Why Every SEO Professional Needs to Add AEO to Their Skillset (Like, Yesterday)
If you're a freelance SEO pro or in-house specialist, you've probably noticed something weird happening lately.
Your perfectly optimized content ranks #1 on Google, but traffic is down. Your keyword research is flawless, but conversions are dropping. Your backlink profile is stellar, but clients are asking why their brand doesn't appear when people ask ChatGPT for recommendations.
Here's the truth nobody wants to say out loud: Traditional SEO isn't dead, but it's no longer enough on its own.
Over 58% of searches in 2025 are expected to be conversational queries. People aren't typing "best CRM software," they're asking "What's the best CRM for a 10-person marketing team with a tight budget?" And they're asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google's AI Overviews instead of scrolling through traditional search results.
When Google's AI Overviews appear in search results, the first organic listing loses 34.5% of its clicks. Some major publishers have seen traffic drops of 30-56% on their top-ranking keywords when AI summaries take over.
But here's the good news: Your SEO expertise isn't wasted. It's the foundation. You just need to add Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to your toolkit, and that's exactly what this guide will help you do.
What's the Real Difference Between SEO, AEO, and GEO?
Let's clear up the alphabet soup before we go further.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
You already know this one. It's about ranking higher on Google's search results pages by:
Targeting keywords
Building backlinks
Optimizing technical performance
Creating comprehensive, authoritative content
Earning domain authority
The goal: Get your website link to appear on page one so people click through to your site.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
This is about getting your content directly cited and referenced by AI-powered answer engines like:
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Claude
Google AI Overviews
Microsoft Copilot
Voice assistants (Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant)
The goal: Become the source of AI tools quote when answering user questions, whether or not the user clicks through to your site.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
This is essentially AEO's technical sibling. It focuses specifically on optimizing for generative AI models that create custom responses by synthesizing information from multiple sources.
The goal: Make your content so structured, authoritative, and citation-friendly that AI models naturally include you in their generated answers.
Bottom line: SEO gets you ranked. AEO and GEO get you referenced, cited, and trusted by the AI tools that are rapidly becoming humanity's primary source of information.
Why Freelance SEO Pros Are Perfectly Positioned to Win at AEO
Here's something most people don't realize: Your SEO skills translate beautifully to AEO.
Think about it. You already know how to:
Research what people are searching for
Understand search intent
Structure content logically
Build authority and trust signals
Analyze performance data
Stay ahead of algorithm changes
All of that applies to AEO. You're not starting from scratch, you're adding a new layer to skills you've already mastered.
Plus, there's a massive market opportunity right now. Most businesses have no idea how to optimize for AI search. They're panicking about traffic drops but don't know what to do about it. If you can walk into a sales call and say, "I can help you show up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews," you're instantly more valuable than 90% of other SEO consultants.
The 7-Step Framework for Transitioning from SEO to AEO
Step 1: Audit Your Existing Content Through an AEO Lens
Start by looking at your top-performing SEO content and ask yourself:
Would an AI tool reference this?
Run your best pages through ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. Ask questions that your content answers. See if you get cited.
Questions to ask during your audit:
Does this page lead with a clear, direct answer?
Are my headers formatted as questions?
Do I have FAQ sections?
Is my content structured with bullet points, tables, and lists?
Have I implemented schema markup (FAQ, HowTo, Product)?
Is there a concise summary at the top (TL;DR)?
Do I cite original data, research, or expert commentary?
Pro tip: Create a simple tracking spreadsheet. For each top-performing page, test 3-5 related queries across different AI tools. Note which pages get cited and which don't. Look for patterns in what AI models prefer.
Step 2: Learn to Write "Answer-First" Content
This is probably the biggest shift from traditional SEO writing.
Old SEO approach:
Hook the reader with an engaging intro
Build context and background
Gradually lead to the answer
Include the answer somewhere in the middle or end
Optimize for 1,500-2,500+ words
New AEO approach:
Lead with the direct answer in the first 40-100 words
Make that answer quotable (AI can lift it verbatim)
Then provide context, details, and depth below
Structure everything for easy scanning
Quality matters more than word count
Example:
Old SEO way: "Project management tools have evolved significantly over the past decade. With the rise of remote work and distributed teams, companies are increasingly looking for solutions that can help them stay organized and connected. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right tool. [continues for 300 words before getting to actual recommendations]
New AEO way: "The best project management tools for small remote teams in 2025 are Asana, Monday.com, and ClickUp. Asana excels at task management and workflows, Monday.com offers the most customization, and ClickUp provides the best value for growing teams."
