What is the practical answer?
The names can make search feel more complicated than it needs to be. Start with a website that clearly explains your services, answers useful questions and provides evidence people can check.
Get the website foundations right
SEO covers how search engines discover and understand your pages, as well as how useful those pages are for a relevant search. Check the important URLs, titles, internal links and the information someone reaches after clicking.
If your business serves customers throughout the United States, make that clear on substantial service pages. A page for every city is not a substitute for useful information about the work you do.
Answer the questions that affect a decision
AEO places more attention on direct answers: who a service is for, what is included, how a project works and what affects the cost. Put those answers where the customer needs them.
A useful answer is specific enough to act on. When the price depends on scope, explain the factors and what someone should send to receive a quote.
Make your business information easy to check
GEO is often used to describe work that helps generative systems interpret and reference a business. Consistent company details, clear service information and original project evidence are sensible places to focus.
Google’s guidance says that the foundational SEO practices still apply to its AI search features. It does not require a special AI text file or special schema. Neither markup nor rewritten content guarantees a mention.
Measure inquiries as well as visibility
Decide which actions matter: a submitted inquiry, a booked call or another relevant step. Search impressions and clicks help you understand discovery, but they are not the same as customers.
Keep a record of the changes made and review the available data over time. No agency can control a search engine’s ranking or guarantee what an AI assistant will recommend.