Search is changing, and at record speed.
For years businesses have focused on SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) to help their websites appear higher in search rankings. However, the way people find information online has now started to evolve, and more users are now turning to AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, Google AI, Claude and other answer engines to get direct answers to their questions.
That’s where Answer Engine Optimisation comes in.
But what exactly is AEO, how is it different from SEO, and why should businesses be thinking about it right now? Well, at Starlight Digital, we’ve been getting these questions a lot from our clients, so we’ve created this helpful guide to explain everything you need to know about AEO.
What Is AEO?
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is the process of optimising your website and online presence so that your content is more likely to be understood, indexed and referenced by AI-powered answer engines.
Traditional search engines, such as Google, will usually provide a long list of links for users to choose from. Whereas Answer engines aim to provide the answer much more directly.
For example, someone might search:
“What are the best PPC agencies for eCommerce businesses in the UK?”
Instead of simply displaying a list of website links, an AI-powered experience may summarise the answer and recommend a couple of businesses based on the information it has found across the web. In turn, AEO is all about helping your business become part of those direct answers.
SEO vs AEO: What’s the Difference?
SEO and AEO are quite closely connected but they do have different focuses. SEO focuses on visibility in traditional search results. Whereas, AEO focuses on visibility within AI-generated answers and answer-led search experiences.
That doesn’t mean you should choose one over the other. In fact, a strong SEO foundation can work in supporting AEO. AI systems still need to discover answers from traditional search engines. They need to understand and assess information before they can use it and push it out.
If you’re still struggling with the difference, think of it the way I do:
SEO: “How can we help our website rank for this search?”
AEO: “How can we make our business a credible answer to this question?”
Why Is AEO Important?
The biggest answer to this quite simply because the way people search is changing.
People are increasingly using conversational queries rather than short keywords.
Instead of a person searching:
“PPC agency UK”
a potential customer might now ask:
“Are there any PPC agencies for my eCommerce business in my area?” or “Which PPC agencies in my area specialise in Google Ads for eCommerce brands?”
These searches are more conversational, very specific and often require a detailed answer with multiple options. AI-powered platforms are designed to understand the meaning behind these questions quickly and generate responses based on information available to them.
For businesses, that creates an entirely new visibility opportunity.
The question is no longer only about if you can rank on Google but also if you can be mentioned when someone asks AI a question.
How Does AEO Work?
Right now, there isn’t one specific AEO tactic that guarantees your business will appear in an AI-generated answer. Instead, AEO involves creating and structuring information in a way that makes it easier for AI systems to understand your business and recognise your expertise.
Some of the best targeted areas include:
1. Create Content That Answers Real Questions
We’ve established that AEO is fundamentally about answers. That means you have to understand the questions your customers are actually asking and then create useful and accurate content that answers them.
For example, rather than creating a generic page about “running shoes”, you might create some copy answering:
- What are the best running shoes for beginners?
- How should running shoes fit?
- How often should you replace running shoes?
- What is the difference between road and trail running shoes?
- Do you need different running shoes for long-distance running?
- What should you look for when buying running shoes?
These questions can form the basis of useful, search-focused content that directly addresses what your customers are looking for while also offering your business as the answer example.
2. Demonstrate Expertise and Authority
AI systems need to quickly assess the reliability of all the information they encounter. That means you should consider how clearly your business expertise is demonstrated online.
Points to consider include:
- Detailed service pages
- Guided blog content
- Case studies
- Original research data
- Industry insights
- Customer reviews and testimonials
- Strong about page and company information
- Relevant third-party mentions and links
Your website shouldn’t simply tell people that you’re an expert. It needs to demonstrate why continuously for AEO to successfully pick it up.
3. Build an Online Presence Beyond Your Website
Similarly to SEO, AEO isn’t necessarily limited to what is published on your own website. AI systems can draw from all sorts of information from a wide range of online sources. This means that your broader digital presence is important too.
Consistent company socials, industry profiles, off-page reviews such as Trustpilot, publications, partnerships and any third-party mentions of your business can all contribute to how your business is represented and trusted online.
The more consistent and credible your digital footprint becomes, the easier it can be for AI to build an understanding of who you are, what you do, and why you should be provided as an answer.
4. Use Schema Markup
Schema markup, also known as structured data, is a type of code that helps these engines understand the meaning and context of the information on your website. Without schema, your website can still be read but schema markup provides information in a format that they can interpret even more easily.
A common example for an E-Commerce business is Product schema. It uses JSON-LD, usually placed in the header of a webpage, and tells the AI all about the product details in code.
Although, schema doesn’t guarantee that your content will appear in an AI-generated answer, it can help answer engines to better understand the items and information contained on your website. For AEO in particular, the trick is to think beyond simply adding keywords to a page. Schema markup provides that additional context about what your content means and how different pieces of information relate to one another.
Can You Measure AEO?
This is usually one of the very first questions we get asked from our potential AEO clients. With Answer Engine Optimisation being relatively new, the measurements are still evolving. We are able to monitor things such as AI-generated mentions, citations, brand visibility across answer engines and changes in referral traffic from AI platforms.
However, there isn’t currently one universal AEO metric that tells you exactly how visible your brand is across every AI-powered search experience. This makes it very important to establish the best AEO practices across your website and then continuously monitor visibility across the platforms with questions that matter most to your customers.
Is AEO Only Relevant to Big Brands?
Definitely not. In theory, AEO can create opportunities for both smaller and specialist businesses too.
Large brands may have significant authority and visibility, but a smaller company with genuinely useful, specific expertise can potentially become quite a valuable source for niche questions asked in AI.
If your company has deep expertise in a particular area, there may be hundreds of questions your potential customers are asking that aren’t being answered particularly well anywhere else online.
The Future of Search
Let’s first remember that Google isn’t disappearing and neither is SEO, but the traditional search results pages are no longer the only place where potential customers are discovering businesses.
AI-powered answers are becoming another key part of the customer journey. That means businesses need to start thinking beyond: “How do we rank #1?” and start also asking: “How do we become the answer?”
At Starlight Digital, we understand AEO and help businesses stay visible as search continues to evolve. If you’re wondering how your brand currently performs across search and AI-powered answers, get in touch with our team to discuss your AEO strategy and receive a tailored audit.
