AEO and GEO explained for a Tupelo or Golden Triangle business owner

Answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO) target the AI summary that now appears above the blue links on most Google searches. The summary pulls from pages that answer one question completely, in a tight passage, with clean schema.

Practically, that means every important page on your site should have one block of 134 to 167 words that answers a specific buyer question. FAQ schema underneath. A self referencing canonical. The H1 should match how a real person asks the question.

For a roofer in Tupelo, the page targeting roof replacement should answer 'how much does a roof replacement cost in Tupelo, MS' as a single passage with a real price range, then expand from there. For a fence company in Starkville, the page should answer 'how long does a wood privacy fence last in north Mississippi' in the same shape.

Pages built that way get cited inside AI Overviews. Pages stuffed with keywords and stock copy do not.