When we launched our AI optimization strategy over 2½ years ago, the search engine industry was struggling with what to call this newfangled thing. It didn’t help that the new AI platforms kept changing how they referred to themselves.
Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) led some to talk about Generative Experience Optimization (GEO) which also led to GEO gaining traction for Generative Engine Optimization. But then, after over a year of being in testing mode, Google launched SGE with a new name – AI Overviews – and the AIO acronym for AI Optimization gained some traction.
Then there was some push back on using AIO as a generic acronym that was tied to Google. Answer Engine Optimization – or AEO – got some favor as it expanded beyond the Google connection.
Two and a half years and we still don’t have industry consensus on what to call optimizing for AI engine citations. Neither GEO, AEO, AIO, nor DBE’s original coinage, SAIO.
We went with SAIO – Search AI Optimization – from the start for a couple reasons.
- We foresaw the impact these AI models would have on traditional search behavior.
- We developed our AI search optimization best practices as an extension of our SEO services. We preferred to keep the “S is for Search” value first.
Regardless of the name kerfuffle, the search community is increasingly aligning on one thing we’ve said from the beginning and have proven over time: AI optimization best practices are interconnected with SEO best practices.
Perhaps Rand Fishkin was right when he said maybe the collective industry “we” shouldn’t worry about what acronym we use for AI optimization and simply say we do SEO for AI. The idea being optimizing for AI is a subset of SEO which is a subset of digital inbound marketing.
We at DBE are okay with that. We’re okay if you or company prefers AEO, AIO, GEO, SAIO, or something else.
After all, it’s not the name that drives the success.
