SEO and AEO – A Guide to Search Engine Optimization & Answer Engine Optimization

The search landscape has changed. The way people discover information online is evolving dramatically, thanks to the rise of AI-powered answer engines like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Traditional search engines (think Google Search) list pages for users to click through, while these new answer engines aim to deliver direct answers. As a result, businesses and content creators face a new challenge: how do you optimize your content so it ranks in search results and gets featured in AI-generated answers?

This comprehensive guide will demystify Search Engine Optimization (SEO) versus Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and provide actionable, research-backed tips to win visibility on both Google and the likes of ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

Search and Answer – Two Paths to Visibility

For decades, SEO has been the go-to strategy for improving online visibility. If you sold running shoes or wrote travel blogs, you optimized your website to rank high on Google’s search results. The reward was web traffic: users clicking your link. Now, with answer engines such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, users might get what they need without clicking any link at all – the answer engine pulls information from various sources and presents a direct answer in a conversational format.

About 60% of searches today end without any click to a website, as users find what they need on the search results page itself. Even among users skeptical of AI, roughly half say most of their queries are answered on the search page without a click.

This “zero-click” search trend isn’t just hypothetical. A recent Bain & Company survey found that 80% of search users rely on instant, AI-generated answers for at least 40% of their searches, reducing organic web traffic by an estimated 15–25%. A huge portion of your potential audience might never visit your website if an answer engine serves up what they need first.

Platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini are surging in popularity as information tools. ChatGPT’s user base exploded in 2023–2024, and by late 2024, generative AI apps were encroaching on traditional search engine use cases for tasks like research, news updates, and shopping recommendations.

So, what does AEO mean for you? It means that optimizing solely for traditional search (SEO) is no longer enough. To maintain and grow your online visibility, you also need to optimize for how answer engines find and use your content – a practice we refer to as AEO (Answer Engine Optimization).

What Is Search Engine Optimization?

Search Engine Optimization is the practice of improving your website and content to increase its visibility in the organic results of search engines like Google or Bing. When someone types a query into Google – for example, “best running shoes for flat feet” – Google’s algorithms scour and rank billions of indexed webpages to show what it deems the most relevant, authoritative answers. SEO encompasses a wide range of strategies and tactics to help your page appear near the top of those results.

Key aspects of SEO include:

• Keyword Optimization: Researching the words and phrases your target audience uses (e.g., “running shoes flat feet”) and naturally incorporating them into your content, titles, and meta tags. The goal is to align your page with the user’s search intent.
• High-Quality Content: Creating content that is useful, comprehensive, and trustworthy. Google’s own quality guidelines emphasize E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) – factors human raters use to evaluate content quality.
• Technical SEO: Ensuring your site is crawlable and indexable by search engines. This includes having a clear site structure, fast page load speeds, mobile-friendly design, and proper HTML tags. If search engines can’t access or understand your content, they can’t rank it.
• Link Building and Authority: Earning backlinks from other reputable sites. In Google’s eyes, links act as “votes” of confidence. A strong backlink profile can boost your domain’s authority, helping all your pages rank higher.
• User Experience Signals: While content and links are critical, modern SEO also considers user experience. Metrics like click-through rate, time on page, and bounce rate can indirectly influence rankings. If users quickly leave your site (high bounce rate), it might signal your page wasn’t what they wanted.

The objective of SEO is straightforward: rank as high as possible on the search engine results page (SERP) for queries relevant to your business or content. Higher ranking means more visibility and, usually, more clicks to your site. Traditional SEO success is often measured in terms of organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversions from search visitors.

SEO in action: If you have a product page for “Acme Running Shoe Model X,” good SEO might involve optimizing the page title (“Acme Model X – Running Shoe for Flat Feet | Acme Shoes”), writing a detailed description with relevant keywords (“…designed for runners with flat arches…”), adding alt text to images (“Model X running shoe in blue”), and earning positive reviews or mentions on running forums that link back to your page. When a user searches for “Acme Model X review” or “best shoes for flat feet,” a well-optimized page has a better chance of showing up in the top results.

What Is Answer Engine Optimization?

Answer Engine Optimization is an emerging discipline focused on optimizing your content to be directly provided as answers by AI-driven tools and answer platforms. In simpler terms, AEO aims to ensure that when someone asks a question to ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Siri, Alexa, or any AI-powered answer system, the answer they get comes (at least in part) from your content.

Think of the scenarios:

• A user asks ChatGPT, “What are the key features of Acme’s Model X running shoe?” Instead of giving a list of links, ChatGPT responds with a paragraph describing the shoe’s features. Ideally, that paragraph would be based on information from your website (and perhaps even cite it).
• Someone with a Google Gemini-enabled device asks, “Is the Acme Model X good for flat feet?” Gemini might generate an answer like, “Yes – Acme’s Model X running shoe is designed for runners with flat feet, featuring extra arch support and cushioning,” drawn from product descriptions or reviews.
• A busy parent asks their voice assistant, “How do I clean Acme running shoes?” The assistant might pull a step-by-step answer from a how-to guide on your site.

The user’s goal is to get an immediate, accurate answer, not to click around multiple webpages. So, AEO is about structuring and presenting your information in a way that answer engines can easily digest and use.

