HubSpot uses the name AEO for its product and its research, and calls AI tools “answer engines” (HubSpot). Similarweb treats AEO and GEO as close relatives, both a layer on top of SEO, and notes that experienced SEO people still argue about whether they differ at all (Similarweb).
For a software company, the difference doesn’t matter. What matters is whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews name your product when a buyer asks for a tool like yours, and how often.
If someone sells you AEO, ask how they’ll measure it. AI answers change every time. In one test of about 3,000 runs, the same list of brands came back twice less than once in 100 tries (Search Engine Land). So a fair report counts how often you’re named across many answers. It doesn’t give you a made-up position.
Sources
Every number here links to where it came from. We checked each source on 6 Nov 2026.
HubSpot HubSpot's research on buyers who use AI search
hubspot.com Checked
Similarweb AEO vs GEO
similarweb.com Checked
Search Engine Land SparkToro and Gumshoe's study of how often AI recommendation lists repeat
searchengineland.com Checked