The Microsoft Advertising team released a new PDF guide named "From discovery to influence: AEO A guide to and GEO." This guide offers "Practical data strategies to empower retailers for AI search, AI assistants and AI browsers."
The guide says, "AI-driven shopping is transforming discovery and purchase journeys. Traditional SEO focused on clicks; now Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) determine visibility in LLM-powered ecosystems."
It defines Answer/Agentic Engine Optimization (AEO): As "Optimizes content for AI agents and assistants (like Copilot or ChatGPT) so they can find, understand, and present answers effectively."
And it defines "Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): As "Optimizes content for generative AI search environments (like LLM-powered engines) to make it discoverable, trustworthy, and authoritative."
It says "If SEO focused on driving clicks, AEO is focused on driving clarity with enriched, real-time data. GEO helps establish credibility through authoritative voice." And then shares how searches differ:
- SEO: “Waterproof rain jacket”.
- AEO: “Lightweight, packable waterproof rain jacket with stuff pocket, ventilated seams and reflective piping”.
- GEO: “Best-rated waterproof jacket by Outdoor magazine, no-hassle returns allowed for 180 days, three year warranty, 4.8 star rating”
This reminds me of when the Microsoft Advertising blog spoke about how to optimize for AI Search - in terms of some of the advice posted in this PDF.
You can download the PDF over here.
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