Should You Skip SEO and Go Straight to AEO?

In this first episode of Found in AI, I’m tackling a hot question from r/marketing:

“I just started learning SEO — should I even bother, or skip straight to AEO?”

We’ll break down what Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is, why it matters in 2025, and three simple steps you can take this week to get your content ready for AI search. I’m also running a micro-experiment you can try alongside me — adding an FAQ block to a blog post — and I’ll share the results in a future episode.

If you’ve been wondering how AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Bing Copilot decide which sources to cite and how to get your brand features, this is your starting point.

📌 Mentioned in this episode:

• AEO vs SEO
• How AI search works
• FAQ schema for AI visibility
• Tracking content in AI answer engines

💬 Let’s connect:
 LinkedIn → Cassie Clark | Content Strategist
Website → cassieclarkmarketing.com

Keywords: AEO, Answer Engine Optimization, AI Search, Generative Engine Optimization, SEO, Content Strategy, AI Marketing, Perplexity, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT SEO, FAQ Schema, AI Content Optimization

Find the show notes and transcript here.

Transcript

(0:00) I saw a post in rMarketing the other day that said, (0:03) I just started learning SEO. Should I even bother or should I pivot directly to AEO? (0:11) And honestly, that's a huge question and it's exactly what we're talking about today. (0:15) If we haven't met yet, I'm Cassie Clark.

I'm a content strategist who helps startups and (0:22) B2B brands get seen with their content. And now that AI engines are part of how people search, (0:28) that means creating content that shows up in AI generated answers. (0:33) So this show is where I'm sharing what I'm learning, the experiments I'm running, (0:38) and the strategies you can use to get your business found in AI search.

(0:43) And in today's episode, we're starting right at the beginning with what AEO actually is, (0:50) how it works, and why it matters. (0:53) If SEO is about ranking in Google search results, AEO, or answer engine optimization, (1:02) is about becoming the source that AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, or Perplexity (1:09) choose to quote when they answer a question. So traditional search engines rank hundreds of (1:15) pages by factors like keywords, backlinks, site speed, domain authority.

(1:21) AI engines work a little differently. Think of them like a librarian. They look for the most (1:27) credible, clear, and relevant answer they can summarize conversationally.

So instead of chasing (1:34) the number one spot on Google, you're now asking, how do I get my content picked as the trusted (1:41) answer? In terms of AEO, you might also hear terms that remind you a little of old McDonald's (1:50) farm. Those are GEO, which is a generative engine optimization, which focuses on AI and search. (2:01) AIO, or AI optimization, is kind of the bigger picture.

SGE, or Google's search generative (2:11) experience. If you've made a Google search in the last six months, you have seen this. (2:16) It's our AI answer layer that is on every Google search now.

So why do we care about AEO in 2025? (2:27) So is there even a point to staying on trend? I have seen this question asked so many times (2:34) on LinkedIn, in my content groups, and honestly, if you look deep enough, we are starting to see (2:41) a shift in search. It's more zero-click searches where people get the full answer without clicking (2:48) through to a website. And I know that might sound bad for an overall strategy because it probably (2:54) is going to reduce your traffic a little, but here's the kicker.

Once AI engines start citing (3:00) you, you hold that spot for a long time. So early adopters, brands who are working to position (3:08) themselves in these AI answers now, it's a long-term visibility play. And it matters even (3:15) more because those who click on your links in AI search, like in the citations, those people are (3:22) already interested in your brand.

Meaning they're more likely to enter your customer funnel, (3:27) and since they're already searching for answers, they are very interested in the offer you have (3:34) as a solution to their problems. All of that to say, SEO is still massively important (3:41) because as of now, it appears AI search uses Google to provide answers. So you still need (3:47) to create content that ranks.

However, with AEO, you also need to make sure that AI can recognize (3:56) your content as a source of truth, incited as such. So we know tons of tech bros are sharing (4:03) questionable AI strategies. I'm asking, do they even know what they're talking about? (4:10) Who knows? I'm really not sure they even know what they're talking about.

