Guides & field notes.
Plain-English writing on web design, SEO, local SEO, and AI search — from a team that actually does the work.
How search actually works.
Being cited by the answer engines.
AI search for small businesses: what actually matters
A plain-English primer on how clear answers, useful structure, credible sources, and crawlable pages support visibility in AI-assisted search.
What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)? A Practical Definition for 2026
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring web content so generative answer engines — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Claude, Gemini — can quote your page directly when they answer a user. This guide explains what AEO is, how it differs from traditional SEO, and the practical moves that get a small business cited.
What Is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)? The 2026 Field Guide
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of structuring web content so generative AI engines — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Claude, Copilot, Gemini — surface, summarise, and cite your page inside their answers. This field guide explains what GEO is, how the engines actually choose what to cite, and the practical moves that work in 2026.
AEO vs SEO: How They Differ, Where They Overlap, and What to Do First
AEO and SEO are not competing strategies. SEO ranks your page on a results list; AEO gets your page quoted inside an AI answer. This guide breaks down where they differ, where they overlap, and the practical sequencing for a small business in 2026.
GEO vs SEO: What Generative Engine Optimization Adds to the SEO Stack
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is what you ship on top of SEO so that ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Claude, and Gemini surface and cite your page. This guide explains the additional layer GEO adds, where it overlaps with SEO, and how to sequence the work.
AEO vs GEO: Two Disciplines, Two Engines, One Site
AEO and GEO are two names for almost the same discipline — the practice of getting your page surfaced and quoted by generative AI engines. This guide explains the small but real differences in scope, where each term lives in the industry, and how a small business should sequence the work.
How to Rank in ChatGPT: A Practitioner's Field Guide
Ranking inside ChatGPT means earning a citation in the assistant's synthesised answer. This field guide walks through the four-step framework — answer, structure, authority, distribution — that gets a small business cited.
How to Get Cited by Perplexity: A Practitioner's Field Guide
Getting cited by Perplexity means appearing in the citation set the assistant returns alongside its synthesised answer. This field guide walks through the four-step framework — answer, structure, authority, distribution — that wins those citations.
Best AEO Platforms in 2026: A Practitioner's Comparison
AEO platforms help small businesses measure, monitor, and improve how generative AI engines cite their pages. This roundup explains how to evaluate the category, names the platforms we have actually used, and flags where each fits best.
Best GEO Tools in 2026: A Practitioner's Comparison
GEO tools help small businesses measure, monitor, and improve how generative engines retrieve, rank, and cite their pages. This roundup names the categories, the tools we have actually used, and where each fits — without fabricating pricing.