Then you can expand with comparisons, pricing, features, etc.
See the difference? AI can quote that second paragraph directly. The first one? Not so much.
Step 3: Master the Art of Structured Formatting
AI models love content they can easily parse and extract. Here's what that looks like in practice:
Use question-based headers:
Instead of "Features" → "What features does [product] include?"
Instead of "Pricing" → "How much does [product] cost?"
Instead of "Benefits" → "What are the main benefits of [solution]?"
Break up long content:
Short paragraphs (2-4 sentences max)
Bullet points for lists
Numbered steps for processes
Comparison tables for "X vs. Y" content
Bold key terms and phrases
TL;DR summaries for dense topics
Add FAQ sections: You probably already do this for SEO, but double down for AEO. Include 5-10 common questions with concise answers at the end of every major piece of content.
Implement schema markup: This is where your technical SEO skills really pay off. Focus on:
FAQPage schema for Q&A content
HowTo schema for step-by-step guides
Product schema for product pages
Article schema for blog posts
Review schema for product reviews
Schema markup helps AI tools understand and extract your content more accurately.
Step 4: Build "Topical Authority" for AI Search
SEO pros already understand topical authority covering a topic comprehensively across multiple related pieces of content.
For AEO, this becomes even more important because AI models favor sites that demonstrate deep expertise in a specific niche.
How to build topical authority for AEO:
1. Use the Hub and Spoke Model:
Create one comprehensive pillar guide (3,000-5,000 words)
Break it into 8-12 shorter, focused articles (800-1,200 words each)
Each spoke should answer a specific question in detail
Link everything together with internal links
2. Cover Multiple Angles: Don't just write one article about "email marketing." Create:
"What is email marketing?" (definition/overview)
"How to build an email list from scratch"
"Email marketing vs. social media marketing"
"Best email marketing tools for small businesses"
"Email marketing metrics that actually matter"
"How to write email subject lines that get opened"
3. Update Regularly: AI models prioritize fresh, current information. Add "Last Updated: [Date]" to all your content and refresh it every 3-6 months.
4. Cite External Sources: Link to reputable studies, statistics, and authoritative sources. AI models reward content that provides context and attribution.
Step 5: Rethink Your Off-Site Strategy
Here's where things get interesting: NoFollow links now matter for AEO.
Traditional SEO taught us that NoFollow links don't pass "link juice" and aren't valuable for rankings. But for AEO? That's completely flipped.
The most-cited sources in AI responses include:
Reddit (NoFollow links)
Wikipedia (NoFollow links)
Quora (NoFollow links)
YouTube (NoFollow links)
Social media platforms (NoFollow links)
Why? Because AI models prioritize content quality and relevance over traditional SEO signals like DoFollow backlinks.
Your new off-site AEO strategy:
1. Target "Hidden Giants": Find niche communities, forums, and publications in your industry that AI tools frequently cite. These might not have high domain authority in traditional SEO terms, but they're trusted by AI models.
2. Contribute to Community Platforms:
Answer questions on Reddit in your niche
Create detailed Quora answers
Participate in industry-specific forums
Comment thoughtfully on relevant YouTube videos
Engage in LinkedIn discussions
3. Guest Post on Niche Sites: Instead of chasing high DA sites like Forbes or Entrepreneur, target mid-tier industry-specific publications that AI tools actually reference.
4. Get Featured in "Best Of" Lists: AI loves comparison content. Pitch your product/service/expertise to sites that create "Top 10" or "Best Of" roundups in your space.
Step 6: Track Your AEO Performance
You can't improve what you don't measure. But tracking AEO is different from tracking SEO.
Manual tracking (free but time-consuming):
Test 20-50 relevant queries across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews every month
Track which queries cite your brand/content
Note which sources AI models reference instead of you
Create a simple spreadsheet to monitor changes over time
Automated tracking (paid but more comprehensive):
OmniSEO™ (by WebFX) - Tracks mentions across AI chatbots and answer engines
Profound - Monitors AI visibility and citation rates
BrightEdge - Includes AI search tracking features
Key metrics to monitor:
Citation rate: How often your content gets referenced
Visibility score: Your overall presence across queries
Competitor comparison: How you stack up against rivals
Query coverage: Which questions you're answering vs. missing
Source diversity: Which AI platforms cite you most
Pro tip: Don't panic if your SEO traffic dips slightly while your AEO visibility improves. You're playing a longer game now building brand authority across multiple channels instead of just chasing clicks.