(4:16) But in an effort to learn in public and share what I'm learning with you, (4:20) I'm testing out AEO strategies with quick experiments. That means every week, (4:27) I'm running one small experiment tied to the topic that we're covering on this podcast episode. (4:33) So this week's test, I'm adding a short FAQ block to one of my blog posts that already ranks (4:40) in Google for a relevant question.
That particular post is titled, Why Startups (4:47) Are Hiring Fractional Content Strategists. It currently ranks in the third position in Google, (4:53) and it's being cited in the AI overview. So to add in those questions, I'm using also asked (5:00) to find the questions for that section.

So I'm going to add in three to five relevant questions (5:06) like, is fractional the same as freelance? What's the difference between a fractional and a (5:14) content strategist? Those are literally questions that also asked gave me this morning when I typed (5:19) in the keyword. So I'm going to use those exactly. I'm going to make my answers conversational, (5:25) mark them up with the FAQ schema, and track if that page starts showing up in perplexity, (5:35) being copilot, and chat GPT browsing mode.

I'm going to check this weekly, and I'm going to (5:41) share the results in a future episode, and I'm probably going to be talking about it all over (5:44) LinkedIn, so just FYI. If you want to follow along with your own experiment, pick a post, (5:51) and add an FAQ section, then track where it's getting picked up. Make notes, keep it in a (5:57) spreadsheet, or wherever you use your tracking, and just see what happens with this.

So if you (6:02) want to start thinking in AEO, here are three practical steps that you can take this week (6:09) and do, even if you only have one spare hour. The first one, audit your top content. Go into Google (6:17) Search Console or your analytics tool, whichever one you like.

Find your top five to ten pages by (6:23) traffic, then ask, does this post already answer a specific question? If it does, make a note. Those (6:32) pages are now your low-hanging fruit for AI search visibility, and they might be the ones that you go (6:39) in and add these little test experiments to, so like the FAQ section at the bottom. Number two, (6:46) hate the word, but you're going to go in and add some extra clarity and entities into your post.

(6:52) What that means is AI latches onto clear information, so replacing vague language with (6:59) specific named entities, like actual product names, industry terms, location, (7:07) people. So instead of saying our software, say Cassie Clark Analytics Program, or whatever your (7:15) product is. So use clear, specific wording, so it makes it easier for AI to identify what it is you're (7:22) talking about inside your content.

The third one, we're going to start small with AI-friendly (7:28) structure. So those pages I was talking about, and when you do your content audit, pick one page, (7:34) we're just going to do one at a time, make it easier for AI to parse, to sift through it. I like (7:41) sift through a little bit better than parse, but whatever.

Add a short bullet point summary at the (7:46) top, it's like key takeaways at the top, or insert a two to three question FAQ at the bottom. Answer (7:55) all of this in plain conversational sentences. In your headings, think beyond just the keyword.
(8:04) Use headings that match common search queries, like what is your topic, or how does this process work. (8:13) Doing just one of these steps this week, and you'll already be nudging your content toward (8:18) AI search ready. So when AI search, because it's bigger than SEO, I don't know that it'll happen.
(8:26) It might. We'll see. We'll see. You're already a couple steps ahead then, if you wait until later. (8:33) 

If you've been listening and thinking, we should be showing up in these AI answers, but I have (8:38) no idea where to start, that's exactly what I help brands figure out. I'm Cassie Clark, (8:44) a content strategist who builds AI search ready content systems for startups and B2B companies.

(8:50) If you want to talk about how we can make your content work harder in this new search era, (8:55) connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website, CassieClarkMarketing.com. (8:59) 

Next week, next week's episode, we're tackling the big question, is SEO dead? Spoiler alert, (9:08) no, it's not, but it's changing fast. I'll see you in the next episode.