What Is an AEO Agency and What Services Do They Provide?
An AEO agency specializes in optimizing digital content for AI-powered search platforms and answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, and Google’s AI Overviews. These agencies focus on structuring information so AI language models can easily extract, understand, and present it as direct answers to user queries.
The primary goal centers on making your content the source AI platforms cite when responding to questions in your industry. This requires a fundamentally different approach than traditional search engine optimization.
Core AEO Agency Services
1. Content Structuring for AI Platforms
The best AEO agency restructures existing content and creates new material specifically formatted for AI comprehension. This process breaks down complex information into digestible question-and-answer formats that match the way users naturally phrase their queries. Content is organised around entities—specific people, places, things, or concepts—rather than solely around keywords.
The structuring process typically includes:
- Creating a clear, hierarchical information architecture
- Developing content clusters around core topics
- Implementing natural language patterns that mirror conversational speech
- Ensuring answers appear within the first 40–60 words of relevant sections
By following these strategies, the best AEO agency ensures content is both AI-friendly and highly visible in search features such as featured snippets, answer boxes, and voice search results.
2. Schema Markup Implementation
Schema markup serves as a translation layer between your content and AI systems. AEO agencies deploy structured data that explicitly defines what each piece of content represents—whether it’s a product, service, FAQ, review, or how-to guide.
Common schema types used in answer engine optimization strategies include:
- FAQ schema for question-based content
- How-to schema for instructional material
- Product schema with detailed specifications
- Organization schema establishing brand authority
- Review schema for credibility signals
3. Featured Snippet Optimization
While featured snippets originated in traditional search, they’ve become critical for AI search platforms. AEO agencies optimize content to capture these “position zero” placements by formatting answers in ways AI systems prefer—concise paragraphs, bulleted lists, tables, and step-by-step instructions.
The optimization process targets specific question patterns:
- “What is…” definitions (40-60 words)
- “How to…” instructions (numbered lists)
- “Best…” comparisons (tables or bulleted lists)
How Does Traditional SEO Differ From AEO in Their Core Objectives?
Traditional SEO goals center on securing higher positions in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific text-based keyword searches. The primary objective is driving organic traffic to websites by ranking well for queries users type into search bars on platforms like Google and Bing.
What Does Traditional SEO Prioritize?
Keyword optimization forms the foundation of traditional SEO strategies. Agencies analyze search volume, competition levels, and user behavior to identify target keywords, then strategically place these terms throughout website content, meta descriptions, headers, and URLs. The goal is matching what users type with what search engines can find and rank.
Backlinks serve as votes of confidence in traditional SEO. Search engines interpret links from authoritative websites as signals of credibility and relevance. Building a robust backlink profile remains essential for improving domain authority and climbing SERP rankings. Traditional SEO practitioners invest significant effort in:
- Earning links from high-authority domains
- Creating linkable assets like research reports and infographics
- Monitoring competitor backlink profiles
- Removing or disavowing toxic links that harm site authority
Organic traffic growth measures success in traditional SEO. Agencies track metrics like click-through rates, bounce rates, time on page, and conversion rates to assess whether their keyword targeting and content strategies effectively attract and engage visitors.
How Does AEO Take a Different Approach?
AEO’s goal to provide direct answers for AI chatbots and voice assistants shifts the entire optimization framework. Rather than competing for position #1 in a list of blue links, AEO focuses on becoming the answer AI platforms cite or read aloud to users.
User experience in SEO vs AEO reveals fundamental differences in content structure. Traditional SEO content often follows longer formats designed to keep visitors on pages, incorporating internal links, calls-to-action, and multiple sections to maximize engagement metrics. AEO content prioritizes conciseness and immediate value delivery—answering questions in the first sentence or two before expanding with supporting details.
What About User Intent and Search Behavior?
