Decoding AEO, SEO, GEO & LLM: The Future of Digital Marketing for Businesses

TL;DR

The way people search online is changing fast. It’s no longer just about Google’s blue links — it’s about being visible in AI answers, summaries, and conversations.

• SEO → Like a catalog that helps people find your business online.
  
• AEO → Makes search engines say your name in direct answers (snippets, AI overviews, voice).
  
• GEO → Gets your business featured in Google’s AI-driven summaries (SGE). Example: Glenroy Bakery ranking for wholesale bakery Melbourne.
  
• LLM → Ensures AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini recommend you in conversations.
  

👉 For small and medium businesses, keeping up with this is tough — but that’s where Double Bricks Digital comes in. We’ve already proven success.We handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on running your business, while we make sure customers always find you.

Introduction

Picture a massive bookstore. Shelves stretch endlessly. Thousands of books wait to be discovered. You know the kind of book you need — but unless the store has a smart system, finding it could take hours.
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This is exactly how search works online. Your business is one of millions of “books” in the digital library. The question is: When someone searches, can they find you quickly?
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The way people search is changing fast. It’s no longer just about Google’s “10 blue links.” It’s about being present in AI summaries, voice answers, and conversational tools.
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To understand how to stay visible in today’s digital landscape, we need to look at four pillars: SEO, AEO, GEO, and LLM. Let’s break each one down with a simple bookstore analogy.

1. SEO – The Catalog That Organises Everything

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the original system. It’s the catalog of the bookstore.

When someone asks, “Where are the Italian cookbooks?”, the librarian checks the catalog (keywords, metadata, backlinks) and directs them to the right shelf.

Without SEO: your book is lost in the back corner.
With SEO: it’s correctly catalogued, easy to locate, and more likely to be picked up.

Example in Action

Take Kalkallo Dentist. By optimising its website with the right keywords (“family dentist in Kalkallo”), structured headings, and other on-page and off-page elements, the clinic can appear at the top of Google for local search. In simple terms, SEO ensures your book isn’t just in the store — it’s actually findable.

2. AEO – The Assistant Who Gives Instant Answers

Now imagine you ask the assistant, “Who wrote Harry Potter?” Instead of pointing you to the fiction aisle, they immediately answer: “J.K. Rowling.”

That’s AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation).

Instead of only aiming for search results, you’re optimising for direct answers — in Google’s Featured Snippets, AI Overviews, or voice assistants like Siri and Alexa.

The Shift in User Behaviour

People increasingly phrase searches as questions:

“Which dentist is open near me right now?”
“What’s the best physio for sports recovery in Melbourne?”
“Which bakery supplies wholesale bread near Melbourne CBD?”

If your content is structured to answer these directly, search engines can surface your business first.

Subtle Example

Mickleham Physio updated its website with clear FAQs like “How long does sports injury recovery take?” and started appearing in quick-answer results for “sports physio Mickleham.”

AEO makes the assistant say your book’s name, not just point to the shelf.

2. GEO – Generative Engine Optimisation for Google SGE

Here’s where search is evolving most dramatically. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is about preparing your business for AI-driven summaries like Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience).

What Is Google SGE?

SGE is Google’s new search format that uses AI to generate summary answers at the top of the results page. Instead of only showing 10 links, Google provides an AI-written paragraph, then cites a handful of sources.

Example:
If someone searches “best flooring options for homes in Frankston”, SGE might display:

“Hybrid flooring and engineered timber are popular in Frankston because they balance style and durability. Local stores like Flooring Gallery Frankston provide these solutions.”

Notice the difference: instead of browsing results, the user sees a ready-made summary. And only a few businesses get mentioned.

Why GEO Is Crucial

Even if your site is ranking on page one, if you’re not included in the AI summary, you may be skipped altogether.

Example in Action – Glenroy Bakery

Glenroy Bakery, a wholesale bakery in Melbourne, is a perfect case study of GEO done right. By publishing content that directly answered questions like “Where can I find wholesale bakery suppliers in Melbourne?” and by structuring product and FAQ content in a conversational, AI-friendly way, the bakery achieved:

• Top 3 placement in Google’s Local Pack (Maps results)
• First-page ranking for “wholesale bakery Melbourne”
• Visibility inside AI-driven summaries where only a handful of businesses are mentioned.

This success shows how GEO ensures your book isn’t just on the shelf — it’s featured in the bookstore’s recommendation board at the entrance.

3.     LLM – The Super Librarian of the Future

Finally, imagine a librarian who has read every book in every library worldwide. When you ask a question, they don’t just pick one book — they summarise knowledge and explain it naturally.

That’s an LLM (Large Language Model) like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, or Claude.

The Big Shift

Search is no longer just about Google. People are asking LLMs:

“What’s the best skin treatment in Melbourne?”
“Which clinic offers non-surgical options near me?”
“What shopping centres in Adelaide have beauty services?”

If your website content isn’t LLM-friendly — clear, structured, and conversational — these AI systems may not recommend you at all.

What Helps Businesses Get Picked Up by LLMs?

• Content written in plain language • FAQs that mimic real user questions • Schema markup (structured data) that gives AI context • Building topical authority with multiple related blogs and pages Example: MH Clinics in Melbourne and Myer Centre Adelaide retailers can strengthen their chances by creating structured guides around treatments and services. When people ask AI tools for skin clinics or shopping options, LLMs will remember and recommend them. Think of LLMs as the super librarians of the future. They don’t just check the catalog — they summarise the entire library.

Flow of visibility:

SEO → AEO (direct answers) → GEO (AI summaries like SGE) → LLM (AI conversation layer)

Final Thoughts

Search is evolving at lightning speed. A decade ago, businesses only needed SEO. Today, that’s just the foundation.

• SEO makes your website discoverable.
  
• AEO positions you as the direct answer.
  
• GEO ensures Google’s AI summaries (SGE) include you by name.
  
• LLM optimisation prepares you for the future of AI-driven conversations.
  

For small and medium business owners, keeping up with all these trends can feel overwhelming. The truth is, you don’t have to. That’s where we come in.

At Double Bricks Digital, we act as your growth partner — handling the heavy lifting of SEO, AEO, GEO, and LLM so you don’t have to worry about complex technical terms or constant Google updates. We’ve already proven this approach works. For example, one of our recent blogs for a client — “Top 5 Flooring Trends in Frankston and Mornington (2025 Edition)” — is ranking inside Google’s AI Overview today.

This is what we do: turn fast-moving digital trends into real, measurable results for our clients. You focus on running your business, and we’ll focus on making sure customers can always find you — whether they’re searching in Craigieburn, ordering from a Melbourne bakery, booking a clinic appointment, or asking an AI tool late at night.

👉 Tie up with us, and let’s grow your business with the latest digital marketing technologies.