You’ve probably noticed that Google doesn’t look the same as it did two years ago. Search results now feature AI-generated summaries at the top of the page. Meanwhile, tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude are answering questions that people used to type into Google.

This is the shift from search engines to answer engines. And it changes what businesses need to do to stay visible online.

AEO vs SEO: What’s the Difference?

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is about ranking your website in Google’s traditional blue links. You optimise pages for keywords, build backlinks, and try to appear on page one.

AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) is about getting your business, content, or expertise cited by AI systems when they answer questions. This includes:

• Google AI Overviews — the AI summary that appears above search results
• ChatGPT — when people ask it for recommendations or information
• Perplexity — an AI-powered search engine that cites sources
• Claude, Copilot, Gemini — and every other AI assistant people use daily

The key difference: SEO gets you a link on a results page. AEO gets you mentioned in the answer itself.

Why Should Businesses Care About AEO?

The numbers are shifting fast. An increasing percentage of searches now show an AI Overview at the top of Google results. When that happens, the first traditional result gets pushed below the fold — and click-through rates to websites drop significantly.

Meanwhile, millions of people are now using ChatGPT and Perplexity as their primary way to research products, services, and business decisions.

If your business isn’t being referenced by these AI systems, you’re becoming invisible to a growing segment of your potential customers.

How Do AI Answer Engines Decide What to Cite?

AI systems don’t rank websites the way Google does. They process vast amounts of content and decide what’s relevant, authoritative, and useful based on:

1. Structured, clear content. AI systems prefer content that directly answers questions. A page that starts with a clear definition and builds on it will be cited more than one that buries the answer in paragraphs of fluff.

2. Authority signals. Is the content written by someone with credentials or experience? Does the website have a track record in this topic? AI systems weight expertise heavily.

3. Schema markup. JSON-LD structured data helps AI systems understand what your content is about, who wrote it, and how it relates to other entities. FAQPage schema, Article schema, and Organization schema all help.

4. Consistent entity information. Your business name, location, services, and expertise should be consistent across your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, and industry directories. AI systems build entity profiles from multiple sources.

5. Being crawlable. Some websites block AI crawlers in their robots.txt. If AI systems can’t access your content, they can’t cite it. You need to allow AI crawlers while still controlling what they access.

How to Optimise for Answer Engines

Structure Your Content for Direct Answers

AI systems are looking for clear, direct answers. For every key topic on your website:

• Lead with the answer. Don’t make the reader (or the AI) scroll through an introduction.
• Use question-based headings. “How much does Google Ads cost?” as an H2, followed by a direct answer.
• Include definitions. If you’re explaining a concept, provide a clear one-sentence definition early in the content.
• Use lists and tables. Structured data is easier for AI to parse and cite than walls of text.

Implement Comprehensive Schema Markup

Schema tells AI systems what your content means, not just what it says. At minimum:

• Organization schema on your homepage — who you are, what you do, where you’re based
• LocalBusiness schema if you serve specific areas
• Service schema on every service page
• FAQPage schema on pages with frequently asked questions
• Article/BlogPosting schema on all content pages with author, date, and publisher
• Person schema for key team members — their expertise, credentials, and role

Create AI-Friendly Files

Beyond your regular website content:

• llms.txt — a plain text file that gives AI systems a structured overview of your business, services, and expertise. Think of it as robots.txt but for language models.
• Comprehensive About and Team pages — AI systems use these to build entity profiles. Include credentials, experience, and specialisms.

Build Your Entity Profile

AI systems don’t just read your website. They build an understanding of your business from every source they can find:

• Google Business Profile — keep it detailed and active
• LinkedIn — your company page and personal profiles
• Industry directories — consistent listings across relevant directories
• Client websites — backlinks and mentions from client sites
• Social media — consistent branding and content across platforms
• Press and publications — any media mentions or guest articles

The more consistent and detailed your presence is across these sources, the stronger your entity profile becomes, and the more likely AI systems are to cite you.

Answer the Questions Your Customers Ask

AI answer engines are being asked the same questions your customers ask you every day:

• “What’s the best CRM for a small business?”
• “How much does SEO cost in the UK?”
• “What should I look for in a digital marketing agency?”

Create content that answers these questions thoroughly and with genuine expertise. Not thin 300-word posts designed to rank — comprehensive, opinionated content that demonstrates real knowledge.

AEO and SEO Work Together

AEO doesn’t replace SEO. The businesses that will be most visible over the next few years are the ones that do both:

• SEO ensures you rank in traditional search results and get direct website traffic
• AEO ensures you’re cited and recommended by AI systems

Most AEO best practices (structured content, schema markup, authority building) also help your SEO. They’re not competing strategies — they’re complementary.

What Should You Do Right Now?

1. Check if AI systems know about you. Ask ChatGPT and Perplexity about your industry in your area. Are you mentioned? Are your competitors?
2. Add schema markup to every page of your website — Organization, Service, FAQ, Article.
3. Create an llms.txt file that gives AI systems a clear overview of your business.
4. Structure your content around questions your customers ask, with clear direct answers.
5. Build your entity profile by ensuring consistent business information across Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, directories, and your website.

The Bottom Line

Answer Engine Optimisation isn’t a future concern — it’s happening now. AI tools are already influencing how people find and choose businesses. The companies that adapt early will have a significant advantage over those that wait.

The good news: most of what makes you visible to AI answer engines also makes you more visible in traditional search. Getting your AEO right doesn’t mean abandoning SEO — it means strengthening both.

If you want help making your business visible to both search engines and AI answer engines, get in touch. We offer dedicated AEO services and can audit your current AI visibility.