Key aspects of AEO include:

• Question-Focused Content: Framing content around common questions and answers. This means anticipating what users will ask and providing a clear, concise answer. For example, adding an FAQ section to your product page (“Q: Is this shoe waterproof? A: Yes, it’s water-resistant up to…”) can make it easier for an answer engine to grab that specific Q&A.
• Structured Data Markup: Implementing schema markup (structured data) like FAQPage, QAPage, HowTo, or Speakable schema on your pages. This behind-the-scenes code helps search engines understand the precise question-answer pairs or step-by-step instructions on a page. Google’s own search documentation notes that structured data makes your content easier for both search engines and voice assistants to interpret and potentially feature in results. For example, marking up an FAQ section with FAQPage schema can increase your chances of showing up as a rich result or being read aloud by a voice assistant.
• Concise, Snippet-Ready Answers: Writing snippets (brief 40-60 word summaries) that directly answer a question. Featured snippets on Google (also known as “Position Zero”) are a classic outcome of AEO. If you provide a clear definition or summary in your content, Google might feature it above regular results. These snippets are often what voice assistants read aloud. Experts recommend keeping these answer snippets around 40-50 words and front-loading the answer at the top of the paragraph.
• Authoritativeness & Accuracy: Answer engines often favor information that comes from trusted sources. In fact, early studies by independent researchers suggest that tools like ChatGPT’s search mode may favor high-ranking or well-known sources, similar to how search engines do. Additionally, AI models trained on web data will have “learned” from content that was widely available and cited at the time of training. Ensuring your content is factually accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with other authoritative sources increases the likelihood that an answer engine will use it. (Conversely, incorrect or wildly unique claims might be ignored – or worse, if used, could spread misinformation with your name attached.)
• Accessibility to AI Crawlers: Much like you ensure Googlebot can crawl your site for SEO, AEO means ensuring AI bots and answer engines can access your content. For instance, if you have important information locked behind a login or buried in a PDF, a chatbot like ChatGPT or Gemini might not see it. As a rule, keep key info in HTML text on your pages. Also, consider policies for AI crawlers: OpenAI’s “GPTBot” and others can be controlled via your robots.txt. Both OpenAI and Google have introduced publisher controls to let you opt out of your content being used for AI training or answers while still being indexed for search. (We’ll discuss this choice later.)

AEO is about making your content the preferred answer to relevant questions. It’s an evolution of SEO that acknowledges a shift: users increasingly ask and expect the answer, rather than sifting through a list of links.

Key Differences Between SEO and AEO

SEO and AEO share the same end goal – helping users find your information – but they approach it differently. Understanding these differences will help you tailor your content strategy for each.

Are SEO and AEO Just the Same Service?

It’s important to note that SEO and AEO are deeply interconnected. One isn’t a substitute for the other. In fact, success in SEO often translates to success in AEO. Google’s own AI answer systems illustrate this:

• Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), which produces an “AI Overview” answer at the top of search results, primarily pulls information from the pages that rank well in the normal search. One study found 46% of the sources cited in Google’s AI Overviews were from the top 10 organic search results for that query. If your page isn’t in the top results, it’s much less likely to be included in the AI answer. This reinforces a key point: strong SEO (high search rankings) lays the groundwork for AEO.
• OpenAI’s ChatGPT, when augmented with the web browsing/search capability, relies on Bing’s search index to fetch information. If Bing hasn’t indexed your content, ChatGPT won’t find it. And if your content ranks low, it might get overlooked in favor of higher-ranking content that Bing surfaces. (So don’t forget optimizing for Bing as well – Bing’s market share is smaller than Google’s, but it’s the gateway for ChatGPT’s external knowledge.)
• Microsoft’s Bing Chat/Copilot (the AI that’s integrated into Bing Search) is a bit more liberal in what sources it chooses compared to Google’s SGE. It will cite sources outside the absolute top results, but even then, over 70% of URLs it includes in answers come from the top 20 Bing search results.

Another blurred area is that search engines themselves are becoming answer engines. Google is steadily evolving to provide more direct answers via featured snippets, Knowledge Graph panels, and now generative AI summaries. Bing has done the same with its AI integration. The result: you optimize for Google Search, and you’re also optimizing for Google’s AI answers. This convergence means you shouldn’t silo your efforts – a holistic approach to content quality and structure will serve both purposes.

There are still practical differences in digital services.

Digital Services to Optimize for Traditional Search Engines 

To “win” on traditional search engines like Google, you should double-down on SEO best practices. These are well-documented, but let’s highlight those especially relevant in AEO context:

Conduct Intent-Focused Keyword Research

Effective SEO starts with understanding what your audience is searching for – and why. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Google Search Console to find not just popular keywords, but the questions and intents behind them. For example, instead of just optimizing for “flat feet running,” realize users might be searching “Is flat feet bad for running?” (informational intent) or “best running shoes for flat feet” (commercial intent). By mapping out these intents, you can create content that directly addresses each one. This intent mapping is also the first step toward AEO, because it identifies the questions people want answered.

