The Future of Marketing: AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

We’re on the edge of a generational shift in how people discover information online. As a marketer I'm doing everything I can to get ahead of it. As platforms like Chat GPT, and Google's AI Overview have become the first stop for answers, traditional SEO is quietly being pushed to the background. Even paid ads are dethroned as Google’s AI Overview appears above them.

Welcome to the age of AEO where to be chosen by a consumer you must master the art of becoming the answer chosen by AI. Unlike SEO, which optimizes for ranking, AEO optimizes for authority, clarity, and correctness. It's no longer about being listed, it's about being absolute.

Every piece of content we publish today helps AI models decide who gets cited, and who gets skipped. The businesses that learn AI-digestible language will win or pay to be the ones who are cited.

"bUt bRaNdOn, aI iS fReE!"

Sure, for now. But let’s be honest with ourselves, despite Open AI CEO Sam Altman’s insistence that Open AI won’t monetize, history says different. Build the audience. Learn behaviour. Monetize attention. It happened with Facebook. It happened with Tiktok. Google. Youtube. Why would AI be any different?

Start preparing now:
- Is your website structured for AI interpretation?
- Are you using schema, FAQs, and source signals?
- Is your brand being talked about in forums, blogs, and trusted sources?

The marketing mix is about to be rewired. Will you be an answer or an afterthought?