AI Search / Citation guide
What do GEO and AEO mean for contractors?
Use this reference to understand AI-search terminology in a proposal or report. The labels don't establish a distinct service, a special ranking mechanism, or a guaranteed result.
The practical answer
The short answer
Use this reference to understand AI-search terminology in a proposal or report. The labels don't establish a distinct service, a special ranking mechanism, or a guaranteed result.
In this guide
- 01
Terms and the evidence they require
- 02
Separate the deliverable from the hoped-for result
- 03
A proposal example
- 04
Choose the next reference by the task
Use this reference to understand AI-search terminology in a proposal or report. The labels don't establish a distinct service, a special ranking mechanism, or a guaranteed result.
For the practical implications for contractor websites, read the separate AI-search guide. This page defines terms and the questions worth asking when they appear in a scope.
What do GEO, AEO, retrieval, and citations mean?
Different providers use these words differently. Ask what work and measurement a proposal actually includes.
| Term | Plain-English meaning | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| SEO | Work to improve useful discovery in unpaid search | Which pages, technical issues, and buyer questions will you work on? |
| AEO | A label for making material useful to answer experiences | How does this differ from the writing and SEO already included? |
| GEO | A label for work aimed at generative search experiences | Which platform and observed reporting are you referring to? |
| Citation | A linked source in an answer | Which exact URL appeared, for what prompt, and on what date? |
| Mention | A business name appearing in an answer | Was there a link, and was the description accurate? |
| Retrieval | A system obtaining information to help answer a question | Which source was retrieved, and can it be inspected? |
| Training | Using data to develop a model | Which provider control applies? This isn't the same as a search citation. |
What can an AI search service actually promise?
Rewriting a service page, fixing crawl access, and documenting an author are inspectable deliverables. A promise to 'own AI answers' isn't a defined acceptance criterion.
Ask for examples of completed work, source permissions, a clear implementation scope, and a reporting method with limits. A score from an unnamed tool doesn't explain whether the underlying pages became more useful.
Terms and the evidence they require
DewBwah. / A closer lookExample: reviewing an AI search proposal
If a proposal says 'add GEO schema to guarantee inclusion,' ask which schema type is needed, what visible content it represents, and what official platform guidance supports the guarantee. Don't add markup for claims the page can't support.
For Google, Google's generative-search guidance says special AI files and special schema aren't required. This reference doesn't apply that statement to every other provider.
Where can you learn more about AI search and SEO?
Read the contractor AI-search explanation for page-planning implications. Use the research and measurement workflow to record sampled answers.
If two proposals use different labels for the same page, content, and measurement work, compare the actual scope before paying for two overlapping programs.
Like what you're reading?
Choose DewBwah in Google's preferred-source settingsAvailability depends on Google's source selection. This doesn't guarantee placement in search.
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