AI assistants and AI overviews on common search engines have made many SEO strategists nervous about the future of SEO. Since AI searches make it easy for people to get information without ever visiting a website, how will SEO remain relevant in the next few years? The answer is a little complicated, but the fact is that SEO still matters; it just requires a modified approach.
Over half of all searches today end before the user clicks on an external website since the answers they’re looking for are displayed directly on Google’s main interface. This means that click-through rates on standard organic results can drop significantly. Instead of focusing solely on content that ranks highest in standard search results, businesses should also tailor high-quality answers that will be featured in the AI overview section. Distinct from traditional SEO principles, such as keyword optimization and backlinks, companies should shift some focus to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
AEO is all about ensuring that your content will be trusted and cited by AI systems whenever it’s generating a response. GEO further extends AEO by structuring content and metadata in ideal ways for AI models. For instance, creating concise, direct answers, using clear context, and developing structured FAQs can make your copy much more enticing to AI systems looking for high-quality answers. Even if a user never clicks on your website, they will still see your content.
When AEO and GEO are combined with traditional SEO principles, you can increase your chances of being cited by AI and still receive views from potential customers. With high-quality content, you can build visibility across multiple types of search functions, including search engines, AI assistants, and generative platforms alike.
