LLMO vs SEO vs AEO vs GEO

The Evolution of Search Optimization

1997: SEO — Optimize for search engines
2018: AEO — Optimize for answer engines
2023: GEO — Optimize for generative engines
2024: LLMO — Optimize for all LLM interactions

Comparison

	SEO	AEO	GEO	LLMO
Focus	Search rankings	AI answers	Generative search	All LLM interactions
Target	Google, Bing	Voice assistants, AI search	AI-powered search engines	ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Academic backing	Decades of research	Limited	Princeton (KDD 2024)	Emerging
Framework	Well-established	Informal	Research-focused	LLMO Framework (5 components)
Scope	Web search	Narrow (answers only)	Narrow (generative search)	Broad (all LLM contexts)

The Relationship

LLMO includes approaches such as AEO and GEO, while extending beyond search to cover all contexts where LLMs interact with web content.

LLMO (all LLM interactions)
├── GEO (generative search engines)
│   └── AEO (answer-focused search)
└── Direct LLM queries (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.)
    └── RAG-based applications
    └── AI agents browsing the web