Five minutes ago everyone was talking about SEO, and now they’re talking about AEO. If you’re one of the many website owners that feels left behind (and like the only person that doesn’t know what AEO is), this guide is for you. We’re revealing what AEO is in simple terms, how it’s changing digital marketing strategies and whether you should be capitalising on the changes, or sitting tight with your traditional SEO efforts. Let’s go!
What is AEO in Digital Marketing?
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is the process of making your content easy for search engines, voice assistants, and AI tools powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) to understand and present as the best answer. Instead of just competing for clicks on search results, AEO focuses on making your business the direct answer to the questions people are asking online.
You’ve likely seen, used and engaged with AI tools – whether that’s the AI overviews in Google search results, or searching directly within AI mode or a platform such as ChatGPT or Gemini.
AEO is also about getting your website pages and brand name to appear in responses generated by AI. As more and more users lean towards these platforms, it’s crucial not to ignore this. There are 700 million active users on ChatGPT alone, and 50%+ of all Google searches now feature AI Overviews. So, if these stats are anything to go on, getting your site noticed in these spaces could be worth your time.
It’s still worth reviewing the search habits of your customer base, as your particular demographic may not be interacting with AI. However, for many industries, customers dive into AI whenever they have a question about a product!
Shifting to AI answers
Search is evolving. Users are shifting from typing in keywords to asking natural language questions – and asking follow-up questions. Search engines, voice assistants, and AI chatbots are now designed to provide direct, comprehensive answers, not just a list of links.
The length of the queries from searchers has also shifted from a string of three or so words (best digital marketing agency) to longer questions (what is the best digital marketing agency for AEO?).
This means users can get super tailored responses. No more generic results! Instead, users get straight to the heart of what they really want to know.
AEO takes a strategic approach to capitalise on this shift in the way people are searching and the evolving platforms.
What are all the AEO options?
So, if you optimise for AEO, where should you expect to see your website content appearing exactly? See the table below for a helpful breakdown of all the opportunities for your content.
| Placement | Quick Summary |
| People Also Ask | Something that appears on Google searches, sometimes half way down the search results page, is the People Also Ask section.
This is a list of questions that are related to the initial search term a user typed in. Showing up here is a great way to get click-throughs and visibility online. |
| AI Overviews | As mentioned earlier, around 50% of all Google searches now include an AI overview, so unless you’ve been living off the grid, you’ve likely seen these in the wild. They appear at the top of search results as a comprehensive answer to a question, showing the list of websites that the information came from. |
| AI Mode | AI mode lets you dive deeper into AI through Google. It lets you leave the traditional search engine and enter an exclusively AI-driven platform, much like Gemini. |
| AI Platforms | The list of AI platforms keeps growing, and that means that there’s an increasing number of AI searches.
From ChatGPT and Gemini to Perplexity, if your users and target audience are asking questions relating to your business, you want to make sure you’re showing up. You’ll also want to check that the responses offer a positive sentiment around your brand. |
It’s an evolution, not a replacement
AEO is a complementary strategy to traditional SEO, not a substitute. SEO is still the foundation for building a strong, authoritative website, while AEO is a targeted tactic to capture a specific, high-visibility opportunity. We provide expertise in both.
Can AEO improve my website’s visibility in AI-driven search engines?
The ultimate aim of AEO is to optimise content to be the definitive, featured answer for a user’s question, appearing in things like featured snippets, “People Also Ask” boxes, and AI overviews.
With the right keyword research, you can ensure you’re showing up for those common questions that users are searching for, and provide the most informative answer. This earns you more visibility of your website and brand name, and will hopefully secure you more traffic and sales.
Optimising in the right way should help your content organically appear in the AI overviews.
The elephant in the room that’s worth addressing is that online businesses have reported a drop in click-throughs from organic search. This is because users get the answers they are looking for straight away at the top of the search result, rather than needing to click through to find the answer.
However, this doesn’t mean that AEO can’t work for your business and bring results.
Let’s say you sell weed killers for home use. If a user asks in an AI platform what the best product is for a specific type of weed and your brand name shows up, that’s a huge win! If your brand name isn’t mentioned, you’ve lost out on brand awareness and a potential customer.
Just like with traditional SEO, you want to dominate your area of expertise online with helpful content that gets noticed. Meticulously researching and scoping out all the questions your customers or potential customers want to know at each stage of the funnel means you can lead the narrative and get them to your site – essentially winning them over with your invaluable knowledge or benefits.
How much focus is needed on AEO?
If you feel AEO could make a difference for your online business, the next step is to make a strategic decision on how much resource to invest.
As a leading SEO agency in Peterborough, these are our top tips:
1. Analyse your niche: Does your industry lend itself to quick, direct answers? If you’re in a field that deals with how-to guides, definitions, or common questions (e.g., healthcare, finance, tech, DIY), AEO is a must-have. If your content is more visual or abstract, it may be a lower priority.
2. Audit your current content: Look at your existing top-performing pages. Are they already ranking for question-based queries? Are they appearing in “People Also Ask” boxes or featured snippets? This data can show you where AEO is already working for you and where you have the most opportunity.
3. Consider your business goals: AEO is excellent for building brand authority and visibility. If your goal is to be seen as the definitive expert in your field, AEO is a powerful tool. If your primary goal is to drive a high volume of clicks to informational content to monetise through ads, you’ll need to balance AEO with traditional SEO efforts.
4. Don’t compromise with SEO or AEO: Don’t think in terms of “either/or.” The best approach for most businesses is a hybrid one. Use traditional SEO to build domain authority and rank for broad keywords, and then layer in AEO tactics on top of that to capture those high-value featured answers.
Want some help understanding how AEO fits into your digital marketing strategy?
No problem. You don’t need to have it all figured out. If AEO is on your mind, but you’re not sure whether it’s right for your digital marketing strategy, talk to the AEO Agency team at Echo. We can advise on the right course of action for your online business. You’ll also benefit from a team that has the latest tools to research the prompts and questions that get your business noticed in both AI searches and across traditional search engines.
Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help your business get noticed online with our AEO services.
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