Create High-Quality, Authoritative Content

There is no substitute for quality. Google’s algorithms (strengthened by updates focusing on “helpful content” and “experience”) reward content that is original, comprehensive, and demonstrates expertise. This means:

• Cover topics in depth and make sure the information is accurate and up-to-date.
• Where appropriate, cite reputable sources or include data to back claims (yes, even though it’s not an academic paper – showing evidence of research can improve content quality and user trust).
• Demonstrate expertise or first-hand experience. If you’re writing about running shoes, having a sports podiatrist’s quote or showing that the article’s author is a seasoned runner can improve credibility (reflected via E-E-A-T). While E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, it’s woven into how Google evaluates content quality.
• Keep content fresh. Regularly update pages that could become outdated (e.g., “Best practices in SEO” for a marketing site – ensure 2025 info, not 2015). Freshness can be a factor for queries that demand up-to-date info.

Optimize On-Page Elements (Titles, Meta Descriptions, Headings)

Your page title and meta description are the first things users see on the SERP, and they influence click-through rate. Craft a compelling title that includes your primary keyword and signals the value (e.g., “10 Tips for Running with Flat Feet (Podiatrist-Approved)”). Keep it within 50–60 characters so it doesn’t truncate. For meta descriptions, aim ~155 characters summarizing the page; while meta descriptions aren’t a ranking factor, they can entice clicks by matching query intent. Use headings (H1, H2, H3) to structure content logically – search engines use these to understand the hierarchy of information. A clear structure also aids AEO, as it can help an AI pinpoint which section of your page might contain the answer to a given question.

Improve Technical Health and Page Experience

Technical SEO issues can undermine even the best content. Key things to check:

• Crawlability: Make sure important pages aren’t accidentally blocked by robots.txt or meta tags. Submit an XML sitemap to Google so they can discover all your pages.
• Mobile-Friendly Design: Google predominantly uses mobile indexing now, meaning it looks at the mobile version of your site. Use responsive design and test your pages in Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
• Page Speed: Slow sites hurt both SEO and user experience. Optimize images, enable browser caching, and minimize heavy scripts. Core Web Vitals (like Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, Cumulative Layout Shift) are part of Google’s page experience signals. Faster, more stable pages may get a slight ranking boost and will certainly keep users happier.
• Security: Use HTTPS. Having a secure site is a lightweight ranking factor and a trust factor for users (and likely for answer engines too – they’d prefer citing secure, trustworthy sites).
• Structured Data for Rich Results: Add schema markup where relevant. For example, mark up your product pages with Product schema (price, availability, reviews) so you can get rich snippets (star ratings, price) in Google’s results. This not only improves SEO by making your result more eye-catching, but those same markup elements can feed Google’s Knowledge Graph or be used in voice answers (like an assistant giving price info).
• Avoid AI Crawl Blockers (if you want AEO): If you use a service to block AI scrapers or have disallowed OpenAI’s GPTBot and Google’s generative content crawler via robots.txt or the new meta tags (like Google-Extended opt-out), remember that will prevent your content from being used in answer engines. Ensure you’re not inadvertently opt-ing out content you want to appear in answers.

Build a Strong Backlink Profile (Ethically)

Earning backlinks remains crucial for SEO. High-quality sites linking to your content act as endorsements of its value. Focus on natural link building through:

• Creating link-worthy content (original research, infographics, comprehensive guides) that others reference.
• Outreach and PR: pitch your content to relevant publications or influencers in your industry.
• Guest posting or thought leadership: writing articles for respected blogs or news sites can earn you a bio link or contextual link.
• Community engagement: answering questions on forums (Reddit, StackExchange, Quora) and linking to your content when genuinely relevant can both drive traffic and build links (be careful to follow each community’s guidelines on self-promotion).
• Avoid spammy tactics (buying links, link farms) – these violate Google’s guidelines and can lead to penalties. Quality over quantity: a few links from authoritative domains (news sites, .edu, .org, industry sites) far outweigh dozens of low-quality links.

Backlinks indirectly help AEO as well. If your site has garnered many authoritative links, it likely ranks higher and is perceived as an authority. ChatGPT or Gemini might not “see” the backlinks, but they see the result: your content is prominent and widely recognized, which could factor into being chosen as an answer (and if the answer engine has a knowledge of site reputations, your site might be considered more trustworthy).

Enhance Internal Linking and Site Structure

Help search engines (and users) navigate your content easily. Link related pages together in a logical way. For instance, if you have a cornerstone guide on “Running with Flat Feet,” link your smaller blog posts or product pages about flat-foot running to that guide, and vice versa. A clear structure signals to Google which pages are most important (e.g., more internal links to a page can imply importance).

It also helps AI engines – if they land on one page of your site, internal links might lead them to more detailed answers or related info (if the AI follows links, as some crawlers do). Additionally, consider creating a sitemap page or knowledge hub for key topics, which can serve as a one-stop resource for an answer engine to find comprehensive info on a subject.

Monitor SEO Performance and Adapt

Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to keep an eye on your SEO. Which queries bring users to your site? Where are your high bounce rates? If you find, for example, that a certain blog post is getting impressions for a question but users aren’t clicking (perhaps because Google already shows part of the answer), you might need to improve that content’s snippet or make the title more compelling.

Regularly audit your site for SEO issues – tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz can help identify broken links, missing tags, or content gaps. Staying on top of SEO ensures your content remains in the running to be picked up by answer engines.

