SEO, AEO and GEO: what should a business owner pay for?
Ask what the provider will investigate, change and measure. The label matters less than whether the work helps customers find the right information and decide whether to enquire.
| Label | Typical focus | Ask to see |
|---|---|---|
| SEO | Visibility in search and usefulness of landing pages | A page or search issue, supporting evidence and a fix |
| AEO | Clear answers to questions people ask | The question, the revised answer and its source |
| GEO | How generative search describes or cites a business | Recorded prompts, answers, citations and interpretation |
There is overlap. Accurate service details and useful explanations help people regardless of where they discover you. Google says its AI search features build on ordinary Search requirements and SEO practices. That guidance describes Google, so it shouldn't be used as a technical specification for every assistant.
Compare the deliverables
A useful scope names the pages and questions, records what is actually observed and explains what will happen after a change. Ask whether two proposed services charge for the same research or rewrites. For AI testing, ask whether a mention, a citation and an accurate recommendation are counted separately.
Run a simple recommendation check or see how I scope SEO and AI visibility work.