I’ve been watching the SEO versus AEO (AI Engine Optimization) debate unfold with fascination. After seeing a recent Marketing Against the Grain video featuring Kipp Bodnar and Kieran Flanagan discussing this very topic, I’m convinced we’re witnessing a fundamental shift in how brands need to approach visibility online.
The debate about whether SEO is dead misses the point entirely. What’s actually happening is far more nuanced – search volume is increasing (people are asking more questions than ever), but clicks to websites are decreasing. This distinction is crucial to understand.
As someone who’s spent years helping businesses navigate digital marketing changes, I believe AI engines represent the most significant new brand visibility channel we’ve seen in years. With 800 million weekly active users on platforms like ChatGPT, ignoring AEO isn’t just shortsighted – it’s potentially business-threatening.
The Subtle But Critical Differences Between SEO and AEO
While there are similarities between traditional SEO and AI Engine Optimization, the nuances make all the difference. The most counterintuitive aspect? You’ll need more pages but will likely get fewer visits. This seems backward until you understand why.
AI engines like ChatGPT answer questions directly, eliminating the need for users to click through to your site. However, to be the source of those answers, you need comprehensive content that addresses the long tail of questions people have about your products and services.
The memory feature in AI engines further complicates things. As Kieran pointed out in the video, searches performed with memory enabled yield different results than those without. This means your content strategy needs to account for how memory affects search patterns.
The Metrics Challenge
Measuring AEO success is admittedly tricky. Current rank trackers have limitations:
- Results vary between desktop searches and API queries
- Memory dramatically affects search results
- It’s nearly impossible to predict exactly how users will phrase questions
Despite these challenges, tracking visibility trends over time still provides valuable insights. If you’re monitoring 100 queries, seeing improvement over six months indicates your strategy is working, even if the metrics aren’t perfect.
Marketing for Two Audiences: Agents and Humans
This shift represents the first major instance where we need to create marketing for both AI agents and humans simultaneously. The approaches are fundamentally different:
- For AI agents: Create comprehensive Q&A-style pages covering every aspect of your products and services
- For humans: Focus on conversion optimization since visitors arrive more informed after researching via AI
Your website needs to serve both purposes – feeding information to AI while providing the closing information that converts already-informed human visitors.
Why This Matters Now
The marketing landscape is changing faster than many realize. Google’s recent Gemini announcements and the introduction of agentic browsing are just the beginning. As AI engines become more sophisticated with features like memory and personalization, their influence on buying decisions will only grow.
This isn’t just another channel – it’s potentially the best brand visibility opportunity available today. For marketers constantly seeking new channels as old ones become saturated, AI engines represent fresh territory with massive reach.
My advice? Start experimenting with AEO immediately. Create more detailed content pages targeting specific questions. Monitor how AI engines quote and reference your content. The companies that master these nuances first will gain significant advantages as this transition accelerates.
The ultimate irony is that SEO isn’t dead – it’s evolving into something more complex that requires us to think differently about content creation and measurement. Those who adapt to this new reality of marketing to both humans and AI agents will thrive in the next phase of digital marketing.