Traditional SEO targets users who actively browse and compare options. These searchers typically click through multiple results, read full articles, and navigate between pages before making decisions. The
Why Is AEO Becoming More Important in the Era of AI-Powered Search?
Has the search landscape fundamentally changed with AI platforms?
The emergence of AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews has transformed how people find information online. These platforms don’t simply return a list of links—they generate comprehensive answers by synthesizing information from multiple sources, presenting users with direct responses to their queries.
What makes AI-driven search behavior different from traditional searching?
Users interacting with AI platforms expect immediate, conversational answers rather than sifting through multiple web pages. This shift represents a fundamental change in search expectations. People ask questions in natural language, often following up with related queries in a dialogue format. The AI understands context, remembers previous questions in the conversation, and provides increasingly refined answers.
How prevalent are zero-click searches today?
Over 65% of Google queries now end without a click to any website. Users receive their answers directly in search results through featured snippets, knowledge panels, or AI-generated overviews. This statistic reveals a critical challenge: even highly-ranked websites may never receive visitor traffic if the information appears directly in search results. Businesses optimizing solely for traditional rankings miss opportunities to be featured as the authoritative source in these answer boxes.
Why has voice search optimization become essential?
Voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant have become household staples. Unlike typed searches, voice queries tend to be:
- Longer and more conversational (“What’s the best Italian restaurant near me that’s open now?” versus “Italian restaurant”)
- Question-based rather than keyword-focused
- Expecting a single, definitive answer rather than multiple options
- Context-dependent, often referencing previous queries or user location
Voice assistants typically read back one answer, making it critical for brands to be the source selected by the AI.
How does AEO address these new search paradigms?
AEO strategies specifically target the mechanics of how AI systems extract and present information. By structuring content with schema markup, agencies help AI platforms understand the relationships between entities, facts, and concepts. Learn more about AI.
What Techniques Do AEO Agencies Use That Are Different From Traditional SEO Practices?
AEO agencies prioritize structured data implementation to help AI systems comprehend and categorize content accurately. Schema markup acts as a translator between your content and AI language models, providing explicit signals about entities, relationships, and context that algorithms need to extract precise answers. While traditional SEO uses schema primarily for rich snippets in search results, AEO agencies deploy advanced markup types—including FAQ schema, HowTo schema, and Organization schema—to ensure AI platforms recognize your content as authoritative source material worthy of citation.
Featured snippet optimization takes a fundamentally different approach in AEO compared to conventional SEO tactics. AEO agencies structure content to answer specific questions within the first 40-60 words of a section, using clear question-and-answer formats that AI models can easily parse and extract. This involves:
- Creating dedicated Q&A sections with concise, direct answers
- Formatting responses in bulleted or numbered lists when appropriate
- Using definition-style paragraphs that AI can quote verbatim
- Structuring headers as actual questions users might ask voice assistants
Traditional SEO focuses on keyword density and placement within featured snippet content, while AEO emphasizes natural language patterns that mirror how people speak to AI assistants. The difference lies in writing for machine comprehension rather than just human readability.
Building Authority Through E-E-A-T Principles
E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) form the foundation of AEO strategies in ways that extend beyond traditional link-building campaigns. AEO agencies establish brand authority by:
- Experience signals: Showcasing first-hand knowledge through case studies, original research, and documented results
- Expertise indicators: Highlighting author credentials, professional certifications, and industry recognition
- Authoritativeness markers: Securing mentions in reputable publications and building relationships with recognized industry voices
- Trustworthiness elements: Implementing transparent business practices, displaying security certifications, and maintaining consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across platforms
AI models evaluate these trust signals differently than traditional search algorithms. They assess the context. In this regard, understanding how to get your brand in AI search becomes crucial as it offers insights into optimizing your brand’s visibility within AI-driven search environments.
How AEO and Traditional SEO Work Together for Maximum Online Visibility
Do these two optimization approaches work better together or separately? Combined SEO strategies deliver superior results because they address the full spectrum of modern search behavior—from traditional Google searches to AI-powered answer engines.
