AIO and GEO: AI optimization and generative engine optimization
When people ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Google “which is the best … near me?”, the AI writes one answer and names a few businesses. AIO and GEO help make sure your business is one of them, described correctly.
Updated 7 November 2026 · By the Doondo team
In short
- AIO = AI optimization: making your website technically ready for every AI-powered search, including Google AI Overviews and AI Mode.
- GEO = generative engine optimization: preparing your business information so AI assistants can find, trust and cite it.
- It covers ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Microsoft Copilot.
- It builds on SEO: AI tools still read websites, so a fast, clear, well-structured site comes first.
- At Doondo, AIO and GEO are part of our SEO service, with no separate fee: plans from ₹999 a month, in every Indian language.
What is generative engine optimization?
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of shaping your website and your presence across the web so that AI systems that generate answers, instead of listing links, choose your business as a source and describe it accurately. The term comes from a 2023 research paper by a team that included researchers from Princeton University and IIT Delhi, “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization”, which showed that how content is written and supported changes how often AI answers use it.
GEO and AEO (answer engine optimization) describe almost the same goal. AEO is the older name, from voice assistants and featured snippets; GEO is the name most people now use for ChatGPT-style answers.
What is AIO (AI optimization)?
AI optimization (AIO) is the wider work of getting your business ready for search that is powered by AI. It covers the technical side: letting AI crawlers read your site, keeping pages fast and error-free, adding structured data and an llms.txt file, and making sure Google can use your pages in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Some people also use “AIO” as short for “AI Overviews optimization”; at Doondo it includes both.
AIO and GEO work together. AIO makes your website easy for AI systems to read; GEO makes your content and reputation strong enough for them to choose and recommend you. One without the other leaves a gap.
Why AIO and GEO matter for Indian businesses
- Fewer clicks, more answers. Google shows AI Overviews above the usual results for many questions, and many people now ask ChatGPT or Gemini directly. If the answer does not mention you, the customer may never see your website.
- AI names only a few businesses. A search page shows ten results; an AI answer often recommends two or three. Being one of them matters more than ever.
- Indian-language questions are growing. People ask in Malayalam, Hindi or Tamil, often typed in English letters (“Kannur-il nalla dental clinic ethaanu?”). Few businesses have clear pages in these languages, so the ones that do stand out.
How AI assistants decide which businesses to mention
Each AI tool works differently, but they share common habits:
- They must be able to read your site. AI crawlers such as OAI-SearchBot (ChatGPT search), PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot and Googlebot need access. A blocked or very slow site is invisible.
- They prefer clear, direct answers. A page that answers “how much does X cost in Kannur?” in its first lines is easier to quote than a page full of slogans.
- They check facts across sources. Your name, address, phone, services and prices should match on your website, Google Business Profile, Justdial, social pages and directories.
- They trust evidence. Specific numbers, dates, named sources and real customer reviews make content more believable; the Princeton study found that adding statistics, quotations and citations made content noticeably more visible in AI answers.
- They understand structure. Schema markup (structured data) tells machines exactly what your business is, where it is, what it offers and what customers ask.
- They use fresh information. Pages with clear “last updated” dates and current prices are safer for AI to repeat.
How Doondo does AIO and GEO
- AI-crawler access check (AIO). We make sure robots.txt, your hosting and firewalls let the important AI crawlers read your site, and we add an
llms.txtsummary file. - Entity clean-up. One consistent name, address, phone, hours and service list across your website, Google Business Profile and major Indian directories.
- Structured data. Organization or LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ, Product, Review and Breadcrumb schema, checked for errors.
- Answer-first content (GEO). FAQ sections and service pages that answer real customer questions in the first two lines, with prices, areas served and proof.
- Evidence. Real numbers (years in business, customers served, delivery times), named sources and genuine reviews, never invented ones.
- Every Indian language. Key pages in the languages your customers ask in, including Manglish-style searches.
- Daily technical checks. Our AI checks your website at 5 AM every day for speed, errors and broken pages, so AI crawlers always find a healthy site.
- Monthly review. We look at how AI assistants describe your business and your competitors, and fix what is missing or wrong.
SEO, AIO, AEO and GEO compared
| SEO | AIO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in search results | Make your site ready for AI-powered search | Be the direct answer (snippets, voice) | Be named and cited in AI-written answers |
| Where | Google, Bing results | Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Bing Copilot, AI crawlers | Featured snippets, voice assistants | ChatGPT, AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot |
| Main levers | Keywords, speed, links | Crawler access, speed, schema, llms.txt | Question-and-answer content | Clear facts, structure, evidence, consistency |
| Measured by | Rankings, clicks | Appearances in AI Overviews, AI crawler visits | Snippet wins | Mentions and citations in AI answers |
They work best together. Doondo runs SEO, SEM, AIO, AEO and GEO as one service.
A quick AIO and GEO checklist you can do today
- Search your business name in ChatGPT and Gemini. Is the description correct?
- Check that your Google Business Profile has the right category, hours, photos and at least a few recent reviews.
- Add a short FAQ to your main service page that answers price, location and timing questions.
- Make sure your phone number and address are written the same way everywhere.
- Put a “last updated” date on pages with prices.
- Get a free AI visibility check from Doondo to find technical problems.
Frequently asked questions
What is GEO (generative engine optimization)?
GEO is the work of making your business easy for AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Google AI Overviews to find, understand, trust and mention when they write an answer.
What is AIO (AI optimization)?
AIO is the technical side of AI search: making sure AI crawlers can read your website, that it is fast and error-free, and that it has structured data and an llms.txt file, so Google AI Overviews, AI Mode and other AI tools can use your pages.
Is GEO different from SEO and AEO?
SEO helps you rank in the list of search results. AEO and GEO help AI tools use your information inside their written answers. GEO builds on good SEO: the same fast, crawlable, well-structured website is the starting point for both.
How long does GEO take to show results?
Technical fixes such as allowing AI crawlers and adding structured data can be picked up within weeks. Being mentioned regularly in AI answers usually takes a few months, because AI tools also learn from reviews, listings and other websites that mention you.
Can anyone guarantee that ChatGPT will recommend my business?
No. Nobody controls AI answers, and any agency that guarantees a position in ChatGPT is not being honest. What GEO does is make correct, clear and well-supported information about you easy to find, which makes accurate mentions much more likely.
Does GEO work for Malayalam and other Indian languages?
Yes. People increasingly ask AI assistants in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and other Indian languages, often typed in English letters. Doondo publishes clear pages in the languages your customers use, so AI tools have good material to answer them with.
Is GEO included in Doondo plans?
Yes. GEO is part of Doondo's SEO service, with no separate fee. Plans start at ₹999 a month and every plan includes all supported Indian languages. You can start with a free website check to see what needs fixing.