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AEO vs SEO: what changes and what doesn't
How answer engine optimization differs from traditional SEO: what still matters, what matters more, and how the results are measured differently.
The short version
- SEO earns a position on a results page; AEO earns a mention inside an answer.
- Crawlability, content and links still matter for both.
- AEO puts more weight on unambiguous facts, consistency across sources and direct answers.
- SEO is measured in rankings and clicks; AEO in whether you are named and which sources were read.
What stays the same
Most AI assistants search the web before they answer. To be in the answer, you first have to be findable: pages that crawlers can reach, clear titles and headings, real content, and other sites linking to and mentioning you. Good SEO work is the foundation of AEO, not a separate thing.
What matters more for AEO
- Unambiguous facts. An answer names specific businesses, so the engine needs to be sure who you are, where you work and what you do. Structured data and consistent listings reduce its guessing.
- Third-party agreement. Assistants lean on sources other than your own site to decide who to recommend. Reviews, directories and press do more work here than in classic SEO.
- Direct answers. A page that answers a question in its first two sentences is easy to quote. Long introductions are not.
- Being in the few. There is no page two. Being sixth can mean being absent.
How the results are measured
SEO has rankings, impressions and clicks from search consoles. AEO has no console. The honest way to measure it is to ask the engines the questions your buyers ask, on a schedule, and record whether you were named, at what position, and which pages the engine read. That is what we built Aero Rankings to do.