As users shift from keywords to conversational prompts in AI browsers, SEO strategy must also evolve. The focus should be on creating 'answer-ready' content that directly and comprehensively addresses likely user questions, positioning your brand as a primary source for the AI to cite.

Businesses excelling at traditional SEO can still be invisible to AI-powered search engines. AI prioritizes structured data (schema) and directory signals differently than Google's algorithm. A separate strategy for "Answer Engine Optimization" (AEO) is now required.

Don't abandon SEO for GEO. LLMs rely on the same crawling and indexing systems as traditional search engines. To be cited by AI, you must first have strong SEO fundamentals like fast load times and structured data. GEO then builds on this by focusing on answering specific user questions.

Don't overcomplicate technical Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). The most impactful factors are the same as in SEO: strong internal links, proper schema markup, and ensuring LLMs can crawl your page. Hyped tactics like `LLMs.txt` are currently ineffective and not used by major search engines.

Google's Robbie Stein explains that because AI models, including Google's own, use web searches to gather real-time information, creating trusted, authoritative content remains the most effective strategy for being featured in AI-generated answers.

AI engines use Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), not simple keyword indexing. To be cited, your website must provide structured data (like schema.org) for machines to consume, shifting the focus from content creation to data provision.

For AI models to reference your brand, content must be structured in a machine-readable format like JSON. Traditional SEO is insufficient; marketers now need technical skills to ensure content is accessible and prioritized by AI, a fundamental change in growth strategy.

The future of search isn't just about Google; it's about being found in AI tools like ChatGPT. This shift to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) requires creating helpful, Q&A-formatted content that AI models can easily parse and present as answers, ensuring your visibility in the new search landscape.

With 80-90% of AI-powered searches resulting in no clicks, traditional SEO is dying. The new key metric is "share of voice"—how often your brand is cited in AI-generated answers. This requires a fundamental strategy shift to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), focusing on becoming an authoritative source for LLMs rather than just driving website traffic.