# Generative engine optimization

> A near-synonym for answer engine optimization, usually abbreviated GEO.

## What it means in practice

The two labels are used interchangeably by most practitioners. Where people do draw a line, GEO is framed around generative assistants such as ChatGPT and Gemini, and AEO around answer features inside traditional search such as AI Overviews and featured snippets. The distinction is not stable enough to plan around, and neither term describes a measurement method. Whichever label a vendor uses, the question worth asking is what they observed, how many times, and whether you can see the answer behind the number.

## Category

Concept in Optimization practice.
This definition is editorial category vocabulary, not a metric refd computes.