What's the difference between AEO and GEO?

AEO optimises for voice and conversational answers (Cortana, Copilot voice, Siri, Alexa). GEO optimises for cited answers in generative search results. They overlap heavily — both need clean Q&A structure and schema.

How do I optimise for voice?

Write in a conversational, question-answer format. Use natural-language phrases people actually say. Keep answers concise (30-50 words is a good target). Add FAQ schema.

Does zero-click hurt traffic?

It shifts value from click volume to brand mentions and citations. Businesses that adapt build durable AI-search authority; businesses that resist see traffic decline as more queries get answered directly.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Explained

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring content so voice assistants and conversational AI can extract clean, spoken-friendly answers. On the Microsoft side, that means Cortana, Copilot voice, and Bing Chat’s conversational responses — all covered under our GEO / AI Search Optimization service.

AEO overlaps heavily with GEO but has its own specific requirements. Here’s what matters.

AEO vs GEO — the practical difference

AEO targets voice and conversational interfaces. Answers need to sound natural spoken aloud. Length matters — 30-50 words is the sweet spot for a voice response.
GEO targets generative-search citations. Answers can be longer, and are quoted with visible attribution. (New to the concept? Start with what is Generative Engine Optimization.)

Both share:

Question-first content structure
FAQ / QAPage schema
Direct-answer paragraphs
Strong entity signals

The key AEO-specific practice: write answers as you’d say them out loud. Awkward SEO-style syntax breaks voice output. Natural conversational phrasing wins.

Voice search patterns

Voice queries differ from typed queries in three ways:

Longer. Average voice query is 4-8 words; typed is 2-4.
More conversational. “Where can I find a Bing SEO agency near Solaris Dutamas” vs. “bing seo agency KL”.
More question-shaped. Voice users ask “who”, “where”, “how”, “when” more than typed users.

Optimise for the natural-language phrasing, not just the keyword.

Zero-click behaviour

Voice and conversational search are inherently zero-click for many queries. The user gets an answer, done. That’s not a threat if you build for it — brand authority and citation coverage become the metrics that matter.

For informational queries, expect click volume to trend down over time. For transactional queries (“book a Bing SEO audit”), clicks stay strong because the user still needs to complete a booking.

Question-based content

Structure your priority content pages around real questions:

Use questions as H2 headings (“How does IndexNow work?” not “IndexNow Overview”)
Answer directly in the first sentence of each section
Support the answer with detail in the following paragraphs
Add FAQ schema to make the Q&A structure machine-readable

Implementation checklist

Restructure top 10 pages with question-based H2 headings
Add direct-answer paragraphs (30-50 words) immediately after each H2
Deploy FAQ / QAPage schema on Q&A sections
Rewrite meta descriptions in conversational tone
Update your business description on Bing Places with natural-language phrasing
Optimise landing pages for local voice queries (“Bing SEO agency near [neighbourhood]“)

Local voice search

For local businesses, AEO is especially valuable. Cortana and Copilot voice queries like “where can I get [service] near me” or “who does [service] in [neighbourhood]” pull from Bing Places listings. Making sure your Bing Places for Business listing is complete, current, and voice-friendly is table stakes.

See our Local SEO for Bing service for the Bing Places setup, or book a free audit to check your AEO readiness.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for Voice & Conversational Search