Traditional SEO captures users who actively browse search results, compare options, and click through to websites. AEO targets users seeking immediate answers through voice assistants, AI chatbots, or featured snippets. These audiences overlap significantly: the same person might use Google Search during work hours and ask Siri questions while driving home. Businesses that optimize for only one channel miss substantial portions of their potential audience.
Expanding Reach Through Multi-Platform Visibility
Multi-platform visibility becomes achievable when businesses implement both optimization strategies simultaneously. A well-structured article optimized with traditional SEO techniques—proper keyword placement, internal linking, and quality backlinks—can rank on page one of Google. That same article, when enhanced with schema markup and FAQ sections for AEO, can also appear as a featured snippet and get cited by ChatGPT or Perplexity.
Consider a local restaurant’s digital presence. Traditional SEO helps them rank for “best Italian restaurant in Chicago” on Google Maps and organic search results. AEO optimization ensures voice assistants recommend them when users ask, “Where should I eat Italian food tonight?” The restaurant appears in both traditional search results and conversational AI responses, doubling their exposure.
Creating Digital Marketing Synergy
Digital marketing synergy emerges when AEO and traditional SEO reinforce each other’s strengths. Schema markup implemented for AEO helps search engines better understand content context, which can improve traditional SEO rankings. High-quality backlinks built through traditional SEO campaigns enhance domain authority, making content more likely to be cited by AI answer engines.
The content creation process benefits from this dual approach:
- Long-form blog posts satisfy traditional SEO requirements while providing source material for AI citations
- FAQ sections optimize for conversational queries while naturally incorporating target keywords
- Structured data helps both search engine crawlers and AI language models parse information accurately
- E-E-A-T signals boost credibility across all platforms, from Google rankings to AI
See Also : The Best AEO Agency Traits to Look For When Evaluating Digital Partners
What Should Businesses Consider When Choosing Between or Combining AEO and Traditional SEO Agencies?
Should you choose an AEO agency, a traditional SEO agency, or both? The answer depends on your specific business goals, target audience behavior, and where your customers search for information. Most businesses benefit from combining AEO and SEO rather than choosing one over the other.
Assessing Your Business Goals and Search Presence Needs
Start by evaluating where your audience currently finds information. If your customers primarily use Google search to discover products or services, traditional SEO remains essential for driving organic traffic and maintaining SERP visibility. However, if your industry involves frequent question-based queries—such as healthcare, finance, technology, or local services—AEO becomes critical as users increasingly rely on AI chatbots and voice assistants for quick answers.
Consider these key factors when choosing SEO agency services:
- Current search behavior patterns: Are your customers asking questions to ChatGPT or Alexa, or are they typing keywords into Google?
- Content complexity: Does your business require detailed explanations that benefit from structured, entity-based content?
- Competition landscape: Are competitors already appearing in AI-generated answers or voice search results?
- Budget allocation: Can you invest in both strategies, or must you prioritize one initially?
The Case for Combining AEO and SEO Strategies
Adopting complementary strategies future-proofs your digital marketing efforts against evolving search technologies. Traditional SEO builds the foundation—quality content, authoritative backlinks, and technical optimization—that AEO strategies enhance through structured data and conversational optimization.
A combined approach delivers measurable advantages:
- Broader visibility: Capture users across traditional search engines, AI platforms, and voice assistants
- Risk mitigation: Protect against algorithm changes affecting either traditional rankings or AI answer selection
- Enhanced authority: E-E-A-T principles benefit both SEO rankings and AI citation likelihood
- Competitive advantage: Position your brand as an authoritative source across all search modalities
Making the Strategic Decision
Businesses with limited resources might prioritize traditional SEO first to establish foundational authority, then layer AEO optimization as AI-driven search grows. Companies in competitive, question-heavy industries should consider investing in both strategies simultaneously to stay ahead of the curve.