neglected: “SEO is still the anchor. Without technical structure, nothing else scales - clear site architecture, internal linking, optimised titles, meta descriptions, schema, core web vitals, content depth, and strong backlinks are important.”

Below is an example where the SEO-based result precedes the AEO-based result.

Irrespective of the placement of SEO and AEO’s results, we found that SEO still plays a vital role in the GenAI answers. According to Surfer, 52% of sources mentioned by Google AI overviews rank in the top 10 results. In the example below, it can be seen that the GenAI engine has considered the SEO-ranked URLs to analyse the answers in its content and come up with an answer.

So, it’s not just essential to create content that answers questions. It is still necessary to optimise that content for search engines — with proper keyword intent, technical SEO, and content structure — a process that AI SEO services now enhance significantly, making it discoverable, crawlable, and trustworthy for both traditional ranking and GenAI-driven responses.

Praveen also encourages businesses to shift their SEO focus from vanity to visibility: “Keyword stuffing, over-optimisation, and ranking obsession are becoming obsolete in SEO. It’s important to focus on technical hygiene, content depth, internal linking, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) framework, and backlinks.”

What SEO and AEO mean to businesses

SEO and AEO help businesses stay visible in a changing search engine experience. Together, they make content more accessible to users. As users increasingly seek quick answers, businesses must now focus on optimising content, particularly for GenAI answers, to stay relevant and discoverable.

Bonus Tip: Aim for the top 6 spots

As part of standard SEO practices, we also found that aiming for the top 6 spots on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is beneficial. With AI overviews, featured snippets, and other enhancements, the number of direct results per page has decreased. Before these SERP enhancements came, search engines like Google used to display up to 10 direct results per page. So, it’s a good practice to avoid falling after the top 6 spots and landing on the 2nd page, as this decreases the chances of better website traffic.

GenAI’s Conversational Search Experience

“Brands are no longer what they say they are; they’re what AI says they are”, says Chris Andrew, CEO of Scrunch AI, in an AIM Media House article. Traditional search experiences are no longer the only way to find information on the internet. Generative AI engines are chatbots that offer conversational experiences distinct from those of conventional search experiences. With a deeper understanding of the requirements and multiple feedback, these chatbots provide personalised responses.

The screenshot below is an example of how Google has put “AI Mode” on its homepage. AI Mode is the GenAI engine feature that integrates generative AI directly into the search interface, allowing users to ask questions in natural language and receive synthesised, conversational answers alongside traditional search results.

Below is a screenshot of Google’s AI Mode showing a sample result. And it’s not just AI Mode in a single tab; users can also seamlessly switch back to traditional search results, in terms of text, images, videos, news, etc. Experts predict that Google might make AI mode the default tab in the future.

According to the research by Coherent, Fortune, Gartner Research, and Grand View Research, the AI search engine market is projected to capture 62.2% of total search volume by 2030. Even now, 62% of search queries still begin on traditional search engines, but complex queries are shifting quickly to GenAI chatbots.

https://infogram.com/ai-search-engine-market-growth-2020-2030-1h7v4pdkwjrmj4k

How GenAI is reshaping user behaviour and search expectations

1) It’s important to note that GenAI engines are designed to be conversation starters, aiming to assist users by engaging in conversation with them. Below is an example of how the word “hi” is perceived differently by the search engine and the GenAI engine.

The search engine components span across text, images, videos, maps, shopping, etc., and they show results retrieved from indexed content. On the other hand, the “AI Mode” part is the GenAI engine, which shows generated responses based on learned patterns, user intent, and conversations.

2) Here is an interesting point to note in the screenshot below. Google is slowly layering Gemini on top of Google Search, but not the other way around.

On Gemini's own interface (app or web), there is no way to return to Google Search, as Google aims to encourage users to start interacting with Gemini, understand what people think from their responses (which is not possible with traditional search), and indirectly train the GenAI engine, rather than just searching. On Gemini’s homepage, traditional Google Search is not promoted, because it’s seen as "the old way."

So, is Google slowly moving away from Search and moving to Gemini? Maybe. It could be a strategic move, and only time will tell. In the meantime, they’re not shutting down Google Search; they are gradually shifting user behaviour toward Gemini because:

• AI assistants represent the future of how people get answers.
• Gemini offers more engagement, keeping users within the ecosystem, compared to traditional search, and enables Google to compete with OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot, and other similar services.

What SEO, AEO, and GEO mean to businesses

For businesses, SEO, AEO, and GEO represent the three pillars of digital discoverability in an AI-driven world. SEO helps content rank in traditional search results, AEO ensures your content is surfaced in AI-generated answer boxes, and GEO focuses on making content usable by GenAI systems during conversational interactions. As Praveen reiterates, “SEO is the foundation. AEO is the next phase of evolution, and GEO is likely to be the future. We need to map intent across traditional search, answer boxes, and AI-driven summaries.”

Together, these optimisation methods redefine how businesses attract visibility, shifting from link-based discovery to answer-based and conversation-based engagement.

Comparative Insights Across SEO, AEO, and GEO

Now, let’s break down and compare SEO, AEO, and GEO to understand how each method supports visibility in different scenarios. Considering all these different types of content optimisation, we researched the various user journeys, user intentions, and the types of queries and keywords people use. We also examined the various GenAI tools and search engines people use to find information. Here’s what we found.

What Happens If We Ignore AEO and GEO

Wayne Lowry, CEO of Scale By SEO, emphasises a layered approach: “GEO feeds large-language models bite-size, citation-ready facts so your brand pops when ChatGPT spins a summary. Treat AEO and GEO as amplification layers on top of evergreen SEO.” So, ignoring AEO and GEO means you're optimising for a system that no longer defines the complete search experience. Here are some consequences of following just SEO and ignoring AEO and GEO.

