# AEO, GEO, Google voice search and AI Overview ranking: the 13 AI ranking signals (/docs/local-seo/website-and-content/aeo-geo-voice-search-and-ai-overview-ranking)

---
type: Document
title: "AEO, GEO, Google voice search and AI Overview ranking: the 13 AI ranking signals"
description: Sir Khurram Malik's lecture on ranking content in AI platforms and voice assistants, where Google Assistant fetches its answers from, and the 13 AI ranking signals not to miss.
status: stable
order: 36.1
added: 2026-10-15T18:48:19Z
generated: { by: process:claude-code, at: 2026-10-15T18:44:22Z }
ksor:
  audience: [public]
  owner: human:ahmedraza
  approval: { by: human:ahmedraza, at: 2026-10-15T18:44:22Z }
sources:
  - id: khurram-notes
    title: "Local SEO, AEO & GEO: AI-Powered Ranking Notes, Sir Khurram Malik"
    resource: "Course notes PDF compiled from Sir Khurram Malik's lectures, July to September 2026, chapter 1 (lecture of 3 July 2026), supplied by human:ahmedraza"
verified: [{ by: human:ahmedraza, at: 2026-10-15T18:44:22Z }]
trust_tier: human-reviewed
build_id: sha256:401a1d4b5eead93b53bbfcc53b1ee4048e592b4be6f6059d848ed6ffaa614755
dirty: true
ksor_version: 0.0.60
---

*Chapter 1 of the Local SEO, AEO & GEO course notes, from Sir Khurram
Malik's lecture of 3 July 2026.*

## Sir's tip of the day

- Step out of your comfortable life.
- Repeat the lectures.
- Practice as much as you can.
- Cut down on unnecessary gatherings and distractions.
- Spend your time on learning and practice.[^khurram-notes]

## What are AEO and GEO?

**Goal:** get content ranked not only in Google, but also in AI platforms
and voice assistants.[^khurram-notes]

Target platforms:

- ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
- Google AI Overview, Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa

> [!TIP]
> In future, a significant share of traffic will come from AI and voice
> search.

## Typed search vs voice search

| Old (typed search) | New (voice search) |
| --- | --- |
| `best dentist in Multan` | `Who is the best dentist in Multan?` |

So content should be **conversational and question-based**.[^khurram-notes]

## Where Google Assistant fetches its data from

1. **Featured snippets**: direct, concise (50 to 70 words), NLP optimized.
2. **People Also Ask (PAA)**: questions and answers are fetched directly.
3. **Schema markup**: business name, address, phone, services, FAQs,
   hours, coordinates.
4. **NLP content**: natural language that satisfies the user's intent, with
   no keyword stuffing.[^khurram-notes]

## The 13 AI ranking signals

Every signal matters, so do not miss any of them.[^khurram-notes]

1. **Natural tone**. Sources: YouTube transcripts, Reddit, Quora, Medium,
   PAA, Answer Socrates.
2. **Question-based content**, preferably as H2s. Sources: GSC, long-tail
   keywords, PAA, Reddit, Quora.
3. **Featured snippet optimization**: 50 to 70 words, direct, no fluff,
   conversational.
4. **Content structure**: headings, sub-headings, bullets, short
   paragraphs.
5. **Mobile optimization**: fully responsive, fast on mobile,
   touch-friendly.
6. **Natural content flow**: human-readable, natural transitions, no forced
   keywords.
7. **Site loading speed**: under 2 seconds; over 3 seconds is danger.
   Plugins: WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, EWWW, Perfmatters.
8. **Local SEO signals**: citations, GMB, ZIP code, address, "near me",
   coordinates, hyper-local content.
9. **Semantic entities**: use words and concepts related to the topic
   naturally.
10. **Topical authority**: cover the main topic and all its sub-topics in
    complete depth.
11. **EEAT**: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.
12. **Case studies**: real results, before and after, with numbers and
    data.
13. **Geo-tagged images**: geo-tag 40 to 50% of images, using the target
    city's latitude and longitude.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> "Do not miss any of these signals. Together, every signal improves the
> overall AI ranking." (Sir Khurram Malik)

[^khurram-notes]: Local SEO, AEO & GEO: AI-Powered Ranking Notes, Sir Khurram Malik, chapter 1.