AI & AEO

Model Routing (AI Search)

Quick Definition

Model routing is the technique used by AI search systems to dynamically choose which underlying model handles a given query — favouring smaller / faster models for simple queries and larger models for complex synthesis.

In context

ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude all use some form of routing to balance cost and latency against answer quality. The implication for AEO is mostly invisible — your content is being read by whichever model the router selected — but it explains why citation behaviour can vary across queries on the same engine. Optimisation guidance is unchanged: write for retrieval, structure for chunking, and trust the engine to surface the right answer.

Example

A factual query about Canadian tax brackets may route to a smaller / faster model on ChatGPT; a multi-step research query about choosing an SEO agency may route to a larger reasoning model — both retrieve from the same source pool.

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Related terms

AIO (AI Optimization)

AIO is an emerging umbrella term covering all forms of optimization for AI surfaces — AI Overviews, ChatGPT search, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini — across both retrieval and citation contexts.

Hallucination Defense

Hallucination defense refers to the editorial and structural patterns that reduce the chance an AI engine will invent or misattribute facts about your brand.

Semantic Chunking

Semantic chunking is how AI retrieval systems break long content into smaller, semantically coherent passages that can be retrieved and cited independently.

LLM (Large Language Model)

An LLM is a deep-learning model trained on vast text data, capable of generating human-like language. Examples: GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Llama.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

GEO is another name for AEO — optimizing content for generative AI search engines.

Anchored Citation

An anchored citation is when an AI engine inline-links a specific factual claim in its answer back to the exact source URL, often with anchor text or a numbered superscript.

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