1. Declining visibility across search channels

• Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are no longer just about direct links. They’re layered with AI Overviews, Featured Snippets, PAA, and other dynamic elements.
• If you only focus on traditional SEO and ignore AEO, your content may not appear in AI-generated answers, even if it ranks on page one.
• If you ignore GEO, your content won’t show up in conversational GenAI journeys, such as in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Mode, all of which are rapidly growing entry points for discovery.

Impact: Your brand becomes invisible in AI-led discovery moments.

2. Reduced traffic and conversions

• The AI Overview often answers the query at the top of the SERP without the user ever needing to click a link (zero-click search).
• If your content isn’t referenced in that AI-generated response, you won’t even be part of the user’s consideration set.
• Even worse, GenAI chatbots may never reference your content if it’s not structured for AEO or mapped to natural language patterns used in GEO.

Impact: Lower click-through rates (CTR), fewer leads, and missed opportunities for engagement.

3. Missing out on GenAI feedback loops

• GenAI tools learn from how users interact with content. If you don’t optimise for conversational formats, your content won’t become part of that training cycle.
• It means GenAI platforms may not evolve to surface your content over time, regardless of its accuracy.

Impact: Your brand gets excluded from the future of AI-driven knowledge graphs.

4. Obsolete metrics and misleading KPIs

• Sole reliance on CTRs, impressions, or bounce rate ignores how GenAI tools drive brand recall without direct clicks.
• Not tracking AI mentions, visibility in AI-generated summaries, or conversational visibility means you’re flying blind in the modern attention economy.

Impact: You may think your strategy is working, while your relevance is quietly fading.

Why should Businesses Consider SEO, AEO, and GEO

The search experience is constantly evolving to provide the best user experience. However, we’ve found that none of the content optimisation methods becomes obsolete. Each of them supports the other, and they’re also helpful for different user experiences. For example, a user might start on Google, ask a follow-up in AI Mode, validate on Perplexity, and finally land on a website.

Suppose your content isn’t referenced and optimised at every step. In that case, it won’t be visible to search engines and GenAI engines, and the content will be excluded from the information discovery process. A hybrid approach, supported by AI SEO services, is the best when it comes to optimising content for search engines and GenAI engines.

Josiah Roche, Fractional CMO at JRR Marketing, adds: “SEO sets the foundation. AEO makes content show up in modern search interfaces. GEO makes it work in AI-driven spaces where there’s no clickthrough at all. The landscape is shifting from ranking pages to feeding systems that generate answers.”

With the AI search engine trend gaining momentum and every search engine integrating its GenAI engines as standalone components, we need to adopt an AI-led strategy to help clients make their content easily discoverable. We need to gradually incorporate the AEO and GEO focus into our new content and realign our existing content with AEO and GEO practices. It helps to transform businesses from simply chasing clicks to building an enduring digital presence in a world where AI curates the information users see.

Praveen advocates for a balanced approach, not a replacement: “Businesses need to layer AEO and GEO into their SEO workflows. While SEO is the foundation, AEO and GEO are extensions — designed to help you adapt to how people (and machines) discover content today.”

Bonus Tip: Stay Ahead with Conversational Content

As we look ahead, the boundaries of what counts as "optimised content" may expand even further. GenAI systems are not static; they evolve based on user interactions, contextual cues, and emerging content formats. In fact, AI engines may increasingly look out for micro-conversational content on websites for their authenticity and user intent signals, compared to traditional static content.

So, make sure to embed short, dialogue-style content snippets, such as FAQs, expert Q&As, and conversational headers within your pages to align with how GenAI interprets and engages with information. Also, don’t overlook the value of user-generated comments on your website. They can provide natural language context, diverse perspectives, and real-world use cases that GenAI systems can use to assess credibility, sentiment, and topical depth. These conversational layers can serve as powerful signals for inclusion in AI-generated answers.

A Unified Approach to Content Optimisation

It’s not enough to recognise the shift from SEO to AEO to GEO. What matters is how we respond to it. We need to operationalise our approach through frameworks that ensure our content remains discoverable, referenced, and resilient across traditional search engines and GenAI platforms alike. Here’s what future-proofing looks like in practice:

Adaptive content structuring

Rather than creating separate assets for search engines and GenAI platforms, we need to design engaging content that adapts across formats. This includes clear topic hierarchies, contextual relevance, question-based subheadings, and conversational cues that AI can easily parse and understand.

Cross-engine discovery strategy

A single query may now be answered by multiple engines across modalities — from a Google search to a ChatGPT conversation. Your strategy should ensure that content is visible, reliable, and referenced, regardless of where the journey begins.

Feedback loops with AI

As conversational AI becomes a dominant discovery tool, we need to track how these engines surface and reference content closely. By analysing the responses and prompts over time, we need to identify patterns that inform ongoing content improvements.

Metrics beyond clicks

As the web becomes increasingly AI-driven, traditional KPIs such as CTRs and bounce rates may no longer tell the whole story. We need to track the visibility in GenAI responses, mentions in AI-generated summaries, and gather qualitative feedback from AI interactions for a more holistic understanding of digital presence and user engagement.

Ultimately, the convergence of SEO, AEO, and GEO isn’t just a passing trend and marks the beginning of a unified search and content ecosystem. At Vajra Global, we’re not just observing this shift; we're actively participating in it. As an AI-powered search optimisation agency, we’re helping clients navigate it with data-backed strategies, AI-aware optimisation, and future-ready conversational content.

In a world where users look to the search engines and converse with GenAI chatbots like they would with people, we at Vajra Global help brands become part of that experience.

Author

Nithya Pillai

Head - MarOps

Nazim Akthar

SEO Analyst

Raymond Praveen

Content Lead