More and more people are using tools like ChatGPT like a search engine (myself included). Type in a specific question, expect a specific answer. Most of the time, the response is fast, clear, and good enough that additional digging isn't needed.
We’re not just searching anymore. We’re expecting answers. And increasingly, we’re getting them from AI.
That shift—from search to answer—is what AEO is really about.
Okay, but what is AEO?
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. It’s a bit of a buzzword right now, but the idea is simple: instead of optimizing your content for search engines like Google, you’re creating content that AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini can understand, trust, and surface when someone asks a question.
It’s about being useful. Consistently and publicly. In a way that makes AI want to pull from your stuff when someone needs an answer.
Why this shift is happening
People are tired of clicking through five articles just to find one helpful sentence.
AI tools are skipping that mess. They pull what they think is the best, most trustworthy content and serve it up in one go. No extra tabs, clicks, or guesswork.
That doesn’t mean SEO is dead. But it’s definitely not the only game in town anymore.
And here’s the thing: if your voice, your expertise, your content doesn’t show up in those AI answers... you’re not just missing traffic. You’re missing the moment someone might’ve thought, “Huh, they seem to know what they’re talking about.”
So how do you “optimize” for AI?
It’s not magic. And it’s not all that different from good content strategy, really. But here are a few things that help:
1. Answer real questions. Clearly.
If someone asked you, “How should I structure my business for tax efficiency?”—what would you say? Don’t bury your answers in jargon or frame them as abstract thought leadership. Just answer—simply, directly, like you would in a real conversation.
2. Be specific. Not just smart.
It’s tempting to sound impressive. But AI doesn’t care if your language is fancy. It cares if your content is helpful. The clearer you are, the more useful you are. And that’s what gets picked up.
3. Put your content where AI can find it.
Blog posts, podcast transcripts, social posts—anywhere that’s public and structured in a way machines can crawl. That well-designed PDF locked behind a lead form? Probably not helping here.
4. Use structure. But don’t overthink it.
Bullets, headings, short paragraphs. The basics. Format your content so it's easier to parse—for humans and AI alike.
5. Keep showing up.
This part’s still evolving, but consistency always matters. Don't focus on volume. Set your sights on building a digital body of work that shows: “I know this topic. You can trust me on this.”
A quick reality check
No one really knows exactly how these AI tools rank or source the content they use. At least not yet. There’s a lot of guesswork in AEO right now. Some of it will probably prove wrong in six months.
But the broader principle—that being helpful and visible online is becoming more important, not less—that feels solid.
Even if the landscape changes (and it will), the strategy holds: write like a human, share like a teacher, and publish like someone who cares more about connection than clicks.
If you’re already creating good, useful content—you’re probably closer to AEO-ready than you think.
And if you’re not? It’s a good time to start. Not with a big splashy campaign. Just... one clear answer. One helpful idea. One piece of content that teaches, not sells.
That’s how you show up in the places people are actually looking now. Whether they realize it or not.
Want to workshop what that looks like for your business? That’s what we do.
