AEO or SEO? What you need to know

SEO, or search engine optimisation, is key to much of the work we do at March Branding. We structure and enhance sites to rank as high as possible in search results, allowing your audience to find you quickly and intuitively.

The arrival of AI-powered search tools means brands and agencies are having to reconsider their search strategy, however. ‘Answer engines’ such as voice assistants, ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overview and Microsoft’s Copilot now provide direct responses to searches, which are presented as a definitive source of truth rather than a list of sources from which the user can obtain information.

AEO, or answer engine optimisation, is therefore the process of optimising a website so that these tools cite or mention it in their responses.

We explore the ins and outs of AEO and answer some of the questions our clients might have.

What is AEO?

You may have noticed that when you type a question into Google, you now receive an AI Overview at the top of the page, followed by the usual list of relevant websites.

Alternatively, you may already be using an AI-powered tool such as ChatGPT to answer complex questions – whether you need a recipe for gluten-free birthday cake or a list of sustainable flooring suppliers.

These answer engines are designed to enhance and accelerate the search process: we no longer have to skim-read several different websites, gleaning the relevant information from each to arrive at an answer. We have tools to do it for us (although their accuracy has been debated).

How is AEO different from SEO?

SEO uses techniques such as keywords, site structure, backlinks and content depth to improve your ranking on traditional search engines such as Google and Bing. Ranking high in search results helps drive visitors to your website.

AEO, on the other hand, makes the content on your website easier for AI systems to understand and cite, meaning it is more likely to be included in AI-generated responses. There is considerable overlap between the two processes, however, and each complements the other.

Is SEO no longer necessary?

SEO remains important. Many of the techniques that help your site rank with traditional search engines like Google also make it more likely to be cited by AI tools. SEO techniques such as backlinking help build the authority of your site, while content structuring makes it easier for answer engines to understand.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that many Google searches – particularly navigational and transactional ones – don’t yet elicit an AI overview. If a customer or client searches for your brand name to find your website, SEO means they’ll find it first, rather than a competitor’s.

Similarly, if a user searches for a service or product – for example, ‘Interior designers in Knightsbridge’, they’re still likely to receive a standard list of websites, without the AI overview.

What can I do to optimise my site for answer engines?

Many of the steps that are important for SEO also boost your site’s favour with answer engines. These include:

1. Keeping your content up-to-date and unique

Regularly updating the content on your website makes it more appealing to both search and answer engines. Conduct regular content audits, updating any information that’s no longer accurate. Refresh images regularly, and if you don’t already have a blog, consider introducing one – just make sure you keep it updated.

The content on your website should also be authoritative and original, rather than regurgitated from other sources. Share your personal experience and professional expertise, and consider commissioning surveys or research to generate new data.

2. Structuring your content strategically

The order and location of headings and key information on your site helps both search and answer engines to process them. Wherever possible, the most important information should be frontloaded and formatting should be consistent throughout the content on your site. Your web developer can also use schema markup, a code-based vocabulary, to label key information.

3. Increase your brand’s authority

You can boost your brand’s authority by securing backlinks and mentions on other sites. Collaborating with willing partners, suppliers or clients might mean agreeing reciprocal backlinks and mentions, while effective PR can lead to coverage on high-traffic industry websites. This boosts your site’s authority and makes it more likely to be cited by both search and answer engines.

So while answer engines and AI-assisted search have not negated the benefits of SEO, it’s important to adapt your site structure, metadata and content to take full advantage of the opportunities they present.