Classic SEO isn’t dead – it’s foundational. Google still drives the majority of traffic on the web (holding ~87% of the U.S. search market as of early 2025), and even the fanciest AI answer needs something to draw from. As one expert put it, “Optimize for Google Search, and AI Overviews will follow.” That means if you continue to follow SEO best practices—technical soundness, great context, authoritative backlinks—you’re halfway to optimizing for answer engines too.

But halfway isn’t all the way to Answer Engine Optimization.

Services to Optimize for Answer Engines 

Optimizing for answer engines involves adjusting your content creation and SEO practices so that your information is easily extractable and preferred by AI-based systems. Here are key strategies for AEO, building on the foundation we’ve discussed:

Frame Your Content Around Questions and Answers

AEO starts with thinking like a user asking a question. Go beyond keyword lists and consider the exact questions users might pose to an AI. For example, if you run a travel site, a user might ask ChatGPT, “What’s the best time to visit Paris?” or “Do I need a visa to visit Japan as a US citizen?” If you have a Paris travel guide or a Japan visa article, ensure those pages literally include the question and the answer. This could be in the form of an H2 heading (“When is the Best Time to Visit Paris?”) followed by a concise answer paragraph.

By doing this, you increase the chance that an answer engine will spot that Q&A pair and use it. Research by content strategists suggests shifting your keyword research to focus on questions and natural language queries rather than just head terms. Tools like AnswerThePublic or AlsoAsked can help you find frequently asked questions in your niche. Check the “People Also Ask” boxes on Google for your target queries – these are literal questions users often search, which make great candidates to answer on your site.

Provide Direct, Concise Answers (Snippet Bait?!)

When crafting answers within your content, be succinct and specific. An answer engine might only quote 1-3 sentences (perhaps ~30-60 words). So, when you identify a question to answer:

• Answer it immediately and clearly in the first sentence or two. Don’t bury the lede. For instance, if the question is “Do I need a visa for Japan as a US citizen?”, a good direct answer would be: “U.S. citizens do not need a tourist visa for Japan for stays up to 90 days.” That’s a complete, stand-alone answer. You can then elaborate with details or caveats after that opening sentence.
• Use simple language and the same keywords from the question. The AI might be matching on semantic similarity. If the question says “need a visa,” your answer should probably use the word “visa” and the context (“U.S. citizen,” “Japan”) in the first line.
• Length: Aiming for ~40-50 words in that answer paragraph is a good rule of thumb, as this length often gets picked for Google’s featured snippets. Bullet points or numbered lists are also very snippet-friendly, especially for “list” queries (e.g., “What are the steps to clean running shoes?” could be answered with a quick list of steps).
• Don’t over-explain (in the snippet part). If the user asks for a definition or a fact, one sentence might suffice. You can always provide more detail in the following sentences for those who click through or read on, but the first sentence should stand on its own.

By structuring content this way, you’re essentially doing the answer engine’s job for it – you’re pre-packaging the answer. Google’s featured snippet algorithm works exactly like this: it finds a page that asks a question and then takes a nearby 1-2 sentence answer. ChatGPT and others are more complex (they might synthesize multiple sources), but if your content cleanly answers a question, there’s a higher chance the AI will include or even solely use your phrasing (especially if it’s well-written and accurate).

Use Structured Data (Schema Markup) Generously

Structured data is a critical bridge between your website and answer engines. It gives machine-readable context to your content. Some of the most AEO-relevant schemas include:

• FAQPage schema: For pages with a list of questions and answers (like an FAQ section or standalone FAQ page). This markup explicitly tells search engines “Here is a question, and here is its answer.” Google can then feature that in a Q&A rich result or use it in voice responses. For example, if your online store has an FAQ section about shipping and returns marked up properly, Google Assistant might directly use those answers for voice queries about your policies.
• QAPage schema: Similar to FAQ, but typically for user-generated question pages (like a forum or Q&A site where multiple answers can be submitted). If your site has a community Q&A element or you maintain a knowledge base, this schema is useful.
• HowTo schema: If your content explains how to do something in steps, mark it up. This can enable rich results with step-by-step instructions and is also used by Google Assistant to walk users through tasks. For instance, a “how to clean running shoes” article with HowTo markup could be read out by a voice assistant step by step (“Step 1: Remove the laces…”).
• Speakable schema: Designed specifically for voice assistants, this markup (currently mainly for news articles) identifies sections of content best suited for text-to-speech. If you’re a news publisher or regularly post articles that might be read aloud (say, you publish brief news updates in your industry), you can mark a short summary as speakable. This tells devices like Google Assistant, “use this part when reading aloud.”
• Product and Review schema: On product pages, using Product schema with review ratings can sometimes allow Assistant to give details like “This product is rated 4.5 stars by customers on Acme.com” if someone asks “Is it any good?”. Also, if someone asks a shopping assistant “What’s the price of Acme Model X running shoes?”, having structured data with price increases the likelihood your site (if it’s an e-commerce site) can be referenced in the answer.

Structured data by itself doesn’t guarantee you’ll be featured, but it increases your eligibility for enhanced results. As answer engines get more sophisticated, feeding them a diet of well-structured information can only help their “understanding” of your content. Schema speak to the AI in its own preferred language.

