Intro to AEO
AEO is a new approach to search engine optimisation and a step on from traditional SEO. It changes the whole way we use search engines. With AEO, the search engine meets your questions with more precise and direct answers. You no longer have to find your way through a maze of links to get the information you need.
Let's take a closer look at AEO, and at why it's becoming an unavoidable part of SEO in the future.
What is AEO?
For many years, search engines have been the place you look for information. The information is only a few clicks away, and yet you don't always get an answer to exactly the search intent you have. That problem is becoming a thing of the past as AEO gains ground.
AEO stands for "Answer Engine Optimisation". As the name makes fairly obvious, the purpose is to give you an answer to your search query. When you ask a search engine with AI technology a question, the engine analyses the query and finds the most relevant and precise answer.
The engine uses advanced algorithms and natural language understanding to interpret the context of your query. It then shows you the best answer from the content that's available. That content is optimised to be informative, direct and easy to understand.
Traditional search engines such as Google and Bing give you a list of search results. AI-generated answer engines take it a step further and answer exactly what you're asking.
In other words, all the relevant information is served up for you on a silver platter. You don't have to click around several websites yourself to find the answer. AEO is the work of improving those answers, so users get a better experience and more relevant, valuable content.
AI, a game changer in the SEO world
ChatGPT arrived on the scene at the end of November 2022 and made big waves in the tech world. Since then, the language model has only got better over the past year.
Around a year after ChatGPT's debut, Google launched its own answer: Google Gemini. Today, Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode are built on Gemini. In other words, AI is here to stay, and AI is now a central part of SEO.
Google accepts AI-generated content and has launched its own AI technology. Both point to AEO becoming an integrated and indispensable part of search engine optimisation going forward. So if you want to stay competitive online, you need to understand AI-based strategies and build them into your SEO work.
AEO boiled down
In short, AEO is about making your digital content match what users are searching for.
The web holds so much information that it's easy to lose track. That's why answer engines need to give a precise answer to your precise request.
This happens in several ways:
Understanding user intent: AEO is about understanding users' intent more deeply when they search. You find out what they're searching for, and also why they're searching for that particular information.
That insight into the user's underlying intent matters. With it, you can tailor your content so it precisely meets users' needs and questions.
Formatting content: AEO also means formatting your content so both users and search engines can digest it easily. Use bullet points, tables and question-and-answer formats.
That makes it easier for search engines to find and select relevant information in your content. It increases the chance of your content appearing as the direct answer.
Consequences for traditional SEO
AEO belongs to the SEO world, and it changes the way we traditionally understand SEO. SEO is still about ranking highly for specific keywords. Now it's also about understanding users' intent and answering their questions more directly and precisely.
For you and your SEO specialists, this means thinking more about how your content both informs and directly answers users' questions. You develop content that's more targeted at specific search queries. At the same time, you stick with the classic SEO techniques: relevant keywords and building backlinks.
With AEO, search engine algorithms are also becoming more advanced. They're getting better at understanding the context and quality of content. That's why Google's E-E-A-T principles carry more weight, because those factors largely determine how your content ranks in the search results.
So your website increasingly needs content that's SEO-friendly and at the same time shows authority and trustworthiness in your field. This goes hand in hand with Google's assessment of helpful content. Here, too, Google puts quality over quantity and the user before the machine.
AEO strategies
Create AI-friendly content: AI-friendly content starts with natural language that sounds like a conversation. AI systems prioritise content that sounds natural and is easy to understand. That's especially true of systems with voice search.
Write naturally, and still weave in relevant keywords and phrases. They help AI understand the context and relevance of your content.
FAQ sections can also pay off. They help AI systems find the relevant answers in your content.
Optimise for specific search queries: First, find out what types of questions your customers are likely to ask AI-driven search platforms.
Then you can shape your content so it answers exactly those questions directly.
Tools such as Semrush and Google's Keyword Planner help you find popular questions and terms in your industry.
Once you know them, you adapt your content so it gives precise and trustworthy answers. That increases the likelihood of AI using your content. At the same time, your readers get more out of it.
Use structured data and Schema Markup: AEO benefits from structured data and Schema Markup. They give search engines extra information and context about the content on a website.
Schema Markup works like a set of extra instructions. It tells search engines what a particular part of the content actually is. For example, it can clearly show whether a section is a recipe, a product review or something else entirely. That makes it far easier for search engines to understand the content and choose the most relevant information for a comprehensive answer.
Read more about structured data here.
Get help succeeding with AEO
As an SEO agency, we follow developments in SEO closely, and that includes the latest in AEO. We're happy to help you update your website so it suits the new ways people search.
Contact us today. Together, we'll give your online visibility a real boost.