Why AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) Is the Future of SEO

Optimisation is changing how businesses show up online.

AEO: Not Just Another Acronym to Pretend You Understand

Let’s face it marketing is full of acronyms. SEO, PPC, CRM, ROI ... and now AEO has entered the chat. Don’t worry if your first instinct is to roll your eyes. I get it. But as someone who runs a marketing business and genuinely is a geek when it comes to this stuff (yes, I’m that person), I can tell you: AEO is worth a look.

And no, it’s not a typo.

What Is AEO (And Why It’s Actually Quite Important)

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation essentially, the smarter, sassier cousin of SEO.

Where traditional SEO focuses on getting your website to show up in search results, AEO is all about getting your content featured as a direct answer to someone’s question. Think voice assistants, “People also ask” boxes, and the eerily accurate AI responses that make you wonder if your laptop’s been eavesdropping on your thoughts.

AEO helps search engines understand your content so well that they skip the list and just hand your answer straight to the user. Front of the queue. No elbowing required.

Why AEO Answer Engine Optimisation Isn’t Just Hype (Even Though It Sounds Like It)

I’m not here to tell you AEO Answer Engine Optimisation is going to solve all of your marketing problems, grow your revenue overnight, or make your morning coffee. But potentially if you want to be visible online over the next year or two, AEO is something you should absolutely be paying attention to.

The way people search is changing. Google’s rolling out AI-generated answers. ChatGPT is already helping users make buying decisions. And voice search? Still growing.

Businesses that ignore this shift risk becoming invisible even if their SEO is decent.

How I'm Approaching AEO With Clients (Without the Tech Headache)

There's still a lot my team and I need to learn in regards to AEO but when I work with clients, I'm beginning to look at where AEO can support their existing strategy. This doesn’t mean burning everything down and starting again. It means:

• Writing content that answers real questions clearly

• Tidying up your site structure so both humans and bots can find their way around

• Adding structured data (schema) so search engines can understand what on earth your site is actually about
  

In short, it’s a bit like making your website easier to read for a slightly impatient robot. Which, to be fair, is most of the internet these days.

Bottom Line? If You’re Serious About Showing Up, Get on It

I’m not saying AEO is the only thing that matters and I wouldn't recommend redirecting a large chunk of budgets on this either, direct outreach is still going to be more effective when it comes to lead gen. I think if you’re serious about your business and you want to show up in the right places online, this is something you need to be aware of and maybe incorporate it into your existing strategy.

Waiting until “everyone else is doing it” kind of defeats the point.

Need a Hand With It?

If you’re looking to improve your marketing strategy and stay ahead of the curve (without losing your sanity to acronyms), book your free consultation. We’ll have a proper chat about where your business is now, where you want to go, and whether AEO (and everything else) is helping or holding you back.