Step 7: Package and Sell Your AEO Services
Now comes the fun part: monetizing your new skillset.
How to position AEO to clients:
For existing SEO clients: "Hey [Client], I've been tracking some changes in how people search for [their industry]. Over 58% of searches are now conversational questions, and AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are handling more queries every month. I ran an audit on your content, and right now you're not showing up when people ask these AI tools for recommendations. I'd love to show you a strategy for fixing that it'll complement everything we're already doing with SEO."
For new prospects: "I specialize in AI Search Optimization making sure your brand shows up not just in Google rankings, but also when potential customers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, or AI Overviews for recommendations in your industry. Most of your competitors aren't doing this yet, which means there's a huge opportunity to establish early authority before they catch on."
Service packages you can offer:
AEO Audit ($1,500-$3,000)
Competitive AI visibility analysis
Content gap identification
Schema markup review
Quick-win recommendations
AEO Content Optimization ($500-$1,500 per page)
Rewrite existing content for AI citation
Add structured formatting and FAQ sections
Implement proper schema markup
Create quotable summaries
Ongoing AEO Management ($2,000-$10,000/month)
Monthly AI visibility tracking and reporting
Continuous content optimization
Off-site placement strategy
Performance analysis and iteration
Full AEO Strategy Development ($5,000-$15,000)
Comprehensive audit
6-12 month roadmap
Content strategy and templates
Training for the in-house team
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Transitioning to AEO
1. Abandoning SEO Entirely: Don't throw out your SEO playbook. Traditional search still drives massive traffic. The goal is SEO + AEO, not one or the other.
2. Keyword Stuffing (Yes, Still): AI models are even better than Google at detecting unnatural, robotic language. Write for humans first.
3. Ignoring Mobile and Voice: Many AEO queries come from mobile voice searches. Make sure your content works in conversational contexts.
4. Creating Generic Content: AI models prioritize specificity and unique perspectives. Generic advice like "create quality content" won't get cited.
5. Forgetting About E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness matter even more for AEO. Show author credentials, cite sources, and demonstrate real expertise.
6. Only Focusing on Your Own Site: AEO requires off-site presence. You need to be featured, mentioned, and cited across the web, not just on your domain.
7. Not Testing Regularly: AI models update constantly. What works today might not work in three months. Regular testing and iteration are essential.
The Future Is Multi-Channel Search Visibility
Here's the reality: Search isn't going away, but it's fragmenting across multiple channels.
People will search on:
Google (traditional results + AI Overviews)
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Claude
Microsoft Copilot
Voice assistants
Social media platforms
Specialized AI tools for specific industries
Your job as an SEO professional isn't just to rank anymore, it's to ensure your brand (or your client's brand) is visible everywhere people are asking questions.
That's what makes this transition so valuable. You're not just learning a new tactic. You're future-proofing your entire career in digital marketing.
The SEO pros who add AEO and GEO to their skillset now, in 2025, while it's still relatively new, will be the ones commanding premium rates and winning the best clients for the next decade.
Ready to start your AEO journey? GrowthOS offers specialized training, audits, and strategy sessions for SEO professionals making the transition. We'll show you exactly how to add AEO services to your offering and help you position it to clients for maximum value.
Book a strategy call today, and let's map out your transition from SEO specialist to full-spectrum search visibility expert.
Quick-Start AEO Checklist for Freelance SEO Pros
Run your top 10 pages through ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude to see if they get cited
Add "Answer-First" summaries to the top of your highest-traffic pages
Rewrite 5 headers as questions (How to, What is, Why does, etc.)
Add or expand FAQ sections on key pages
Implement FAQPage schema on at least 3 pages
Create one comprehensive comparison guide ("X vs. Y vs. Z")
Set up manual tracking for 20 key industry queries across AI tools
Join and contribute to 3 relevant Reddit communities or Quora topics
Update at least 5 old articles with current information and "Last Updated" dates
Create a simple AEO service offering and pitch it to your existing clients
This checklist will get you started immediately no need to wait or overthink it. The sooner you begin testing and optimizing for AEO, the sooner you'll see results.