Optimize for Voice Search and Conversational Language

Many answer engine interactions are via voice (smart speakers, phone assistants) or conversational text. This influences how you should write for voice search:

• Conversational Tone: Content that reads in a natural, conversational tone can perform well. Google’s BERT and other language models have enabled the search engine to understand natural language better, so writing as if you’re directly answering someone’s question can be beneficial. For example, a conversational answer might say, “You might be wondering if you need special running shoes for flat feet. The short answer is: it helps a lot to have shoes with extra arch support if you have flat feet, because…” – this sort of tone can match the way an answer engine responds. It’s friendly and direct.
• Long-Tail Keywords: Voice queries tend to be longer (“hey Google, what’s the safest neighborhood in Paris for families?”) versus text queries (“Paris safest neighborhood families”). Target those long-tail, specific queries in your content. They may have lower search volume individually, but collectively they drive a lot of voice search traffic. Plus, they often indicate high intent (the user asking is likely very interested in that exact answer).
• Local and Contextual Info: If applicable, optimize for local searches (many voice queries are local, e.g., “find a running shoe store near me”). Ensure your business listings are up to date on Google (Google Business Profile), and include locally relevant info on your site. For instance, a blog post about “Running in Los Angeles: Best Shoes for Trails” might capture local voice queries.
• Test with Voice Assistants: A practical tip: actually use Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, etc., and ask questions related to your business. See what answers come up. Are they pulling from a competitor’s site or Wikipedia? This can give clues. If, say, Wikipedia is supplying the answer, perhaps your site should also have a well-structured page on that topic (or even consider contributing to Wikipedia if appropriate, to get your brand in the narrative – though that’s more PR than SEO). If a competitor is often featured, analyze their content: what format are they using? Do they have an FAQ or very direct opening sentence? You might glean strategies to emulate.

Leverage Your Brand and Knowledge Graph Presence

Answer engines often tap into knowledge graphs and trusted databases for factual queries (e.g., “When was Acme Inc founded?” might pull from Wikidata or Google’s Knowledge Graph). To optimize for these, ensure your brand and content are part of that ecosystem:

• Keep your organization’s Wikipedia page (if one exists) accurate and updated. Many AI models trained up to 2021 have digested Wikipedia extensively. If important facts about your business or products are on Wikipedia, an AI is more likely to “know” them. (However, don’t create a Wikipedia page just for SEO/AEO unless your brand meets their notability standards – overt promotion will be removed.)
• Contribute data to Wikidata (the structured database behind Wikipedia’s info boxes) for key facts like founding date, CEO, product lines, etc. This can feed voice assistants. For example, Alexa and Google Assistant often draw on Wikidata for simple factual Qs.
• Use schema like Organization, Person, Product to mark up these facts on your own site as well. Google’s Knowledge Graph can pick up schema data from your site. If Google trusts your site, it might use it as the source for the Knowledge Panel (the sidebar in search results) about your brand.
• Get listed in authoritative directories or data sources. For local businesses, ensure consistency across Yelp, Google, Facebook, etc. For products, consider Google Shopping or other marketplaces, as their data might be pulled into answers for availability or price queries.

AEO requires extending SEO beyond just your webpages to your data presence on the web.

Monitor Answer Engine Performance and Referrals

This is a newer area, but start paying attention to how and when answer engines mention or refer traffic to your site:

• In your analytics, you might begin to see referral traffic from sources like bard.google.com or bing (with markers indicating Bing chat). After Google rolled out SGE (Search Generative Experience), some site owners noticed traffic from the new Google AI results, and after ChatGPT allowed link-outs, sites saw referrals from ChatGPT’s user-agent. One study of 391 small websites found ChatGPT’s referral traffic (when it cites links) increased by 123% between late 2024 and early 2025. That suggests more users are clicking through the sources provided by ChatGPT’s answers. Keep an eye on these numbers. If you see a spike, find out which content is being cited, and capitalize on it.
• Track where you appear in featured snippets or “People Also Ask” on Google. Tools like Semrush can report if you own a featured snippet for a query. If you do, you’re effectively already doing well in AEO for that query. Work to maintain it (update the content, ensure it stays relevant).
• Manually query ChatGPT (with browsing enabled) or Bing Chat for questions related to your content. See if your website is mentioned or if the answers echo your text. There’s also a clever tactic recommended by some marketers: reverse-engineer AI answers. Essentially, input common questions to ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Gemini, etc., and see what answer they give. If they list steps or tips, compare with your content – do you cover all those points? Is the AI pulling from a competitor article that has a “neater” answer summary? This experiment can highlight gaps. If AI answers consistently mention a fact or tip your content lacks, consider adding it (if relevant and correct). Also, note if the AI often cites a particular source – study what that source is doing right.
• User feedback loops: On some answer engines, users can give feedback (e.g., “thumbs up/down” on Bing Chat answers or can ask follow-ups on ChatGPT). Content that leads to user satisfaction will likely be favored more. While you can’t see that feedback directly, you can infer quality by testing your content’s clarity. If you were the user, would that answer fully satisfy you? If not, refine it.

