The rise of AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini, along with smart speakers, is making search more conversational. More and more people now get answers to their queries without even clicking on a search result, contributing to the hype of Ask Engine Optimization (AEO). Statistics show that about 53% of desktop users and 57% of mobile users don’t click on an organic or paid result. This must be making you wonder: are marketers now going to rely on AEO instead of SEO? Whether AEO is good to be a complement or competitor to SEO?
Well, to answer your questions, we are going to explain how AEO works, its relationship with SEO, and how businesses can make both work in collaboration. Continue reading!
Overview of AEO and Why It’s Rising
AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, is the process of optimizing your content so that it appears as a direct response to user queries. It uses both AI and Natural Language Processing models to influence the learning and training of data, ensuring the right message reaches the audience at the right time and in a concise manner.
The response is provided to the end users either in a snippet form, answer box, or a voice search result. Here are some reasons that tell you why AEO is rising quickly:
Growth of AI Assistants
Nowadays, AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT or Gemini and AI voice assistants are becoming the go-to source of users for quick answers. It’s because AI saves them from the hassle of scrolling through different web pages and provides them with immediate and accurate information.
A survey by Pew Research found that 55% of Americans said they regularly use AI. Not only this, but 92% of users utilize AI voice assistants for online searches.
This rapid adoption of AI tools is encouraging businesses to incorporate AEO in their digital marketing strategy. You need to create content that’s optimized for voice searches as well as AI snippets to get maximum visibility.
Changing User Behaviour
In the past, users entered a query in search engines and then sifted through different web pages until they found the right answer.
However, today, the user wants convenience combined with accurate information as quickly as possible.
That’s why it’s essential for you to opt for AEO instead of SEO. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your brand content is present everywhere, whether it’s an AI assistant or voice search query, catering to diverse user needs.
Competitive Edge
Search engines these days are bombarded with hundreds and thousands of websites. This makes it quite difficult for you to stand out and make a lasting impact on user experience.
One of the major reasons behind AEO’s popularity is that it helps you get a competitive edge.
How? Well, companies that actively optimize their content for AEO instead of SEO are likely to get featured in snippets and voice search results. Hence, you see better visibility and reach as more and more people become aware of your brand and offerings.
Overview of SEO and Why It’s Still Important
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process of improving a site’s content and technical aspects so your website ranks higher on search engines.
Compared to AEO, which increases visibility and enhances user convenience, SEO is more focused on driving organic traffic and boosting user engagement.
It’s an important part of almost all business’s digital marketing strategies. Statistics show that the global market for SEO was estimated at $82.3 billion in 2023 and will reach $143.9 billion by 2030.
Primarily because SEO is the fourth most popular marketing channel, and around 69% of companies invested in SEO last year. So, if you are wondering why SEO is still important and whether businesses are going to use AEO instead of SEO, here are the major reasons:
Building Credibility
If your content is on the third page or later on Google or any other search engine, it depicts that your content isn’t that high-quality.
However, incorporating SEO practices in your site significantly improves its ranking.
Your content may appear on the first page or even in the top 3 search results. In the user’s eyes, the higher the ranking, the higher the quality of content, which builds your credibility.
Local SEO
Local businesses rely on local SEO to drive traffic. For instance, if you are a shoe brand looking to attract more customers, you may use keywords and phrases like “best leather shoes near me” or “best men’s shoes in Albany, New York.” This makes your business appear in local search results and Google Maps, helping potential customers find you easily.
Search Engines are Still the King
Traditional search engines such as Google and Bing still handle billions of user queries every day, showing that SEO is a game-changer for many businesses. You need to adhere to proper SEO tactics to rank your website well and attract the maximum audience to your business.
Organic Visibility
Organic search still remains one of the primary ways users discover new businesses. If you use SEO in your digital marketing strategy, you can rank well on search engines for relevant keywords. You can then get consistent organic traffic that’s sure to stay with you long-term, and you don’t have to rely on paid marketing.
AEO Instead of SEO: Is It Going to Be the Reality?
Looking at the popularity of AEO and SEO, there’s a heated debate going on: are businesses going to adopt AEO instead of SEO?
The simple answer is NO! You’ll not see AEO instead of SEO trends, as businesses see them as complementary and not as competition. AEO ensures that your brand successfully makes its mark in the emerging AI field, while SEO keeps you in organic searches to attract more traffic.
Together, these strategies maximize your visibility, whether it’s on AI assistants or daily search engine results, so you maintain a competitive edge and don’t get much impacted by the changing digital marketing tactics.
How to Optimize Your Content for AEO Without Compromising on SEO?
Now that you know businesses aren’t going to use AEO instead of SEO but are taking both in collaboration, you must be wondering how you can optimize your content for both. The following are some tips that help you in this regard:
- Focus on Answering Questions: One of the best ways to optimize your content for AEO without compromising on SEO is to focus on answering questions early and directly within your content. You can do this by identifying a common question in your niche and placing its answer right after the introductory paragraph. Also, use headers like “what is” or “how does” to help search engines understand that your content can be useful for the audience.
- Use Long-Tail Keywords: Another thing you can do is to use long-tail keywords in your content. These long-tail and often question-based keywords are an important part of SEO and are also more likely to appear in snippets and voice search results. To find such terms, you can use tools like AnswerThePublic or go through Google’s People Also Ask for section.
- Provide High-Quality Content: Google features well-written content with high E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). So, to maximize your chances of appearing in search results and snippets, you should create content that’s well-researched and approved by industry experts.
- Use Schema Markup: Schema markups are actually codes that help search engines understand the information present on a page. You should use markups like Faq Schema and Howto Schema to make sure your content appears in snippets and voice search results, which is the core of AEO.
Future of AEO and SEO
AEO instead of SEO isn’t going to be a reality for now. But if you are eager to learn about their future, here’s an overview:
Since AI voice assistants prefer conversational phrases and questions, there will be an increased focus on adding natural and more conversational queries in content. Businesses will create content not only for search engines but also for AI platforms to capture the growing audience that demands immediate and direct answers without any clicks.
FAQs
Should businesses use AEO instead of SEO?
No, businesses should integrate AEO alongside SEO to ensure strong visibility across different platforms, whether in search engines or AI voice assistants.
What type of content is best for AEO?
The best types of content for AEO include FAQs, step-by-step guides, and other structured data that is concise, well-written, and fact-based.
Is AEO the future of digital marketing?
Yes, while SEO is still essential, AEO is actually the future of digital marketing. Therefore, you should adapt to this emerging trend as quickly as possible and maintain a competitive edge.
Conclusion
AEO instead of SEO isn’t going to be practical yet, but to stay ahead, you must leverage both strategies. Struggling to establish your digital presence? Designs by Don W have your back.
We have a team of SEO professionals who curate an effective content optimization plan for you based on your business needs. Our ultimate goal is to help you stay at the top of search engines and AI-driven results. Get in touch with us today and take your digital presence to the next level!