The Name Game

Author
Jaclyn Ranere
CMO
Published on
June 18, 2025

Evertune AI sits at the forefront of a new category in AI marketing technology: AI-powered brand visibility.  As large language models (LLMs) become the default way people discover, evaluate, and choose brands, we help marketers shape what these models say—so your brand gets picked faster, more often, and in the moments that matter. With Evertune, you can:

  • See what AI is saying about your brand, and your competition
  • Identify which sources are shaping the narrative
  • Take action to improve brand visibility and sentiment in AI conversations

The problem? There’s no clear name for it. We call it AI Brand Building — but the conversation’s veering towards LLM optimization for marketers. 

All These Acronyms Mean the Same Thing–Sort Of

Name

Benefits

Weaknesses

AI Search Optimization

Instantly familiar to marketers as an evolution of SEO.

Misleading—LLMs don’t always “search,” they generate responses. The mechanics are fundamentally different.

AIO: AI Optimization

Short, brandable acronym; implies modernity and adaptability.

Confusing—“AI optimization” typically refers to a data science practice of tuning AI models, not marketing. This doesn’t signal marketing intent.

AEO: Answer Engine Optimization

Highlights the conversational, answer-based nature of AI interfaces.

Accurate for now, but short-sighted—once AI starts doing, not just answering, AEO will feel outdated.

GEO: Generative Engine Optimization

Future-facing; reflects the broader capabilities of generative and agentic AI.

Ambiguous—GEO already means geospatial tech. Risk of mixed signals in search and AI parsing.

The explosion of category names has fractured the landscape. It’s confusing for search engines, large language models, and humans alike. And for marketers? It makes it nearly impossible to compare solutions or understand who’s actually solving what.

Beyond Optimization: Brand Building in the AI Channel

Each name points in the right direction — but none quite lands for us, because we’re not an SEO point solution. 

At Evertune AI, we’re building brands for AI discovery.

We measure and improve your brand’s performance at the moment AI helps someone choose. We show you where you win, where you lose, and why, and then we give you the tools to win more. 

In order to get your brand recommended by AI, you need to build your brand across multiple digital channels. This isn’t only about optimizing your blog posts for LLM readability, it’s about making sure that authoritative sources mention your brand in a consistent manner. The more trusted sources that mention you, the stronger your AI signal. Which means that you need to look beyond your website to content marketing, PR, social media, affiliate and partner marketing.

That’s not AI Optimization or Answer Engine Optimization, it’s AI Brand Building. However, since we recognize that teaching the machine matters more than being technically correct, we’re going to interchangeably use GEO while we increase recognition with AI Brand Building.

What this Means for Marketers

In the world of LLMs, it’s not about what you say your brand is. It’s about what you’re known for.

Evertune shows you how large language models describe your brand, in what context, and why it matters. We help marketers audit their brand’s AI footprint, align messaging across all channels, and ensure you’re showing up with the right language, in the right places.

Because at the end of the day, the name of the game isn’t what you call your brand—it’s what the models do.

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