SEO vs GEO vs AEO vs LLMO: Shifting Strategies, Not Names

The search landscape is shifting faster than most marketers can keep up with. With AI Overviews, LLMs, and new technology reshaping how people find and digest information, SEO is evolving. But instead of adapting strategies, many marketers are rushing to claim credit for rebranding SEO.

“Generative Engine Optimization”
“Answer Engine Optimization”
“Large Language Model Optimization”

These flashy labels might generate clicks and conversation, but they don’t really offer clarity. At VOLTAGE, we believe renaming SEO is not the same as rethinking it. What matters now is how we adapt to ensure we show up where our audiences are, not what acronym we use to describe our services.

The Race to Rebrand SEO

Our team has been fielding a lot of questions from clients and partners about new terms they’ve seen in suggested posts on LinkedIn or in cold emails. Marketers and agencies alike are coining new phrases to signal that they “get it” and are ahead of the curve. 

Here are some of the more common labels you’ve likely encountered by now:

• AI-Driven SEO: Refers to using generative tools to accelerate content production. Often prioritizes scale over substance.
• Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Implies optimizing for AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Still undefined in execution.
• Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): An evolution of featured snippet strategy, aimed at AI Overviews and voice search.
• Prompt Optimization / LLM Optimization (LLMO): Attempts to influence how large language models respond, often by manipulating language patterns.
• Semantic SEO 2.0: A rebranded approach to topical authority and entity-based structure. Often misapplied or misunderstood.
• AI-Augmented Content Strategy: Broad catchall for integrating AI into ideation and execution workflows.

Why are so many marketers trying rebrand to SEO?:

• Some want to control the conversation and have their names attached to the new nomenclature.
• Some folks are anxious about being left behind as AI shifts the SEO status quo. 
• Agencies and tool vendors are under pressure to package something new that sounds innovative.
• In many cases, marketers are promoting tactics they haven’t fully validated. Some of these approaches are already being outpaced by AI.
• There are folks focused on the future who have been able to read between the lines to identify industry trends and validate through testing and research. While these futurists do provide valuable insights into what may lie ahead, sometimes they don’t contextualize their messaging toward current search strategies.
  

The result is a lot of talk, but not always meaningful progress.

How to Win at SEO in an AI-First Landscape

SEO isn’t dead. What’s become outdated is the rigid playbook that once defined it. Winning today means pivoting from a narrow focus on rankings to a broader goal of achieving visibility across a growing and AI-influenced search ecosystem.

Here’s what actually matters now—and what you should do about it:

Focus on visibility, not just clicks
Zero-click search is now the default behavior in many cases. AI Overviews, featured snippets, and conversational search tools often answer queries without referring users to a website. This makes visibility in these experiences just as important as traditional rankings.

What to do:

• Use digital PR tactics to get trusted sources talking about your brand. LLMs tend to surface content from highly authoritative domains.
• Use structured data like FAQPage, HowTo, Product, and Article schema.
• Use conversational tones (if that aligns with your brand) that match how your audience talks to agents.
• Apply semantic HTML and clean heading structures to improve machine readability.
  

Create content that AI can’t replicate well
AI can summarize facts quickly, but it struggles with judgment, nuance, and authority. That’s your opportunity to stand out.

Prioritize:

• Product comparisons and buying guides that help with evaluation.
• Interactive calculators and tools that offer utility beyond text.
• Case studies, user insights, and original research.
• Content that anticipates objections and offers clear answers.
• Proprietary methods and expert commentary.

As mentioned previously, this strategy was already a key component of good SEO. If your content strategy revolves around information that AI can accurately produce, that content can be found on a hundred other websites. The golden age of churning out post after post of content defining industry terms, content that generated thousands of clicks and zero leads, is gone. 

It’s time to reallocate resources away from saturated top-of-funnel content. Informational queries like “what is” and “how to” are increasingly answered directly by AI. Rather than focusing heavily on these types of posts, concentrate on content that supports mid- and bottom-funnel decision-making.

Build visibility across new discovery channels
Search behavior has expanded. People discover brands on social media, forums, video platforms, and AI chat tools. 

Make sure your content appears where your audience is:

• TikTok and Instagram: These platforms have become search engines for younger users. If your audience is on TikTok and you’re not, you’re missing out on a valuable way to connect with them. No cap. Optimize your captions and voiceovers with keywords your audience is likely to use.
• Reddit and forums: Threads here are often cited in LLMs like Perplexity and Gemini. Most popular subreddits these days are filled with karma farmers (users who mass-post low-effort content so they can get sweet sweet internet recognition) or bots. There is a high chance that there is a subreddit out there related to your niche, so we recommend joining conversations with helpful, human, non-promotional responses.
• YouTube: Optimized video titles, descriptions, and transcripts increase discoverability both in YouTube search and across AI platforms that parse video content.

Track what really matters
Outdated metrics like keyword rankings and raw traffic don’t tell the whole story anymore. Shift your measurement approach to reflect modern search behavior.

Track:

• Visibility scores across multiple platforms using tools like Semrush or Moz.
• Whether your content is cited in AI-generated results or Overviews.
• Brand mentions across third-party ecosystems like Reddit or LinkedIn.
• CRM and revenue attribution.

Back to Blackhat (or What Not to Do)

Some marketers are reverting back to the dirty black hat SEO ways of the internet’s wild wild west. Some of these tactics include:

• Programmatically creating and publishing content at scale
• Keyword stuffing and text hiding
• Guest posting on irrelevant, high authority domains
• Doorway pages (pages created specifically for search queries or LLM inputs that have little value)

Tactics that rely on manipulation rather than value will inevitably be filtered out. Google has already begun penalizing low-quality, AI-generated content. Other AI platforms will follow suit. More importantly, these tactics erode trust with your audience and undermine your credibility as a source. You may win initially but manual actions are tough to come back from.

If you’re building content designed to trick machines instead of help users, you’re solving the wrong problem.

Stop Chasing the Label. Lead the Strategy.

You don’t need a new name for SEO to be effective in an AI-driven world. What you need is a strategy built around how people actually discover and trust content today.

Sure, a new or updated title or acronym might be adopted as search evolves. Much like how “online” and “internet” marketing eventually became most commonly known as “digital” marketing over the course of a few years.

Regardless, the brands that win will be the ones that:

• Create content that earns visibility across ecosystems
• Provide value that AI tools can’t synthesize easily
• Focus on clarity, utility, and trust

At VOLTAGE, we don’t chase algorithm loopholes or trend-driven rebrands. We build strategies that position brands for long-term, sustainable success. We work hard to maintain a healthy relationship of future focus, testing, and leading where search and AI are going, while also implementing what works now to help our clients and partners achieve ROI.

If you’re ready to adapt your SEO for a new era, we’re ready to help.