The search landscape has shifted. Search engines are no longer just indexes — they are answer engines. AI systems now summarise, interpret, and deliver responses before a user clicks anything. To stay visible, businesses must rethink their strategy.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) has emerged as the response. It is not a trend or tweak. It is a new framework designed for AI-generated search. Where traditional SEO tried to win the top spot in search results, AEO focuses on making sure your content is selected by the AI to be shown, quoted, or cited.
What Is AEO?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) is the process of preparing your content to be used directly in AI-generated responses. These might appear in:
- Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE)
- Bing’s AI-powered results
- ChatGPT and other assistants summarising web content
- Answering specific user questions clearly
- Structuring content in machine-readable formats
-
>Using schema markup like
FAQPageandHowTo - Focusing on accuracy, clarity, and topical depth
It is not just about being found — it is about being used.
Why AEO Now?
AI tools are changing search behaviour. People expect direct answers, and AI tools deliver them from multiple sources. Ranking on page one is no longer the goal. Being part of the AI’s answer is.
As Rachel Cornish, Director at ExtraDigital, explains:
“SEO practice must keep evolving to match the way people search and the tools they search on. Being at the forefront of responding to this is important to gain the highest visibility for our clients.”
AEO vs Traditional SEO
AEO does not replace every aspect of SEO, but it redirects priorities.
Traditional SEO
- Keyword targeting
- Link-building focus
- Meta optimisation
- Traffic through rankings
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)
- Natural language question matching
- Semantic authority and clarity
- Content that AI can extract and reuse
- Visibility within AI-generated content
With AEO, your content is judged not just by relevance, but by how well it answers.
What AEO Content Looks Like
Effective AEO content:
- Begins with a clear, concise answer to a real question
- Uses structured headings based on query language
- Links to authoritative sources
- Avoids filler or keyword-stuffed copy
- Includes schema markup for clarity
This approach helps AI systems identify your page as a source of truth.
Measurable Results
Businesses that adopt AEO early are already seeing the difference.
Jonny Coupland, Digital Marketing Strategist at ExtraDigital, reports:
“Clients are already seeing leads directly attributed to AI-generated results.”
It is encouraging to see AEO inclusive strategy showing results.
The Future Is Answer-Led
Users do not want ten blue links. They want answers. And AI delivers them by scanning structured, reliable content. AEO ensures your business is part of that response.
It is no longer enough to optimise for search engines. You need to optimise for answer engines.
Conclusion
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) will become as important as, and potentially replace, SEO. Marketers who adapt early will win visibility, trust, and leads from the new front end of search.
The change has already started. The question is whether your content is ready to be the answer.
