AEO vs SEO: What Changed and What Didn't
SEO isn't going away. It just has company now.
SEO has been the backbone of digital discoverability for over 25 years. When Google became the internet's front door, ranking well in search results meant real traffic, and real traffic meant real revenue. That logic still holds.
But people have started asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini questions they used to type into a search bar. When an AI synthesizes an answer from across the web, the dynamics change. Being in the top 10 search results is no longer enough if the AI answering the question doesn't mention your brand at all. This article explains what SEO and AEO actually optimize for, where they differ, and why they're not competing priorities.
What SEO optimizes for
SEO's goal is straightforward: get your pages into the top results on Google and Bing. The levers are well-established — keywords, backlinks, page authority, and technical health (crawlability, page speed, mobile optimization, clean markup).
The metrics SEO teams track are rankings, organic traffic, and click-through rate. All of them are rooted in what happens on a search results page.
What AEO optimizes for
AEO starts with a different question: when an AI answers a relevant query, does it mention your brand? It's binary — you're in the answer or you're not. There's no "position 1."
The signals that influence inclusion include brand mention frequency across independent sources, reputation signals (reviews, editorial coverage, Reddit discussions), structured data (JSON-LD schema), and AI crawler access (llms.txt, robots.txt). The metrics are mention count, share of voice within AI responses, and which models are recommending you.
Side by side: the key differences
Both strategies pursue online discoverability, but the mechanics are distinct.
| Dimension | SEO | AEO |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery channel | Search results page (SERP) | AI-generated answer |
| Ranking model | Position 1 through 10+ | Included or excluded (binary) |
| Content format | Optimized web pages targeting keywords | Brand signals across web — reviews, mentions, structured data |
| Technical layer | sitemap.xml, robots.txt, meta tags | Adds llms.txt, JSON-LD schema, AI crawler permissions |
| Core metrics | Rankings, organic traffic, CTR | Mentions, citations, share of voice in AI responses |
| Competitive view | Pages competing for the same keyword | Brands co-mentioned in the same AI answer |
What carried over from SEO
The fundamentals of good SEO are also the foundation of good AEO. What changes is the layer on top, not the ground underneath.
Quality content still wins
AI pulls from sources it considers credible. Thin, keyword-stuffed pages don't perform in search or AI answers. Substantive, accurate content is rewarded by both.
Authoritative sources still matter
A backlink from a respected publication helps SEO. A mention in that same publication increases the likelihood an AI recommends you. The source matters in both cases.
Technical health is still table stakes
Slow sites, broken links, and blocked crawl paths hurt you with search engines and AI crawlers alike.
User intent drives everything
Whether analyzing search queries or AI prompts, the work is the same: understand what your customers are trying to figure out.
Why you need both
Most global e-commerce traffic still comes through traditional search. Abandoning SEO to chase AEO would be trading a proven channel for an emerging one. At the same time, the share of discovery happening through AI is growing. When a potential customer asks ChatGPT for a recommendation and your brand isn't mentioned, that person goes to a competitor.
For brands selling cross-border, this matters more than average. International customers often rely on AI to vet unfamiliar brands — what AI says shapes buying decisions in markets where your brand doesn't yet have word-of-mouth.
Practical next steps
If you already have an SEO practice, adding AEO is an extension — not a replacement.
- Audit your AI visibility — check if ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini mention your brand for relevant queries
- Analyze what AI says about your competitors — the reasons AI gives point to gaps you need to fill
- Check your technical setup — llms.txt, JSON-LD, robots.txt for AI crawlers
- Track by target market — AI recommendations vary by market and language
SEO and AEO aren't in competition. A strong SEO foundation makes AEO easier. The work ahead is adding the new layer on top of what's already there.
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