Although the debate over SEO versus AEO/GEO continues, there are signs that a consensus is emerging.
The debate about AEO/GEO centers on whether it’s a subset of SEO, a standalone discipline, or just standard SEO. Deciding on where to plant a flag is difficult because every argument makes a solid case. There’s no doubt that change is underway and it may be time find where all the competing ideas intersect and work from there.
The Case Against AEO/GEO
Many SEOs argue that AEO/GEO doesn’t differentiate itself enough to justify being anything other than a subset of SEO, sharing computers in the same office.
Harpreet Singh Chatha (X profile) of Harps Digital recently tweeted about AEO / GEO myths to leave behind in 2025.
Some of what he listed:
- “LLMs.txt
- Paying a GEO expert to do “chunk optimization.” Chunking content is just making your content readable.
- Thinking AEO / GEO have nothing in common with SEO. Ask your favourite GEO expert for 25 things that are unique to AI search and don’t overlap with SEO. They will block you.
Saying SEO is dead. “
The part about LLMs.txt being a myth is rooted in the fact that no AI search engine currently uses the markdown. SEOs and publishers cannot be trusted with a separate markdown for AI because let’s be honest, we all know it will be manipulated for AI ranking, forcing AI search to check it against the regular HTML content, undermining any convenience inherent in markdown files.
Another reason for the anti-GEO backlash is that there is a small but loud group of pro-GEO/AEO agencies and individuals who have very little experience with SEO pushing solutions that are, at best, just SEO and, at worst, spammy tactics. It’s not lost on the SEO community that some of the loudest voices are fresh out of college and have zero experience.