Adapt Your Metrics and Expectations

Traditional SEO success is measured by clicks and rankings. AEO requires you to broaden how you define success. Some new metrics/indicators:

• Featured Snippet/Answer Presence: How often is your content appearing directly on the SERP as an answer (Position Zero)? You might celebrate maintaining a featured snippet even if it means slightly fewer clicks, because users still saw your content.
• Brand Mentions in AI: Even if not clicked, was your brand or URL shown or spoken by an assistant? For instance, Google’s AI Overview might say “According to YourSite…”. Or ChatGPT might list your site as a source. These brand impressions have marketing value (though they’re harder to quantify).
• Implied Traffic/Conversion: It’s possible someone hears your advice via a voice assistant and later visits your site or searches your brand. Keep an eye on direct traffic or brand-name searches – AEO might drive these indirectly. Surveys or customer feedback can help; e.g., ask how someone heard about you – they might say “Oh, Google Assistant told me about you when I asked about X.”
• Conversion without clicks? In some cases, AEO could fulfill a user need entirely. For example, if your goal was to establish thought leadership and an AI cites your research finding in an answer, you influenced that user’s knowledge without any click. That requires a mindset shift: you’re not just trying to pull people onto your site, you’re pushing your expertise out to where the users are engaging (even if that’s off-site). Of course, for most businesses, ultimately you want them to come to you or purchase. AEO should complement your funnel, not replace it – but be aware of its “halo effect” on brand trust.

Avoid “Answer Blocking” (Unless Intentional)

You have the ability to opt out of being used in AI answers. Google introduced a Google-Extended control that publishers can use to block their content from being used in generative AI (like Gemini’s model) while still allowing normal crawling. OpenAI similarly allows site owners to block GPTBot from training on or accessing their content.

Unless you have a specific reason (for example, some people fear losing traffic if AI just scrapes their content without clicks), you should probably allow your content to be used. The upside of being part of the conversation (literally) likely outweighs the potential downside of some lost clicks. One analysis noted that being excluded from Google’s AI overviews significantly harmed a page’s overall traffic, whereas being included gave a measurable boost. For transactional queries, pages that were included in the AI answer box got over 3 times as many clicks as those that were not – likely because users gravitated to the sources mentioned in the AI summary.

You want to be in the answer, not invisible to it.

SEO and AEO in Action: Real-World Examples

Let’s walk through two scenarios – one for an e-commerce product page, and one for a content-rich blog post – and see how we’d optimize each for SEO and for AEO.

Example 1: Optimizing a Product Page (E-commerce)

Scenario: You run an online store selling your own brand of running shoes. One of your products is the Acme Running Shoe Model X. You want this product page to perform well on Google Search and also be utilized by answer engines like ChatGPT or Google Gemini when users ask about the product.

SEO approach for the product page

• Keyword optimization: You research and find common search terms like “Acme Model X”, “Acme running shoe review”, “running shoes for flat feet”, etc. The page’s title tag becomes something like: “Acme Model X Running Shoe – Lightweight Stability for Flat Feet | Acme Shoes”. This includes the product name and a key benefit, along with your brand – enticing for search users.
• Content depth: Instead of just a sparse product description, you include a rich description (~300-500 words) detailing the shoe’s features (materials, weight, support, ideal running terrain, etc.), benefits (e.g., “provides extra arch support for flat-footed runners”), and perhaps a short story or quote from a product designer or athlete for authenticity. You also have high-quality images, maybe a video, and specs (sizes, colors, weight) in a bullet list.
• Meta description: Craft a descriptive snippet: “Shop Acme Model X – a lightweight, supportive running shoe ideal for flat feet. Discover how its arch support and breathable design can improve your run. Free shipping available.” – This covers features and a CTA, which can improve click-through from Google.
• Internal links: You link to this product from your “Running Shoes” category page (with anchor text “Acme Model X”), and from a blog post you have like “Top 5 Running Shoes for Flat-Footed Runners” (where you mention Model X as an option). This passes link equity and signals relevance.
• Reviews and social proof: Enable customer reviews on the page. If the Model X has a 4.8/5 rating from 50 reviews, show that prominently (and mark it up with Review schema so Google may show star ratings). User-generated content can help with long-tail keywords (customers might mention “flat feet” or “trail running” in reviews, which only helps SEO).
• Technical SEO: Ensure the page loads fast (optimize images of the shoe), is mobile-friendly (buttons/tap targets are easily usable on small screens), and the site’s breadcrumb navigation is visible (so Google might show breadcrumbs in the result, like “Home > Running Shoes > Acme Model X”).
• Backlinks: Perhaps you reach out to a few running bloggers to review the Model X. One popular blogger writes a review on their site and links to your product page – a nice authoritative backlink that can boost your page’s SEO.

AEO approach for the product page

How do we optimize this page for answer engines?

• FAQ section on the page: Below the main content, you add an FAQ. Think of questions a potential customer or user might ask an AI about this shoe. For example:
  • “Is the Acme Model X good for flat feet?” – Answer: “Yes. The Acme Model X is designed with extra arch support and stability features, making it a great choice for runners with flat feet who need more support.”
  • “What is the weight of the Acme Model X shoe?” – Answer: “Each Acme Model X shoe weighs approximately 250 grams, keeping it fairly lightweight for a stability shoe.”
  • “Is Acme Model X waterproof?” – Answer honestly: “The Acme Model X is not fully waterproof, but its materials are quick-drying and breathable. It can handle light rain, but it’s not meant for heavy water.”
  • “What sizes does the Acme Model X come in?” – Answer: “It’s available in men’s sizes 7-13 (including half sizes) and women’s sizes 5-10. Wide widths are available for select sizes.”

