If you think SEO automatically covers AEO...
It doesn't, and here's why ↓
Before we get into it, if you're interested in understanding more about the topic, and Searchable, click the link to start a trial or talk to our Sales team:
https://lnkd.in/ekz875Vj
Most brands treat SEO and AEO as the same thing.
Here's how they actually differ, and where they overlap:
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation):
→ Optimises for rankings on search results pages
→ Focuses on backlinks and domain authority
→ Keywords and meta tags matter
→ Page speed and technical performance
→ Goal: Get your page listed in search results
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation):
→ Optimises for citations in AI-generated answers
→ Focuses on featured snippets and answer boxes
→ FAQ schema and structured data matter
→ Clear, direct answers to questions
→ Goal: Get your content cited as the answer
They are fundamentally different.
SEO drives traffic to your site, while AEO gets you mentioned in AI answers.
People assume optimising for one automatically optimises for the other.
But that's not the case.
You can rank #1 on Google and never get cited by ChatGPT.
You can get cited by AI and still rank on page 3 of Google.
They require different strategies.
But there are some places where they overlap:
→ Both need high-quality, authoritative content
→ Both require clear topic expertise
→ Both benefit from regular content updates
→ Both need mobile optimisation
→ Both value user-focused content
That overlap is where teams go wrong.
They either put all their resources into traditional SEO...
Or swing too far the other direction and put all their energy into AEO.
Your customers aren't using one or the other.
Which means you need to be optimising for both.
If you're serious about visibility in 2026, the fastest way to see where you stand on each is to run it on your own brand.
Start a free trial and get your SEO and AEO breakdown:
https://lnkd.in/ekz875Vj
♻️ Repost to help your network stay ahead.
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Emilia Möller for more AI Search insights.