For years, businesses have been spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on SEO strategies to rank higher on search engines and increase overall conversions. However, as technology evolves and user behavior changes, there’s a new buzzword in the digital marketing industry: Ask Engine Optimization (AEO). This shift has sparked a debate about AEO vs. SEO and which strategy is better for business growth.
To clear up the confusion, this article will discuss the key differences in AEO vs. SEO, how they work, and tips on using both effectively. Let’s start!
What is AEO?
Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, is the use of AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand a user query and provide a direct answer to it. To help you understand it better, AEO involves optimizing large learning models to influence their learning and training data to ensure your brand is always present wherever needed.
This eliminates the need for users to go through multiple web pages. They often get the desired answer in snippet form or in voice search, resulting in zero clicks and little to no wait.
AEO is quickly making its way into the business’s digital marketing strategy, as nearly 60% of Google searches result in zero clicks. Not only this, but businesses optimizing for featured snippets experience a 114% increase in organic visibility compared to those who don’t.
Key Elements of AEO
Now let’s look at the key elements of AEO in AEO vs. SEO:
Keyword Research
Just like traditional SEO practices, one of the key elements of AEO is keyword research. You have to find terms and phrases that are mostly asked by users and are related to your niche.
Instead of being just one word, these terms are in the form of questions starting with “how does” or “what is.”
For instance, if you are a clothing brand, your AEO around keywords might include “What is the best way to style oversized hoodies?” or “How to find the right outerwear for short men?”
Content Structure
Another important thing is the content structure, the way you shape your website, and the data present on each page. Make sure the question you are answering is at the top so search engines can easily find what users really need.
Don’t forget to use proper headings and bullet points to maximize the content’s readability and increase its chances of appearing in a snippet or voice search.
Schema Markup
Schema markup, or you can say structured data, is a code that makes it easy for search engines to understand a website’s content. To optimize your content for the answer engine, you should implement schema markup. This allows your content, whether articles or products, to be featured in rich snippets.
It’s also suggested that you add an FAQs section to your content to maximize its chances of being picked up by answer engines.
What is SEO?
In AEO vs. SEO, the latter stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s a process that improves your website visibility as well as rankings in search engines. You have to optimize the website’s technical configuration, content relevance, and link popularity so its pages become more relevant to user queries.
Businesses often spend most of their budget on SEO strategies to attract the maximum audience to their offerings.
Statistics show that the average small business owner spends $497.16 per month on SEO services for all the right reasons. As per 55% of marketers, SEO provides a better return on investment (ROI) than any other marketing strategy. On top of this, the close rate for SEO leads is also 15%.
Key Elements of SEO
Here’s an overview of the key elements of search optimization (SEO):
Keywords Insertion
One of the primary elements of SEO in AEO vs. SEO is keyword insertion. You’ve to find terms that are relevant to your business and have high search volume along with low keyword difficulty.
For instance, if you run a skincare brand, some good keyword suggestions include “skincare for oily skin” or “cleanser for men.”
Once you have found terms people actively search for, you should strategically incorporate them into your content for better targeting.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is all about improving the structure of your website so search engines can crawl and index it properly. Here’s what you need to do:
- Optimize page speed for faster loading times
- Ensure mobile-friendliness, as around 98 percent of global users access the internet via mobile phones
- Fix all broken links and enhance overall navigation
On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization, as the name implies, involves the improvement of individual web pages so they rank higher in search engines. Following are some of the things that you have to do:
- Compress images without compromising on quality and also add alt texts
- Use relevant keywords in headings, title tags, and meta descriptions
- Write high-quality content that addresses the needs of users
Backlinks
Backlinks are actually links from other websites that direct users towards your site, acting as a vote of confidence. They are among the key elements of SEO and play an important role in improving your website’s authority. Here’s how you can get backlinks:
- Reach out to industry blogs for guest posting
- Create shareable content and get listed in business directories
AEO Vs. SEO: Key Differences
Here’s a detailed overview of AEO vs. SEO that help you understand the difference in both content optimization techniques so you can pick the right one for your business:
Primary Goal
- AEO: In AEO vs. SEO, the former provides direct and concise answers to user queries, either in the form of snippets, answer boxes, or voice searches. It enhances visibility and, in some instances, may drive engagement.
- SEO: SEO, on the other hand, aims to improve website ranking on search engines, including Google, by optimizing content, adding high-quality backlinks, and improving technical SEO.
Devices
- AEO: AEO reaches users who are actively searching for answers via mobile phones, smart speakers, and voice assistants.
- SEO: It primarily targets users who browse different products and services via their mobile phones and desktops.
Search Intent
- AEO: The search intent of AEO is quite narrow as it only covers conversational, primarily FAQ-based questions or topics.
- SEO: In AEO vs. SEO, the latter addresses a variety of search intents, whether informational, transactional, or promotional.
Impact on Traffic
- AEO: AEO doesn’t always bring in engagement, as users get responses directly within the search results, either in the form of snippets or voice search results.
- SEO: However, SEO is all about posting content that attracts users to click on your website and engage with it by reading blogs, buying a product, or signing up for a newsletter. This is traffic-driven and brings in more foot traffic and conversions to your business.
Tools and Techniques
- AEO: Expert relies on structured data or schema markup, conversational keywords, and AI-friendly formatting.
- SEO: In AEO vs. SEO, the expert uses tools like Semrush, Google Console, Ahref, and Google Analytics for the latter.
Content-Type
- AEO: Well, AEO has concise and snippet-friendly content like FAQs.
- SEO: SEO, in AEO vs. SEO, features blog posts, articles, product pages, and other long-form content optimized for specific keywords.
Best For
- AEO: Suitable for industries where quick answers are mandatory, including healthcare.
- SEO: Best for industries or businesses that want to increase website ranking, foot traffic, and overall visibility, such as beauty, clothing, and more.
While you may be hearing that businesses will use AEO instead of SEO, it’s not the truth. These both strategies are going to complement each other and not compete. How? Well, users might rely on answer engines when they need quick answers.
But for in-depth research, they still have to sift through a variety of articles and blogs present on search engines like Google. Therefore, you need to create content that’s optimized for both answer engines and search engines!
FAQs
Should I find different keywords for AEO and SEO?
Yes, you should find different keywords for AEO and SEO. It’s because AEO revolves around question-based and conversational keywords. Contrarily, SEO incorporates a mix of long-tail question-based keywords as well as short terms and phrases.
What are the types of Answer Engines?
There are two main types of answer engines: Generative AI Bots and AI Voice Search Assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant.
Do I need both SEO and AEO for my business?
Yes, you should use both SEO and AEO for your business to maximize your digital presence. SEO brings traffic to your website, while AEO ensures your content is properly optimized for voice search and offers users a convenient search experience.
Conclusion
In AEO vs. SEO, you shouldn’t pick one but rather master the art of both strategies. This helps you take your content to the next level and cater to the needs of the maximum audience. Don’t know how to do that? Well, you should trust Designs by Don W! We offer a wide range of SEO services, from on-page SEO to off-page SEO and technical SEO.
Our custom SEO solutions are designed for businesses’ particular needs. Our team analyzes your goals, identifies your KPIs, and then develops an efficient plan that will bring you the desired results.