“SEO,” “AEO,” “GEO” … if you’ve been trying to market your business online lately, you’ve probably memorized more than your fair share of acronyms. At some point it starts to feel like a very niche spelling bee.
Layer AI on top of that, and things get … noisy 🥴. One minute it’s “AI will replace everything,” the next it’s “just use it as a tool,” followed closely by someone asking you to “make this sound less like ChatGPT.” At the end of the day, we’re all just trying to do good work without side-eyeing our own sentence structure.
As someone in the creative industry, I’ve heard that first one all too often. Check out Wild Fig’s post, Why It’s Crucial To Humanize Your Brand in the Age of AI [+ 12 Ways To Do It] for a less cryptic take.
So, where do these acronyms meet AI? And why does it matter to you, a humble business owner who just wants to make sales?
For a moment, set aside how the website gets made — keyboard, microphone, robot assistant, or a triple-shot espresso at 7 a.m. Think about how AI is impacting the way your consumers find you.
This is exactly where AEO and GEO come into play.
Well, before we dive into that, let’s start with some definitions:
It’s important to understand that those answers aren’t being pulled out of nowhere. They’re stitched together from existing content — blogs, articles, websites, etc. — written by real people.
And, if you look closely, there are links woven into those summaries, pointing back to the original sources. When someone wants to dig deeper, those links are usually where they start.
Now that you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to optimize your website for AEO and GEO. The goal is simple: create the kind of content AI wants to pull from — no arm wrestling required. 💪
I get it, though. The second AI enters the chat, many of us mentally close our laptops and go for a walk. But this isn’t some looming takeover; it’s a tool. And like any good tool, it works best when you understand how it thinks.
Interested in learning about more marketing tools? Particularly those that live at the intersection of creativity and tech? 👉Introducing Loop Marketing: HubSpot’s Solution for Growth in the AI Era, or What HubSpot Smart Properties Can Do for Your Business
But do you want to know what’s funny? AI and humans aren’t that different when it comes to content preferences. (Plot twist, right?) Both are scanning for the same signals:
So, yes, there’s a strategy here, but it doesn’t need to feel like you’re learning how to manipulate some bizarre, alien species. It’s a human tool.
To optimize your website for AEO and GEO, here are four best practices worth building into your process:
I know, I know … another acronym off rip. I’m sorry!
Luckily, this one’s pretty intuitive. It stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Whether they’re human or AI, it’s basically your reader's way of asking: “Should we believe you?”
Most of this is probably already baked in. The trick is making it obvious enough that both people and AI can recognize it within seconds of landing on your page.
Don’t worry, that’s the last acronym for today. 😅
Image from giphy.com
Okay, so this one isn’t quiiiite as intuitive, but it still makes sense once you see it. Let’s take a look at this example from another of Wild Fig’s Blogs, ChatGPT vs Jamie Beebe: How AI Output Compares to the Work of a Content Writer.
It’s pretty obvious which one pulls you in, right?
The first example is longer, yes. But it gives you something. Context, texture, a reason to keep reading. The second one? I get to the end and feel like I’ve been handed a plate with cardboard on it. Maybe a garnish if I’m lucky. I’m still hungry, and honestly, a little confused.
Psst … true fans will know that’s not the first time I’ve used that analogy to explain “meat’s” role in AEO and GEO. Check out my other blog, Blogging in 2026: It’s Not Dead, but It Has Evolved, to see the OG reference.
AI is looking for substance it can pull from and serve to someone else. Not filler. Not vague summaries. Not recycled talking points. It leans toward content that feels complete on its own.
And yes, some people skim. They always will. But even skimmers are looking for substance — they just want to find it faster. If all they see is surface-level fluff, they’re gone.
AI tends to agree with them.
Whew, another easy one!
Actually, this one’s ridiculously easy. To optimize your website for AEO and GEO, just make your content easy to read. That’s literally it.
AI doesn’t have a brain of its own, so when it gives readers an answer, it’s spitting someone else’s words out. This means that when it’s searching the web for the best source to use, it chooses pages it can easily scan, chop, and summarize. The posts most likely to get pulled into an AI Overview are the ones that answer the question in the very first sentences, using short, clear statements.
In other words, don’t open your article with, “Once upon a time ...” Do something more like, “Here’s the answer, here’s why, here’s what to do next.” Be as straightforward as possible.
(And yes, I’m aware I didn’t follow my own advice here. I zigged when I should’ve zagged. Go forth and do better than me.)
Anywho, because AI is essentially extracting bite-sized snippets to build its overview, structure matters. Like, a lot. A few things that make your blog post easier for AI to scan and pull accurate info from:
(Hehe, see what I did there?)
At the end of the day, readability is one thing all readers — whether human, AI, or alien — can agree on.
Image from giphy.com
Freshness simply means you need to make sure you’re updating any time-sensitive topics. AI models want accurate information, so they scan for sources that regularly update their content.
(HA, see? I answered the question right away this time. I can learn!)
Your analytics can be surprisingly helpful here. Maybe a post you wrote months ago is suddenly picking up traction, or a keyword you used is having a moment in the spotlight. That’s your cue. Refresh the blog, tighten up the content, and republish. Let it work harder for you.
Keeping content current is already a solid best practice, AI aside. But there’s also a more technical upside: topical authority.
Topical authority just means you … well, you have authority on your topic. You write about it often. You connect related posts together. You build content clusters that say, “This is my turf now.” At a certain point, you’re not just participating in the conversation; you are the conversation. Or at least, a very persistent voice in it.
Here, a shameless self-plug thinly disguised as an example:
See? We’ve covered acronyms, the use of AI as a tool, and how to optimize your website for AEO and GEO before. The content is still useful, but since it was written a while ago, AI is a lot less likely to use it when it’s generating an AI Overview for today’s Googler.
So what do I do? I show up again. I revisit the topic, connect it back to existing posts, and keep building that web of related content. Little by little, that consistency signals that I’m still a source worth pulling from.
Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m not ditching search altogether. I’m just … using it a little differently.
AI helps you reach people before they even start clicking around. You’re not just trying to win a spot on a results page anymore; you’re trying to become a part of the conversation. The key is to optimize your website for AEO and GEO.
That way, when readers decide they want more than the quick version, your content is already positioned as the place they go next.
And no, AI isn’t lurking in the background trying to outwrite you like some overachieving intern. It’s actually looking for content that’s already doing a great job. The brands that explain things clearly, bring real substance, and post consistently are the ones getting picked.
So, if anything, this whole evolution leans into what good content has always been: educational, trustworthy, and relevant.
This all sounds great in theory … until you’re staring at your own blog, wondering where to start and how to keep up.
Let us swoop in and help. At Wild Fig Marketing, we’ve got two writers who are very into this whole AEO/GEO world. Like, “this is fun for us” kind of into it. We’ve heard those psychos compare this stuff to a game.
So if you’re ready to skip the learning curve, hand over the reins. Let us optimize your website for AEO and GEO. We’ve got you.
👇 But before you go — learn how your website currently holds up!
Click on the image below to use Wild Fig’s Free Website Grader for quick reference!
