AI Disruption in SEO: What Marketers Need to Know About AEO and AIO
The future of search isn’t just AI—it’s answers.
Explore how AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and AIO (AI Optimization) are rewriting the SEO playbook—and what marketers must do to stay visible, relevant, and competitive in an AI-driven search landscape.
When I was COO at NewsCred, I saw firsthand how brands were waking up to the power of content marketing, realizing they could act like publishers and compete on storytelling. Later, as GM of studioD, part of Demand Media, I worked inside a company whose entire model was built on search. Those experiences gave me a front-row seat to how quickly the search landscape can change, and how marketers have to evolve or risk falling behind.
Today, we are at another inflection point. AI is reshaping search in ways that are just as dramatic. For years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) was the central lever for growth. Now, with generative AI, answer engines, and intelligent assistants, the rules are changing again. To stay ahead, marketers need to expand their toolkit beyond SEO and embrace AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and AIO (AI Optimization).
From SEO to AEO: Optimizing for an Answer-First World
Search used to mean ten blue links. Now, Google, Bing, and AI-driven platforms surface direct answers, summaries, and citations right on the results page. Instead of driving clicks, these “answer engines” aim to resolve the query instantly.
That shift makes Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) critical. AEO is about structuring your content so it can be pulled into these direct answers and AI-generated summaries.
A few best practices:
Structured Data and Schema Markup: Schema makes your content machine-readable, improving its chances of being cited in AI-driven responses.
Clarity and Conciseness: Write in formats that answer questions directly, such as FAQs, summaries, and bullet points. The clearer your content, the more likely it is to be used.
Authority Signals: Link to credible sources, showcase expertise, and publish under real authors. Algorithms and models increasingly reward trust and authority.
At Demand Media, the focus was output and keyword targeting. That strategy worked for a time, but algorithms evolved, and suddenly volume was not enough. With AEO, we are seeing a similar pivot, this time toward structured, credible, answer-ready content.
Enter AIO: Optimizing for the Machines Themselves
While AEO is about visibility in answer-first search, AIO (AI Optimization) goes a step further. Large language models like GPT are trained on vast datasets, which include the public content your brand creates. Optimizing for AIO means ensuring your perspective and expertise are represented in what AI learns, so that when customers ask a model for advice, your voice is part of the answer.
Key considerations for AIO:
Depth Over Surface-Level Content: Models can distinguish between shallow keyword-stuffed posts and content with substance. Invest in original insights and proprietary research.
Cross-Channel Consistency: AI does not just crawl websites, it learns from LinkedIn, industry publications, forums, and reviews. Make sure your expertise shows up wherever people are talking.
Logical Structure: AI rewards content that is easy to parse. Use clear headers, avoid jargon, and organize your ideas in a way that models can break down.
AIO is about making sure your brand is not invisible in the very datasets that will shape customer decisions.
Best Practices for Marketers Right Now
Here is what I recommend to clients navigating this shift:
Audit Your Content for AI Readiness: Look at your site through the lens of a machine: is it structured, clear, and authoritative? Adding schema markup, FAQs, and cleaner formatting can dramatically increase your chances of being cited.
Shift from Volume to Value: Publishing for the sake of frequency will not cut it anymore. Focus on content that genuinely adds value, answers real questions, and positions your brand as a trusted voice.
Balance Evergreen and Fresh Content: AI models lean on evergreen resources, but answer engines reward timely insights. A mix ensures you stay relevant today and in the future.
Rethink Measurement: Traditional SEO metrics like clicks and impressions only tell part of the story. Pay attention to mentions in AI summaries, voice assistant recommendations, and brand recall in AI-driven experiences.
The Next Chapter
SEO is not going away, but it is being reinvented. The next chapter belongs to marketers who stop chasing old playbooks and start thinking about how their content shows up in both human and machine conversations.
I have seen this pattern before. Early in my career, it was Napster disrupting the music industry and Amazon reshaping retail. Later, at NewsCred, it was brands realizing they could act like publishers. At Demand Media, it was building entire businesses on search until the rules changed overnight. And now, it is AI transforming how people find and trust information.
The constant is disruption. The opportunity is that if you lean in early, you can get ahead while others are still adjusting. That is what excites me about this moment in SEO. The bar for quality, clarity, and authority is higher than ever, and that is where the best marketers thrive.
At Underground Group, we built our practice around helping brands evolve with these shifts. And while this one may feel bigger than most, it also creates enormous opportunity for those willing to rethink their playbook. See what The Underground Group can do for your brand.