What the Heck Are AEO and GEO—and Why Haven’t We Heard of Them? – www.hastingsstargazette.com
“We built Spave to turn everyday spending into social impact—no extra decision-making, no change in behavior. But here’s the honest truth: we’re bootstrapped and spunky—turning micro-amounts into meaningful impact with every swipe—yet, the internet barely notices us.
SEO used to be our fallback. Until we realized the fallback’s on its way out. Now, AEO and GEO are writing the rulebook—and we’re about to learn it. Let us tell you what they actually mean, why they’re relevant—and how we’re figuring them out, one blog post at a time.”
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The classic playbook—keyword strategy, backlinks, technical polish—to rank well in Google or Bing listings.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): Tailors your content to pop up directly in AI assistant answers—think concise FAQs, conversational Q&A, schema markup. It’s about being quoted, not just indexed.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): A step up—ensures your content is citable in AI-generated responses (a.k.a. getting “remembered” by LLMs). It’s not just being found; it’s being included in the narrative.
SEO still matters—especially when someone is searching directly for “Spave app” or “social giving platform.” But we’re a lean, mission-first startup with cooler things to build than endless backlinks.
AEO and GEO unlock new distribution: Imagine AI chatbots (like ChatGPT or Gemini) serving up:
“Spave lets you give while you spend—with every transaction supporting causes you care about.”
That’s trust. That’s exposure—without ad spend.
**Structured Q&A Sections**
Example:
Q: “How does Spave turn spending into giving?”
A: “Each time you spend, Spave links a portion to a goal automatically—empowering impact with no extra effort.”
Schema Markup (FAQ / Q&A)
Developers: this is approachable with plugins or a few lines of code—boosts AI readability and citation.
Brand Mentions & Community Signals
Ask your team to post on fintech slack channels, community forums, or as guest commentary—every mention helps build the “brand authority” LLMs look for.
Post Title: “How Spave Makes Every Spend a Chance to Save and Give”
We structure it with clear headers, bullet Q&A, and schema. Then we monitor:
Does ChatGPT or Gemini reference our content in answers?
Do branded searches or app sign-ups tick up?
That’s our first experiment—lightweight, but high-ROI if it works.
“We bribed developers with pizza to add FAQ schema—worth every cheesy byte.”
Because guess what? It’s not only effective—it’s fun, collaborative, and tangible. No S-E-O lingo needed, just a clear purpose: make AI like us.
SEO gives us foundational visibility for search-savvy users.
AEO ensures we show up in direct AI answers (zero clicks, full impact).
GEO helps us enter the generative AI narrative itself—being cited, not just searched.
Layering all three means even lean mission-driven startups like Spave can be visible, trusted, and discoverable in the brave new world of AI-first search.
Fix that schema markup with the Dev Team (pizza may or may not be required—up to you).
Help us track AI mention metrics (AI mentions in ChatGPT responses, branded search volume, referral traffic).
Let’s draft the next post—maybe: “Why We Don’t Just Blog—we Q&A.”
If you’re a SaaS or startup leader wondering where to start, you don’t have to do it in isolation. SEO builds the foundation. GEO is the next chapter. Together, they’re how your brand gets seen. Passing on this now is like ignoring the rise of mobile a decade ago—you won’t feel it right away, but you’ll wake up playing catch-up.
Our friends at O’Rourke Media Group specialize in helping mission-driven brands adapt to shifts in digital discovery. From SEO audits and technical fixes to building GEO-friendly playbooks, they’re proving that even lean startups can stand out in search and in the generative AI era.
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