Up until recent years, most of what we’ve worried about is SEO. It was important that we understood what it was. And that we knew how to improve it.
You know I’ve mentioned SEO numerous times on this blog. In fact, one of my earliest posts was about SEO and its importance. I can’t overstate the importance of SEO when it comes to online activity.
Well, the importance of SEO hasn’t changed. But, there’s a new player on the field: AEO.
I’ll admit, I didn’t know what AEO was until recently. I had seen it mentioned a couple times in concurrence with SEO. But I didn’t know what it meant. It sparked my curiosity, though, so I looked it up.
AEO is answer engine optimization.
It is a strategy that makes your content discoverable by AI search engines, like ChatGPT. It’s related to SEO, but it doesn’t focus on getting clicks.
You’ve seen the AI overviews on Google whenever you search something. Those overviews come from different sources. They provide users with answers without clicking through to a website. AEO is a strategy that makes your content more visible to AI search engines. So, it’s your content that gets included in those overviews. Not just your competition’s.
Obviously, AEO is a new strategy since AI technology is relatively new. The research that I have done into it has not made me an expert, so I wish I could provide you with more insight.
It has proven the importance of AEO, though. And the importance of writers understanding AEO if they plan on staying relevant.
So, let’s get into what AEO is and how we can achieve it.
What Is AEO?
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. I said that much already.
It’s a digital marketing strategy that makes your content appear when AI is asked a question. Obviously, this question pertains to your business or industry. You don’t want plumbing content appearing when you have someone asking AI about taxes. Okay, that is unlikely, but you get the point (I hope).
Much of AEO relies on how you format your content. You want content formatted in a way that AI easily parses through it and shares it. The goal is training AI, in a sense.
Why Does AEO Matter?
AEO is growing in importance because of the changing way people search for information.
Over 60 percent of the time, online searches end with no clicks. Why? Because people are getting their answers in AI snippets and summaries.
There isn’t a need for clicking through to a website. The few people seeking detailed answers will. But the average person doesn’t. The AI overview is enough. Businesses and writers must understand that. And accept that as the new reality.
I get that it’s unfortunate. We spent all this time learning SEO. Now, there is something new we must learn. But hey, that’s the way of the world. Businesses evolve for the changing times. Why wouldn’t freelance writers?
The reliance on these AI overviews has grown, too. At the beginning of 2025, only around 7 percent of Google searches had AI overviews. Within two months, that percentage was almost at 14.
Now, in 2026, I’m guessing it’s closer to 100 percent. I, personally, have not searched for anything in a while that didn’t have an AI overview.
The adoption of AI has grown. We are seeing a reality where most searches are zero-click searches. Further, there is a dramatic growth in voice-activated services and voice commerce. How often have you seen commercials for buying the solution after searching for an answer on Alexa? Or inquiring about the best strollers on Siri and then purchasing it without ever clicking on anything?
This is the reality of our world. We love convenience. So, it’s about time that freelance writers get on board.
What are the Differences Between AEO and SEO?
To restate, AEO and SEO are complementary. Yet, they are also two different strategies.
Search engine optimization (SEO) employs keywords commonly used in search engines. Incorporating these keywords helps online content appear in search engine results.
The goal is having a website rank in results. Usually on the first or second page. With a higher ranking, the website enjoys more traffic. And, for companies, this translates to more sales. Traffic, conversions, and impressions are all common metrics used for tracking SEO.
AEO does not help with where a website ranks in search results. An article focused on AEO answers a full, conversational question. It does not incorporate keywords. Or even worry about keywords, whatsoever.
AEO articles improve the visibility of a website. Visibility to AI engines, that is. The more a company appears in AI answers, the more consumers begin trusting their brand. This increases conversion rates and referrals.
How are AEO and SEO Connected?
Both SEO and AEO increase visibility. SEO attacks visibility in search engines. And AEO attacks visibility in AI systems. But they both improve a company’s visibility to consumers.
Because of their joint goals, they work together. SEO builds trustworthiness and domain authority. It does this with backlinks, authentic content, and use of keywords or keyphrases. In a similar way, AEO makes content accessible to AI systems.
AI favors trusted domains. So, by improving trust via SEO, AEO is also improved. AI also cites sources that rank well in search results. Yet again, SEO improves AEO. When improving AI visibility, a successful SEO strategy supports it. All aspects of SEO, such as its backlinks and visibility on search engines, increase the chances of AI inclusion.
You need SEO and AEO for success. You cannot achieve visibility in either area if you only incorporate one strategy.
How Do You Get Started With AEO?
You (hopefully) already know good SEO strategies. If not, look through my articles. They mention SEO several times.
But about AEO?
I already mentioned that the two strategies are related. But focusing on SEO alone does not mean you succeeded with AEO.
Start with addressing the formatting of your content. AI systems like structured and clear information. Using bullet lists and descriptive headlines aid with AI parsing through content. Further, make sure content answers real questions that target audiences are asking. AI overviews have limited word counts, so they will not share your content verbatim. Make it simple enough to make a point without requiring many words.
Next, consider the trustworthiness and expertise within the content. Authoritativeness and experience is also important. Following standards of expertise, trustworthiness, authoritativeness, and experience make content more appealing to AI.
Finally, lead with strong answers. Most people look at the first 30 percent of an AI overview. What does this mean for content? It means putting the valuable information at the beginning.
Start sections, pages, etc. with the answers to the question you are targeting. The content after that is for consumers seeking additional explanations.
Succeeding With SEO and AEO
Many freelance writers can get by right now staying focused on SEO. AEO is such a new concept that even my Google Document keeps flagging it as a misspelled “SEO.”
But, as freelance writers, we must evolve with the times. And that means incorporating AEO into our skills and strategies. Having an understanding of this new strategy keeps us competitive. There are plenty of freelancers who won’t bother. And plenty more that will remain unaware of AEO until it becomes crucial for finding work.
Staying ahead of the curve is the best option. We can’t predict the future. But ignoring the current reality and the potential curve ahead of us does no good.
Learning about AEO does not require much. As I mentioned, it’s remarkably similar in strategy to SEO. So, we already have most of the tools and understanding we need. Still, do not ignore it.
Know what it is. Know how you do it. And become an expert in it.