Each Q is phrased naturally, and each answer is concise (one or two sentences). You then mark this FAQ up with FAQPage schema. Now, if someone asks Google Assistant, “Does Acme Model X come in wide sizes?”, Google might recall your marked answer and respond with it. Or if a user types that question, Google might show your Q&A in a snippet.

• Featured snippet bait in description: In your product description, you ensure to include a sentence that could be a good snippet for a generic question like “What are the features of Acme Model X?”. For example, the first lines of the description might be: “Acme Model X is a stability running shoe designed for runners with low arches or flat feet. Key features include a reinforced arch support, breathable mesh upper, cushioned midsole for shock absorption, and a durable outsole for road or light trail use.” This could serve as a snippet if someone asks “What are the key features of Acme Model X?” on an answer engine – it’s a nice summary.
• Comparison info (if applicable): Sometimes people ask “How does Model X compare to Model Y?” If you have multiple products, you might include a small comparison table or note “Compared to our Acme Model Y (which is a neutral shoe), the Model X offers more arch support and is a bit heavier.” Marking up comparisons is trickier (no specific schema), but the content itself could be picked up by an AI for comparative questions.
• Ensure indexing by AI bots: You check that your robots.txt isn’t blocking known AI agents like GPTBot (OpenAI) or Google’s new AI crawler. If you had earlier blocked them out of concern, consider removing that. You want ChatGPT to have “seen” your content (even if its training data might be older, new versions or the browsing feature could fetch it).
• Structured data beyond FAQ: The product schema you added for SEO (with price, availability, etc.) can also feed answer engines. For instance, if someone asks ChatGPT (with browsing) “How much does Acme Model X cost?”, ChatGPT might find your page and see <span itemprop=”price”>$120</span> and give an answer, “The Acme Model X is listed at $120.” Always keep such info updated so the answers are accurate. Google’s Shopping graph might also supply that to its answers.
• Monitor AI references: After implementing these, you try asking Google’s Bard (Gemini) in a few weeks: “Is the Acme Model X good for flat feet?” If Bard responds with language identical or very close to your FAQ answer, congrats – your AEO efforts worked; your phrasing became the answer. It might say, “Yes, the Acme Model X is designed with extra arch support and stability features, making it great for runners with flat feet,” possibly citing Acme’s website. This is a big win because even if the user never clicks, they got the answer directly from you.

The product page is now optimized to capture both traditional clicks from search results and to have its content surface in Q&A contexts. On Google Search, it ranks well and perhaps even has a rich snippet or FAQ dropdown. On answer engines, it frequently gets cited for relevant questions (with or without attribution).

Example 2: Optimizing a Blog Article (Content Marketing)

Scenario: You maintain a blog on your website as part of content marketing. One of your articles is “Running with Flat Feet: 10 Tips to Improve Comfort and Performance.” It’s an informational piece targeting runners with flat feet (which complements selling running shoes for flat feet, in our hypothetical brand).

SEO approach for the blog post

• Keyword targeting: Likely targets include “running with flat feet,” “tips for flat foot runners,” “how to run with flat feet without pain,” etc. The title tag might be “Running with Flat Feet: 10 Tips for Comfort and Performance.” The URL could be /blog/running-with-flat-feet-tips.
• Content quality: You write a thorough article, maybe 2,000 words, covering the topic in depth. It includes an introduction discussing the challenges of flat feet in running, then enumerates the 10 tips (each tip is a subheading H2 or H3: e.g., “1. Choose the Right Shoes for Flat Feet,” “2. Use Orthotic Insoles If Needed,” “3. Strengthen Your Arch Muscles,” etc.). Each tip has a few paragraphs of explanation. You might include quotes from a podiatrist or references to studies (e.g., a study about injury rates in flat-footed runners). Perhaps you include a custom infographic summarizing the tips for visual appeal (and pinning potential).
• On-page SEO: Ensure the primary keyword “running with flat feet” appears in the first paragraph and a few times naturally. Also include related terms (“fallen arches,” “overpronation” – if appropriate). The meta description could be: “Learn how to run comfortably even with flat feet. Discover 10 expert tips on shoe selection, insoles, exercises, and techniques to improve your running performance.” This invites clicks from those seeking this advice.
• Internal/external links: You link out to authoritative sources (maybe a Mayo Clinic page on flat feet, or a study in a sports journal) – which is good for readers and can indirectly boost credibility. You link internally to your product page for Acme Model X when discussing choosing the right shoe (but in a helpful, non-salesy way: “For example, stability shoes like our Acme Model X provide extra arch support that flat-footed runners often need.”). You also link to another blog post you have, say “Best Stretching Exercises for Runners” because it’s relevant for warm-ups.
• Images with alt text: You have images for perhaps the foot exercises. Alt text like “Foot stretch exercise for flat feet” helps SEO (and accessibility).
• Promotion/backlinks: You share this post on running forums or social media groups. Perhaps it earns a few backlinks from a running subreddit wiki or a small sports blog that found it useful.

