SEO, AIO, AEO & GEO: What Hospitality Brands Need to Know
The way people discover restaurants, hotels, and venues is evolving. Traditional search still matters, but AI is quickly changing the landscape—with new platforms, behaviours, and opportunities.
At Snack Hospitality, we help hospitality brands stay ahead of the curve. Here’s a breakdown of the four key types of optimisation every modern venue should know: SEO, AIO, AEO, and GEO.
🔍 SEO – Search Engine Optimisation
What it is:
Optimising your website and content to rank on Google and other traditional search engines.
Why it matters:
It ensures your brand appears when people search for things like “best hotel in Lisbon” or “rooftop bars near me.”
Key tactics:
Keyword optimisation
Backlink building
On-page and technical SEO
Mobile optimisation
Local listings (e.g. Google Business Profile)
🤖 AIO – Artificial Intelligence Optimisation
What it is:
Making your digital presence understandable to AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and voice assistants.
Why it matters:
AI is now a discovery tool. If it can’t clearly understand your brand, it won’t recommend you.
Key tactics:
Consistent brand messaging across platforms
Structured data and schema
Natural, context-rich content
AI-friendly formats (FAQs, summaries, guides)
💬 AEO – Answer Engine Optimisation
What it is:
Structuring content to appear as direct answers to user questions in Google’s featured snippets, “People Also Ask”, and voice search.
Why it matters:
Consumers want answers fast. AEO helps you become the answer—boosting visibility and authority.
Key tactics:
Clear, concise FAQ content
Heading-based question/answer formats
Schema markup
Answer-focused blog content
✨ GEO – Generative Engine Optimisation
What it is:
Optimising your brand to appear in AI-generated results and recommendations—like those created by ChatGPT, Google SGE, and Perplexity.
Why it matters:
Generative engines curate entire travel plans and restaurant lists. If you’re not optimised, you’re not included.
Key tactics:
Strong brand positioning
Third-party mentions (PR, blogs, directories)
Contextual content that fits user intent
Presence across trusted data sources
Quick Comparison Table:
OptimisationFocusGoalExample QuerySEOSearch EnginesRank in search results“Hotels in Lisbon with pool”AIOAI ToolsBe understood & trusted by AI“Plan me a trip to Lisbon”AEOAnswer EnginesBe the direct answer“What time is check-in at Hotel X?”GEOGenerative EnginesBe recommended by AI“Where should I eat in Lisbon this weekend?”
Final Thoughts
Hospitality brands can no longer rely on SEO alone. To stay visible in 2025 and beyond, you need to layer your digital strategy with AIO, AEO, and GEO—ensuring you're ready for every kind of search, from typed queries to AI-generated itineraries.
At Snack Hospitality, we help forward-thinking restaurants, hotels, and venues show up where it matters most—and get discovered by the guests of tomorrow.
Need help navigating SEO, AIO, AEO, or GEO?
Contact Snack Hospitality and let’s future-proof your digital presence.