What’s the Relationship Between SEO and AEO During the New Age of Search?

This is the second installment in DeanHouston’s three-part series exploring how AEO is changing the way companies market their products and services.

View our high-level overview of AEO or learn the tactics to increase the likelihood you’ll be featured prominently in AEO.

Digital marketing often feels like a moving target.

First, it was all about SEO. Now, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is on everybody’s mind. But here’s the kicker: you don’t have to choose.

By understanding how AEO and SEO complement each other, you can create a far more effective digital strategy for your industrial business.

SEO Is the Foundation of Digital Visibility
Search Engine Optimization has been, and largely remains, the bedrock of online discoverability. Its core objective is to organically improve your website’s ranking on traditional search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords – ex: “dependable high-pressure valves.”

Key Goals of SEO:

• Website Traffic: Drive users to your site through organic search.
• Keyword Ranking: Position your content high on SERPs for specific terms.
• Domain Authority: Build trust and credibility with search engines over time.
• Brand Awareness: Increase your brand’s visibility to a broader audience.

Clicks to your website are what you chase.

AEO Is Causing a Rise in “Zero-Click” Searches
AEO focuses on getting your content directly consumed by AI-powered answer engines, like ChatGPT or Gemini. This often means appearing in “zero-click” scenarios like featured AI snippets or directly within AI chat interfaces.

Key Goals of AEO:

• Direct Answers: Provide concise, accurate answers that AI can extract and present.
• Voice Search Dominance: Be the source for spoken queries.
• Enhanced Credibility: Position your brand as the authoritative source for specific questions.
• Efficient Information Delivery: Meet the growing demand for immediate, precise answers.

“Zero Click” Doesn’t Mean “Zero Value”
The magic happens when you start leveraging SEO and AEO together with their interconnected strengths.

1. Keyword Research Feeds Both
   1. SEO: Identifies high-volume keywords and long-tail phrases.
   2. AEO: Refines this research to identify specific questions related to those keywords.
   3. Combo: Use common industrial search terms to identify the questions your audience is asking, then create content optimized for SEO and AEO.
2. Structured Content Benefits All
   1. SEO: Google prefers well-organized, readable content for ranking.
   2. AEO: AI models require structured, easy-to-parse information to extract answers.
   3. Combo: Implement clear headings (using questions), bullet points, numbered lists, and tables. This improves user experience (good for SEO) and makes your content easily digestible for AI (essential for AEO).
3. Schema Markup Acts as a Universal Translator
   1. SEO: Helps search engines understand your content better, potentially boosting rankings.
   2. AEO: Crucial for AI to identify and extract specific data points and answers.
   3. Combo: Use schema types like an FAQPage, HowTo, Product, and Organization to explicitly tell search engines and AI what your content is about. This enhances both discoverability and answer extraction.
4. Building Topic Authority
   1. SEO: High-quality, authoritative content earns backlinks and improves domain authority.
   2. AEO: AI prioritizes trusted, expert sources when formulating answers.
   3. Combo: Create comprehensive, deeply researched content that answers common industrial questions. When an AI cites your content, it boosts your SEO authority – plus, strong SEO performance indicates a trusted source to AI.
5. User Experience (UX) Is Paramount
   1. SEO: Fast-loading, mobile-friendly, and easy-to-navigate websites lead to better rankings.
   2. AEO: Clear, concise answers directly meet user needs.
   3. Combo: A good user experience keeps visitors on your site longer (SEO signal) and makes it easier for them to find the answers they need, whether from your site or an AI.

Those five pillars align with the core of a successful AEO strategy: find the questions your audience is asking and answer those questions.

With the marriage of SEO and AEO, industrial companies can achieve greater search visibility, build stronger brand authority, and ultimately connect  with the next generation of decision-makers more effectively.

Here are additional resources on the topic:

• Answer Engine Optimization Is Causing a Seismic Shift in How Your Customers Search