AEO approach for the blog post

To optimize this article for answer engines:

• Add an “Answer-Friendly” Summary: At the end of the intro or right before diving into the tips, consider adding a brief summary or Q&A format. For instance: “Common Questions: Q: Can people with flat feet run long distances? A: Absolutely – with proper shoes and training, runners with flat feet can safely run long distances. Q: What helps flat-footed runners avoid injury? A: Strengthening foot muscles, using arch support, and gradually increasing mileage can all help prevent injuries.” This little Q&A could capture the common queries. Mark it up with FAQ schema as well. This way, someone asking “Can people with flat feet run?” may get the gist from your answer via an AI.
• Featured snippet targeting in content: Look at the People Also Ask questions on Google for “running with flat feet.” Suppose they are: “Is it bad to run if you have flat feet?” “Do flat feet make you run slower?” “How do I stop my feet from hurting when I run?” etc. Ensure your article answers these within the text. You might even use them as subheadings or within a section. Example: after your 10 tips, you have an H2: “Frequently Asked Questions about Flat Feet and Running” under which you address those questions explicitly.
  • “Is it bad to run with flat feet? Running with flat feet isn’t inherently bad. Many people with flat arches run pain-free. The key is to have the right support and strengthen the foot muscles. Without support, flat-footed runners might overpronate, which can lead to injuries, but proper shoes or insoles can compensate.” – This directly answers the question, so an AI could lift: “Running with flat feet isn’t inherently bad. Many people with flat arches run pain-free – the key is to have the right support and strengthen foot muscles.”
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  • Do similarly for the other FAQs.
• Use Lists for “Listable” Tips: Since your article is “10 Tips…” ensure that the HTML actually has a list structure or clear separation of the items. A numbered list ( <ol><li>Tip 1 …</li><li>Tip 2 …</li></ol>) could be recognized by Google or Bing’s AI. Google might feature a snippet like “Top 5 of the 10 tips” as a list and then “… see more.” Bing’s answer might enumerate them as well. ChatGPT, if asked “What are some tips for running with flat feet?” could glean those 10 tips from your content, especially if they’re clearly delineated.
• Incorporate conversational Qs in the text: Even within paragraphs, you can use a question-answer style to emphasize points. For instance, in the section about insoles, you could write, “You may wonder, do I need orthotic insoles if I have flat feet? The answer is: not always, but many flat-footed runners find them helpful for added arch support…” This mirrors a conversational query and directly answers it, making it easy for an answer engine to isolate that exchange.
• Schema beyond FAQ: If appropriate, you could use HowTo schema if one of the tips is very process-oriented (say one tip is “Foot Strengthening Exercises” and you list exercises step by step – though that’s more HowTo if it’s a singular process). For general tips, probably FAQ schema for the Q&A is most straightforward. Article schema is usually automatically applied (or by default), which is fine.
• Check AI results: After optimizing, you might go to ChatGPT’s GPT-4 (with browsing) and ask: “How can I prevent foot pain from flat feet when running?” Ideally, part of the answer it gives resembles content from your article (like it mentions using arch supports, doing foot exercises, etc., potentially in the same order or wording as you provided). If it ends up quoting or citing “Acme.com Blog” as a source (for Bing Chat or new ChatGPT with citations), you succeeded. If not, see what source it did use and whether your content could be tweaked to be more like that (while still being original, of course).

The blog post not only ranks well for human searchers, but bits of it become the answers delivered by AI assistants for relevant questions. A runner might ask their voice assistant, “How can I run without pain if I have flat feet?” and get a response like, “According to Acme’s Running Blog: Use proper arch-supporting shoes, do strengthening exercises for your feet, and increase your running distance gradually to avoid pain.”

That user now got your advice without coming to the blog – but they learned your brand name and hopefully trust your expertise. And if they need shoes, they might remember to visit your site (or the assistant might even follow up with “Do you want to hear about a shoe designed for flat feet from Acme?” – which is not far-fetched as integrations deepen!).

Balancing SEO and AEO for Maximum Visibility

The rise of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other answer engines doesn’t spell the end of traditional SEO – rather, it adds a new dimension to it. Search Engine Optimization and Answer Engine Optimization share the fundamental principle of delivering relevant, high-quality information to users, but they operate in complementary ways:

• SEO ensures your content can be found and ranked by search engines. It’s about earning a spot in the search results and enticing the click. All the classic elements – from keyword strategy to link building – still apply in 2025 and remain essential. If your content isn’t ranking in search, it likely won’t be chosen by answer engines either. Think of SEO as the foundation of your visibility; it feeds users to your site and feeds answer engines the material they need.
• AEO ensures your content can be understood and utilized by answer-generating AI. It’s about structuring your knowledge so that an AI can easily grab the answer and, ideally, attribute it to you. AEO involves anticipating user questions, providing concise answers, and using tools like schema markup to speak directly to the algorithms. It acknowledges that users might get your information in new ways – via snippets, voice answers, or chat responses – and optimizes for those scenarios.

To succeed going forward you need to do both AEO and SEO. Period.

Need Help Building a Dual-optimized SEO and AEO Strategy?

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